World War II vet Cormier presented his high school diploma

By Kelvin Portillo, Correspondent

After nearly 80 years, Menifee resident and World War II veteran Wilfred “Bill” Cormier received an honorary diploma from Methuen High School and a City of Methuen commendation from the state of Massachusetts.

Cormier ,98, served in the U.S. Navy as Quartermaster First Class aboard the USS YMS-403 minesweeper ship from November 1942 until January 1946. His courageous exploits during the war are featured on the documentary, “Chronicles of USS YMS-403.”

Cormier attended Methuen High School, formally known as Searles High school, beginning in 1939, but was not able to complete his formal education because of his ”call to duty” in 1941. He decided to take a different path once he arrived back home from the war. He has documentary filmmakers of “Chronicles of USS YMS-403” to thank for submitting his name and the names of other veterans for receiving honorary diplomas.

After being informed of his service, the Methuen school board and Methuen city mayor, Neil Perry, awarded Cormier with his honorary diploma and commendation on March 28.

“I was a very bad student. Very bad. Once I came back from the service, I just wanted to restart my life … So I got in my car and drove all the way to California,” said Cormier about his brief time in high school and journey after his service.

Unaware of the recognition from his hometown, Cormier was very surprised and honored once the award expediently arrived in his mailbox. He and his wife, Lois, snapped a picture showcasing his newly awarded recognition along with a World War II Veteran banner and an American flag in the background inside their Menifee residence and sent it to Methuen Life Magazine.

Cormier wrote a letter to the Methuen school board expressing his gratitude to them and the city, saying:

“I want to tell everyone that expended the time and effort to research the facts that a ‘call to duty’ interrupted my formal education at Searles High School in 1941. I am profoundly grateful to all of you and to Mayor Neil Perry for issuing a citation on this matter. Then, who could expect anything less from the people of such a great city as Methuen, MA.”

After his notable military career, Cormier moved to California and began a civilian career at McDonnell Douglas, working as a rocket scientist and engineer scientist specialist in the Aerospace industry for the next 43 years. Cormier retired in May 1989.

“Well now that I’ve got the diploma, well now I can go to college,” said Cormier jokingly with a big grin on his face after expressing his gratitude for the honorary diploma.