San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools posthumously awarded a high school diploma to James Kiyabu, a United States Army veteran, as part of Operation Recognition Veterans Diploma Project.
“This is a project that is close to my heart,” said San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre. “As a veteran myself, I am honored to be a part of this celebration where Corporal James Kiyabu’s loved ones can accept his high school diploma on his behalf. I salute him for the sacrifices he made for our country.”
The certificate was presented to his son, Randy Kiyabu, during a special ceremony on Jan. 13 as a gesture of lasting appreciation and respect for the veteran’s service. Several members of the Kiyabu family attended the ceremony.
“It was my father’s final wish that he would receive a high school diploma. It is really bittersweet that I can accept it on his behalf,” said Randy Kiyabu. “I’m the first in my family to graduate from college. My father had the realization that he wasn’t able to finish high school and made sure education was a priority for me growing up.”
James Kiyabu was born on November 29, 1933, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He had attended Governor Wallace Rider Farrington High School for three years when, in August of 1954, he felt called to military service after witnessing the lasting effects of World War II. Kiyabu enlisted in the Army as a private, specializing as a heavy weapons infantryman, and later attained the rank of corporal. He served on active duty until his honorable discharge in August 1956. During his enlistment, Kiyabu received the Army Good Conduct Medal, which is awarded for exemplary behavior, efficiency, and fidelity during military service. In 1958, Kiyabu married his wife, Jane, and they celebrated the birth of their son the following year. After over 55 years of marriage, Kiyabu passed away in Apple Valley, CA on Jan. 10, 2014.
The Operation Recognition Program is a joint effort between SBCSS and the San Bernardino County Department of Veterans’ Services. Since the program’s inception, nearly 300 diplomas have been presented to veterans who did not complete high school due to military service during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or due to internment in WWII Japanese-American relocation camps. To qualify, the applicants must be residents of San Bernardino County and servicemembers must have been honorably discharged.
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