TOLEDO, Ohio \u2014 Like so many American troops returning home from World War II, Bob Barger started working a new job and going to college. Once he settled into his career and raising a family, finishing school was no longer a priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, 68 years since he last sat in a classroom, Barger is set to graduate from the University of Toledo this week after a review of his transcripts from the late 1940s showed he completed enough courses to qualify for an associate\u2019s degree \u2014 a two-year diploma not offered when he was still in school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was something I never dreamed of,\u201d the 96-year-old Barger said. \u201cI knew I couldn\u2019t go back to school now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to be proud to hang that diploma on the wall and think about the friends behind it,\u201d he said. \u201cI found out without friends, this old world wouldn\u2019t be worth living in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The university took a look at Barger\u2019s old school records because of a friendship he struck up with Haraz Ghanbari, the school\u2019s director of military and veteran affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They met five years ago when Ghanbari, a Navy Reserve officer, asked Barger to officiate his promotion to lieutenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ghanbari later found out that Barger never graduated from the university, even though he took a full load of classes from 1947 to 1950.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe actually had to go into the archives to find his transcripts,\u201d said Barbara Kopp Miller, dean of University College at Toledo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The records showed Barger completed 83 credit hours \u2014 about 20 more than what\u2019s required for the associate\u2019s degree that he\u2019ll receive on Saturday. University officials say they don\u2019t know of anyone older ever graduating from the school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the right thing to do. He deserved. He earned it,\u201d Kopp Miller said. \u201cIt\u2019s so cool to honor a member of our greatest generation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barger was a pilot in the Navy, enlisting after seeing an advertisement that said \u201cjoin the Navy and get an education.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He flew seaplanes for scout observation over the Gulf of Mexico and was a flight instructor at a base in Corpus Christi, Texas. He later was stationed in Norman, Oklahoma, after the war and planned on a career in the Navy until an explosion in a bunk house. He wasn\u2019t hurt, but carrying out the bloodied men changed his mind about staying in the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barger returned home with his wife and young daughter and studied business and advertising while working for a paper company. He remembers history was his favorite class at what was then called Toledo University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He never gave much thought about not graduating until just recently. When he was told in January that he would finally get a degree, he let out a hearty laugh. \u201cI can\u2019t believe this. I\u2019m 96 years old,\u201d said Barger, whose wife died in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Members of the university\u2019s Student Veterans of America chapter bought him a cap and gown that he tried on last week. \u201cI fit. I guess I look pretty good in it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The assisted living center where he lives is planning a big graduation party for over 100 people. Barger stocked up on a dozen bottles of vodka, whiskey and scotch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He jokes that he now wants to find \u201ca cushy job where I can play golf.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Like so many American troops returning home from World War II, Bob Barger started working a new job and going to college. Once he settled into his career and raising a family, finishing school was no longer a priority.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":49063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[100,12,25,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[424],"class_list":["post-23226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"ZMUDU2HC6ZEPHDKQYFYWGERNY4","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/04\/30\/wwii-veteran-to-graduate-68-years-after-leaving-college\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n