By Gary Lee Stuber
Charles “Birdy” Edward Bird, a 99-year-old World War II (WWII) veteran, was 18 when he was drafted into the U.S. Army on June 21, 1943, and did not graduate high school as a result. Through the Operation Recognition Program (ORP), Bird received his high school diploma from Clay County Schools Superintendent Phil Dobbins during an assembly at Clay County High School.
All Clay County High School students were present to witness the historic event. High School Principal Allen Tanner said in his remarks, “Charles made history, he is the first to be in the books for two graduating years: 1945 and 2024. And he will be on record as the only person I know to ever to be a part of two graduating classes and the oldest to get a high school diploma from Clay County High School.”
After the presentation of the diploma by Superintendent Philip Dobbins and Board of Education President Phoebe Nichols, Charles was able to sit with the entire senior class for a class photo. Ashdon Salisbury, his granddaughter who surprised him with a blue graduation cap and tassel, posed with him in the class photo, and in another photo of the class was flanked on the other side by his daughter Donna, who is Ashdon’s mother.
Highlights of the ceremony included a color guard entrance with flags, the patriotic rendition of the National Anthem, and of course some kind words by both Superintendent Dobbins and Principal Allen Tanner. While the Clay County WV VFW was in attendance, the Keynote Speaker was former Marine Walter “Wally” Hatfield, a member of the WV National Guard and is Vice President of the Training and Experimentation at the Civil Military Institute (CMI 2), previously established on the old Fola mine property. They recently purchased the old Ben Murphy store and entire orchard property where they are building their multi-million dollar facility in Lizemores. Mr. Hatfield gave a very meaningful speech, primarily to the young men in the audience, about sacrifice and service. He highlighted that sacrifice that men like Mr. Bird endured was not only for himself and the friends he lost in battle, but that sacrifice extended to family left at home. For America to continue to prosper, that kind of patriotic sense of purpose and a willingness to put other lives in this nation first, must continue. He was speaking before an audience of many who had already made a commitment to military service upon graduation. Following the ceremony, classes were dismissed one grade level at a time and each took time to shake hands with the veteran who risked so much for his country.
After release from the Army, Mr. Bird said, “I worked in the coal mining industry 25 years underground and 15 more above ground.” He expressed gratitude that God spared him when many of those who he trained with never came back from overseas. Bird served in the 131st AAA Gun Battalion of the U.S. Army as a Technician Fifth Grade (WWII equivalent of Corporal) until 1946. He is one of four remaining WWII veterans in Clay County.
The ORP (who helped sponsor and coordinate this event) is a jointly administered program between the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) and the West Virginia Veterans’ Council, per WVBE Policy 4355, that provides a high school diploma to veterans with honorable service in WWII, the Korean War or the Vietnam Conflict.
