Decades later, veterans receive their high school diplomas

It was an early Veterans Day honor: On Monday, brothers Ramon and Sal Navarro received their high school diplomas, years after they enlisted in the military and were unable to finish their education.

Ramon Navarro, a Korean War veteran, said he had been "chasing after my diploma for 60 years," and to finally get it was exciting. Sal Navarro, a Vietnam War veteran, was proud to receive his diploma at the same time as Ramon. "I've always looked up to my brother," he said.

The Navarros were joined by 10 other veterans in San Bernardino County, California, who were given their high school diplomas through the Operation Recognition Veterans Diploma Project. The men fought in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. The program not only allows veterans to get their diplomas, but also those who were unable to finish high school due to internment during World War II.

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Alvino Orozco, a Korean War veteran, spends most of his time in a wheelchair, but he wanted to stand on this momentous occasion. "It felt good to stand up and receive something," he said. "I had no expectation, and didn't know it would be this good. It was really a thrill." Watch a clip of the Navarros and Orozco receiving their diplomas below. --Catherine Garcia