Eugene “Jack” Kraszewski enlisted in the Army after he turned 18 and joined the 553rd Air Defense Battalion of the 9th Infantry Division on March 1, 1943.
He landed on Utah Beach on D-Day and later participated in the Battle of the Bulge.
The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German attack during World War II in December 1944. Its purpose was to split the Allied forces in the Ardennes region, but it ultimately failed, causing heavy losses to Germany and laying the foundation for the Allies’ final victory.
Due to military service, Kraszewski was unable to complete his senior year of high school.
Last week, however, the Pulaski Community School District awarded the now 100-year-old veteran an honorary high school diploma.
RELATED REPORT: 101-year-old WWII veteran breaks down in tears as he meets great-granddaughter for first time
World War II veteran Jack Kraszewski receives diploma
It’s remarkable that Jack Kraszewski received his high school diploma 81 years after he was drafted into the Army during World War II.
Earlier this year, the Pulaski community came together for a parade to commemorate his service and what would have been his 100th birthday. Kraszewski drove a World War II-era Jeep through the streets.
“Words can’t describe how much I loved it,” Kraszewski said of the parade. “So many people came to see me.”
He also recalled to reporters the dangers he faced while fighting for the United States in Europe.
“We will shoot down strafing aircraft, low-flying aircraft,” he said. “Because our artillery was 40 mm, 50 caliber, we couldn’t hit the bombers.”
“We’re in humid, twenty-four-seven weather.”
RELATED: Flashback: Biden says veterans helped influence growth of white supremacy
D-Day also visited France
Jack Kraszewski also returned to France with other veterans to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
According to Northeast Wisconsin NBC’s report on the 26th, he entered France a few months after the Normandy landing. After the march, he recalled being reunited with his father when he returned home from war.
“I walked into the house and yelled ‘Is anyone home?’ and my dad stood up and it was a nice reunion,” he said.
Kraszewski returned to work at the cheesemaker, where he eventually met his wife and started a family.
He said he wasn’t sure what the secret to longevity was, but suspected it involved some help from above.
“I don’t know, the guy upstairs took care of me,” he said.
Now the community is taking care of he.
