Operation Recognition

Veterans from Korean War and Vietnam War Receive High School Diplomas at Riverside County Operation Recognition Program

RIVERSIDE – Two Riverside County residents who were born in New York and served in the United States military during the Korean War and Vietnam War, were presented with high school diplomas decades after forgoing their education to serve their country. William Daniels of Lake Elsinore and Stephen Tomanelli of Poppet Flats donned graduation caps and tassels as the latest graduates of the Operation Recognition Program on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at the Riverside County Office of Education.

“Today’s event offers a profound opportunity to recognize and honor two individuals who have shown sacrifice and unwavering patriotism, and who answered the call to duty when our nation needed them the most,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez, when addressing Mr. Tomanelli and Mr. Daniels at the ceremony. “This event is a way for us to express our gratitude for your service to our nation, for your selflessness, and for your courage.”

The ceremony included performances by the Rubidoux High School Chamber Choir from Rubidoux High School in the Jurupa Unified School District, and the Navy Junior Reserves Officers’ Training Corps (NJROTC) from Martin Luther King High School in the Riverside Unified School District. The Riverside County Board of Education presented the diplomas to both graduates who were joined by friends and family in the audience.

“It gives me immense pride and gratitude to receive this honor at the age of 72. This has been a personal mission and is a testimony to the enduring spirit of education,” said Mr. Tomanelli after receiving his diploma. “This is deeply meaningful and represents the closing of a chapter from more than 50 years ago. This is a reminder that it is never too late to pursue one’s dreams and finish one’s schooling. Education is a lifelong journey, and I hope my story of perseverance and determination can show that everything is possible.”

“I was very young when I remember being given an American flag. From that moment, I knew that I had to go into the service. When my grandmother told me about my father serving as a paratrooper, I knew I had to be a paratrooper too.” said Mr. Daniels after receiving his diploma. “It feels really great to receive this diploma.”

A total of 380 veterans have received a diploma through Operation Recognition since 2007. The diplomas are awarded as a joint effort of the Riverside County Board of Education, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Riverside County Department of Veterans’ Services. To be eligible for a diploma, individuals must have served in the U.S. Armed Forces in World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War with an honorable discharge, or interned in a Japanese American relocation camp during World War II; and must currently reside in Riverside County. Education Code Section 51440 authorizes the granting of retroactive high school diplomas to eligible veterans. Section 51430 also authorizes the retroactive granting of diplomas to Japanese-American citizens whose internment by federal order in World War II prevented them from graduating from their hometown high school.

About Stephen Tomanelli

Stephen Joseph Tomanelli grew up in the Bronx and attended public schools in New York City before economic pressures forced him to drop out after his sophomore year at Samuel Gompers Vocational High School.

To support himself and his family, Stephen pursued employment options that were a fit for his technical skills. His talents and interests led to employment opportunities in the nascent field of computers and technology.

With the looming prospect of being drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, Stephen decided to enlist in the United States Navy. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1969-1973 in roles ranging from a ceremonial guardsman at Arlington National Cemetery, to a fire control technician and ordnance mechanic on the USS Massey.

After returning to civilian life, Mr. Tomanelli earned his GED, and proceeded to follow multiple occupational opportunities that eventually led him to California. He utilized G.I. Bill benefits to advance his technical skills and purchase a home in the Sunnymead area of Riverside County.

His career in the technology field included providing early computer solutions to municipal and commercial customers in Riverside County. He has owned and operated his own computer sales and service business since 1986.

Mr. Tomanelli has served in various non-profit and public service roles in the region—including as a current Commissioner on the Riverside County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) since 2005.

Mr. Tomanelli is a resident of the Poppet Flats area with one of his grandchildren enrolled in the public schools in Riverside County.

About William Daniels

Shortly after he was born, William Daniels’ brother and mother passed away, and he was raised by his grandmother in Long Island, New York.

In 1952, at the age of 17, Mr. Daniels decided that he would find a way to join the U.S. Army and follow in the footsteps of the father he never met who served during World War II as part of the first Black parachute infantry battalion, the historic “Triple Nickel” 555^th Parachute Infantry Company of the United States Army.

While in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, William also jumped out of planes as part of the 187^th Regimental Combat Team in the 11^th Airborne Division. He served as a medic and surgical technician, among multiple roles that included the motor pool and multiple military occupational specialties. He received the Purple Heart for injuries received while in combat.

After the war, he earned his GED and continued his service to veterans in his role with Kaiser Permanente—which included providing home health care to veterans. As recently as 1998, he was still known to be jumping out of planes as a skydiver.

Mr. Daniels is 89 years old and has been married to his wife, Sylvia, for 31 years. They are residents of Lake Elsinore.

World War II Veteran to Receive High School Diploma After 77 Years

95-year-old veteran thrilled to receive diploma through Operation Recognition program after keeping secret from family.

RIVERSIDE - The interruption of formal education is something current students are unfortunately far too familiar with during these times of COVID. For Garnett Warren Palmer, that interruption came in 1944 in the form of World War II. 

Now, 77 years later, and thanks to the Riverside County Office of Education’s Operation Recognition Program, Mr. Palmer will finally receive his high school diploma, at the age of 95, and accomplish a milestone that he has felt ashamed of missing throughout his life.

The Operation Recognition Program awards diplomas as a joint effort of the Riverside County Board of Education, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Riverside County Department of Veterans’ Services. Since its inception in 2007, 373 diplomas have been presented to residents of Riverside County who missed completing high school due to military service in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or due to internment in WWII Japanese-American relocation camps.

Garnett Warren Palmer was born in 1926 in Bristol, Colorado. Not long after, his family moved to Riverside, California, where his father worked for the Santa Fe Railroad and was also the pastor of the United Methodist Church at 5th and Mulberry.  

“My first experiences in school were at a small schoolhouse in west Riverside near a creek and a beer joint, which my father was never really happy about,” Palmer said. “I attended middle school at University Heights Middle, and my high school years were spent at Poly.”  

While in school, Mr. Palmer also landed a job with the Santa Fe Railroad loading mailbags destined for the troops, thanks to his father. 

“I was only 17 years of age, but the manager, Mr. Russell, was so desperate for workers that he hired me.” Mr. Palmer’s high school and railroad career were brought to a sudden halt when he was drafted into the U.S. Navy in April of 1944. 

After basic training in San Diego, the Navy sent Mr. Palmer to Texas A&M University to train with others to be a radioman.  

“I always kept it a secret that I didn’t finish school,” Mr. Palmer admitted. “Some of the others I was training with were doing calculus and seemed so smart. I never wanted to admit to any of them that I had not graduated.”  

This, however, didn’t stop Mr. Palmer from successfully finishing his training and spending the bulk of his military service in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. He was responsible for receiving and transmitting radio messages using Morse code.  

“Sometimes we would even receive current events from a radio station in Seattle and I would transcribe it for my fellow soldiers. It was the only form of communication we had with the mainland.” 

Garnett was honorably discharged in 1946 and returned to work for the Santa Fe Railroad. “Back then, the railroad was required to offer you your old job back, so I continued my work with them.” He would spend his career working his way up the corporate ladder and retiring from Santa Fe Railroad after 40 years.  

Mr. Palmer and his wife of 56 years have two children, 4 grandkids, and a great-grandchild. Both of his children, and many of his grandkids, are college graduates, and, until applying for Operation Recognition, had no idea he had not received his high school diploma.  

“My son, who is 67, an engineer, and graduate of Oregon State University, was shocked to find out I never received my high school diploma when I called to tell him that the Riverside County Office of Education would be giving me one.”  

Even his wife, Janis Palmer, was surprised that he had missed graduating from high school.

“I didn’t find out until 1994 when we came to Riverside to celebrate his 50th high school reunion,” Mrs. Palmer said. “He told me on the drive there just to warn me in case it came up.”

Mr. Palmer is thrilled about getting his diploma and just hopes that more veterans will come forward and apply for Operation Recognition.

“I always felt substandard and lacking something. You feel like you are missing something.  You don’t feel like your life is complete.” 

Given the opportunity to advise today’s students who are struggling with finishing school in the current environment, Mr. Palmer would share his lifelong regret, “If you don’t finish school, you are always going to feel like something is missing.”

When asked what he would do with his new diploma, Mr. Palmer stated “I’m going to frame it and proudly hang it on the wall for everyone to see.”  

World War II Veteran Among 11 Graduates to Receive Diploma Through Operation Recognition Program

Since 2007, 362 Riverside County veterans from World War II, Vietnam, and Korean War have received long sought-after high school diplomas.

RIVERSIDE – For a student whose formal education came to an end after the 8th grade, the life of World War II veteran Eliodoro “Lolo” Gonzalez, is an important lesson in making the most of every situation in life.

At the age of 95, Lolo is about to receive something he never thought he could achieve—a high school diploma.

The Operation Recognition Program awards diplomas as a joint effort of the Riverside County Board of Education, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Riverside County Department of Veterans’ Services. Since its inception in 2007, 362 diplomas have been presented to residents of Riverside County who missed completing high school due to military service in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or due to internment in WWII Japanese-American relocation camps.

Lolo Gonzalez is one of 11 veterans who will receive their diploma ahead of Veterans Day—along with congratulatory commendations from local legislators.

Andres Castillo
U.S. Army - Vietnam War

Harvey L. Clavon
U.S. Army - Vietnam War

Julius V. Condemi
U.S. Marine Corps - Korean War

Eliodoro “Lolo” C. Gonzalez
U.S. Army - World War II

John William King
U.S. Navy - Vietnam War

Mark Marschlowitz
U.S. Army - Vietnam War

Johnny Jesse Moser
U.S Navy - Vietnam War

Ernesto Perez
U.S. Marine Corps - Vietnam War

Warren Joseph Torregano
U.S. Navy - Vietnam War

Stephen E. Varner
U.S. Army - Vietnam War

Only a few years after the end of World War I, Eliodoro “Lolo” Gonzalez was born in Mexico. His parents relocated to the Inland Empire shortly thereafter, and Lolo enrolled in Ramona Elementary School on the west side of San Bernardino.

“I was an average student,” Lolo admitted. “I remember that the principal was stern and nobody argued with him.”

Lolo’s parents returned to Mexico during the summer following Lolo’s 8th grade year—effectively ending his formal, in-classroom education before he ever set foot on the campus of San Bernardino High School.

“I kind of figured that might be the end of school because I had to work and couldn’t see myself going back to school,” Lolo said.

Lolo’s family returned to San Bernardino when Lolo was 17. He found work at the Santa Fe Railroad's “ice plant” where he maneuvered large blocks of ice into Santa Fe railroad cars to keep fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuffs cold as they traveled across the country.

At the age of 18, Lolo joined the United States Army in 1943 during the height of World War II. He joined his two older brothers who were also serving in the war—continuing a family tradition that eventually resulted in all seven Gonzalez brothers serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Lolo became a naturalized citizen while serving for the United States on October 19, 1945.

His time of military service included a stint at Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific, with the 31st “Dixie” division with many fellow recruits from the southeastern part of the United States.

As a rifleman and truck driver, Lolo was part of the force that drove the Japanese off the island and then helped deal with the abandoned equipment and supplies from the fleeing forces after the war ended in 1945. When his division was assigned to serve in Mindanao in the Philippines, he recalls receiving a ticket from the military police for speeding—an ironic circumstance as Lolo would later spend 25 years protecting the streets of San Bernardino from speeders as a police officer.

Lolo was honorably discharged in 1946 and returned to work at the railroad ice plant in San Bernardino. He never considered returning to school, but he took the opportunity to improve his English while he was in the Army.

"I grew up speaking Spanish at home, and my mom taught me how to read and write in Spanish,” Lolo said. “I enjoyed reading and was always looking for good stories with my nose in a book.”

While serving overseas, Lolo described his English as having “an accent like you wouldn’t believe.” His fellow recruits, many with their own unique accents from the American South, served as good teachers and corrected his English.

His English skills became an important requirement for landing a position as an officer in the San Bernardino Police Department in 1956. He navigated the hiring process and was hired without having to show proof of completing high school.

While serving on the San Bernardino Police Department for 25 years, Lolo went through the process to apply for promotions several times. The process included written tests that he always passed. But, he never followed through on the process for fear of being disqualified because he lacked a high school diploma amongst his paperwork.

“Whenever I was asked where I graduated from high school, I would tell people I went to the ‘Armed Forces Institute,’” Lolo said. “Only one guy ever figured it out.”

Lolo met and married his wife, Carmen, in 1950. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2020. Their family of five children has grown to include 10 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.

Although he has been a resident of Hemet for the last 30 years, Lolo took advantage of an opportunity to purchase a lot of land for $2,500 in the mid-1970’s on the west side of San Bernardino. Starting with a shovel, he would spend the next six years building a 2,700 square foot, two-story custom home in San Bernardino. He finally moved his family in after he retired from the police force in 1981.

When asked about the prospect of receiving his diploma more than 75 years after he would have attended high school, Lolo laughed wistfully.

"The first thing I’m going to do is show it to my great-great grandkids and tell them it’s better late than never,” Lolo said. “Then I’ll probably celebrate with a glass of wine.”

Seven War Veterans Set to Receive High School Diplomas at 13th Annual Operation Recognition

November 6, 2019

World War II veterans among graduates who abandoned their education to serve their country during time of war

RIVERSIDE – Deceased World War II veteran Vallie Lee Engelauf’s family will accept his high school diploma on November 12, 2019, as part of the Operation Recognition Program. U.S. Navy Coxswain Engelauf was born in Riverside in 1926 and lived in the Rubidoux and Jurupa areas his entire life. During his military service, he was at Iwo Jima and witnessed the raising of the American Flag on Mount Suribachi. Engelauf comes from a family of veterans as he, his older brother George, and father William were inducted into the Veteran’s Memorial Park in Rubidoux in 2013. The awarding of his high school diploma posthumously is Mr. Engelauf’s final honor of distinguished service.

The Operation Recognition Program awards diplomas as a joint effort of the Riverside County Board of Education, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Riverside County Department of Veterans’ Services. Since its inception in 2007, approximately 360 diplomas have been presented to residents of Riverside County who missed completing high school due to military service in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or due to internment in WWII Japanese-American relocation camps.

Mr. Engelauf is one of seven graduates who will be honored as part of the Operation Recognition Class of 2019 at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12, at the Moreno Valley Conference Center (14075 Frederick Street, Moreno Valley) as authorized by Education Code Section 51440 and 51430.

Operation Recognition Class of 2019

Corporal Gilberto O. Allen
U.S. Army - Vietnam War
U.S. Air Force - Persian Gulf War

Vallie Lee Engelauf
U.S. Navy - World War II
Posthumously

George Flowers
U.S. Army - Vietnam War

Raul Garcia
U.S. Army - Vietnam War

Richard Granados
U.S. Army - Vietnam War

John Hudson
U.S. Coast Guard - World War II

Franklin Stevens
U.S. Navy - Vietnam War

Eight War Veterans Set To Receive High School Diplomas at 12th Annual Operation Recognition

November 7, 2018

 World War II veterans among graduates who abandoned their education to serve their country during time of war.

RIVERSIDE - Every day, 93-year old World War II veteran Jack Griner sits down at his computer to write poetry. The prose includes topics ranging from world travels and humorous reflections to hard-earned wisdom from nine decades of life. The latest collection of poems will soon be published in his 15th book that will be released shortly after he receives his high school diploma on November 13, 2018, as part of the Operation Recognition Program (watch Jack Griner's video below).

The Operation Recognition Program awards diplomas as a joint effort of the Riverside County Board of Education, the Riverside County Office of Education, and the Riverside County Department of Veterans' Services. Since its inception in 2007, more than 350 diplomas have been presented to residents of Riverside County who missed completing high school due to military service in World War II, the Korean War, or due to interment in World War II Japanese-American relocation camps.

Mr. Griner is one of eight graduates who will be honored as part of the Operation Recognition Class of 2018 at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 13, at the Moreno Valley Conference Center (14075 Frederick Street, Moreno Valley) as authorized by Education Code Section 51440 and 51430.

Operation Recognition Class of 2018

Jack Griner
U.S. Navy - World War II

Charles Whatley
U.S. Army - World War II

Pat Baca
U.S. Army - World War II
Posthumously

Raymond Casares
U.S. Marines - Korean War

"Ron" Robert Jackson
U.S. Coast Guard - Korean War

Steve Stone
U.S. Army - Vietnam War

Jerry Arnold
U.S. Marines - Korean War

Kenneth Weiner
U.S. Army - Vietnam War

"School and me didn't get along too well"

Born in Chicago, Jack Griner doesn't have many fond memories of school.

"I didn't stay there too long because I was too ornery. I was a show-off and was trying to make points with the girls," Mr. Griner said. "School and I didn't get along too well. They wondered what in the world they were going to do with me and I said I wanted to join the service."

Early on, he thought he might attend school and become a preacher, but that was short-lived.

"I did get into one fight. I had no idea who the guy was, but he happened to be one of the boxing champions. He gave me one punch in the mouth and that was it."

Before turning 18, Mr. Griner dropped out of school and found himself in a much bigger fight after enlisting in the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Griner said, "My dislike of school, on top of everything else, made it easy to make a decision."

During his four years of service during World War II, Mr. Griner served in the Pacific Theater as the driver of an amphibious landing vehicle. He piloted his vessel carrying 36 soldiers on to the beaches of Guam, Saipan, Tinian, the Marshall Islands, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima.

In July of 1944 on the shores of the island of Tinian in the Marianas Islands, Mr. Griner survived the sinking of his ship by Japanese forces. He would later receive the Purple Heart for injuries incurred during that battle and two commendations.

After the war, Mr. Griner settled in southern California and soon met and married his wife, Erna. They were married for 59 years before she passed in 2008.

He found gainful employment and eventually established a manufacturing business that produced a wide variety of creative items including bent plywood frequently used in furniture. His factory received significant damage during the Watts Riots in 1965, but it was eventually rebuilt.

After retirement and traveling around the world with Erna, the Griners settled in the Coachella Valley. Mr. Griner still lives independently in his home in Thousand Palms and tinkers with tools in his garage that remind him of his creative manufacturing days.

Part of his daily routine is to write. And, although Jack and Erna never had any children, it didn't prevent him from penning several children's books and poetry collections.

"Writing books for children makes me feel like I'm enjoying a second childhood," Mr. Griner said.

His 15th book, Rose Petals, is a collection of poems at the publisher now and will be released later in 2018 after he receives his high school diploma.

"Getting a diploma never came to mind. I didn't let it. I just bypassed it because I learned enough on my own. My wife was a lot smarter than I was, so every time I had a problem, I'd ask her," Mr. Griner shared. "You become a pretty good bluffer after a while. Nobody ever asked me if I had a diploma, and I wasn't about to tell them."

When he heard about the opportunity to receive a high school diploma through the Operation Recognition program, he decided to apply.

"I thought that would be kind of fun to try for it," Mr. Griner said. "Now I'm wondering how much having it is going to change how much I know. It might make me a better speller because I can't spell at all. Spell check on my computer saves my day."