107-year-old WWII army veteran receives honorary high school diploma

LAKE VIEW, Iowa (KTIV/Gray News) - A 107-year-old World War II veteran ed the graduating class of an Iowa high school to collect his diploma Sunday afternoon.

Orville Von Ehwegen was amongst the 2025 graduating class of East Sac County High School during their ceremony.

“I didn’t hardly think that it would ever, ever, ever happen,” he said. “Never happened to me anyway. And it was just wonderful the way it turned out.”

Von Ehwegen lived through tough times in his youth, including the Great Depression. He graduated from eighth grade during the Great Depression and was told by his father that he had to stay home and work on the family farm. He was 14 years old at the time and would never go on to attend high school.

“It was gone. That part of my life was out,” he said.

Von Ehwegen then served the country in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1942 to 1945

After his military service, Von Ehwegen opened an appliance store with his wife.

“My business was a success, very much so. It pays to be kind, it pays to have a smile,” he said.

After hearing his story, Von Ehwegen’s friends and family decided he needed to be recognized for his life’s achievements and worked with East Sac County High School to get him an honorary diploma.

“That’s quite an honor. I’ve never been honored like that before,” Von Ehwegen said.

With a few more years of life experience when compared with his fellow graduates, Von Ehwegen offered firsthand advice to the graduating class of 2025.

“I was always kind, worked hard, and just enjoyed the life that I could,” he said. “And it worked out just beautifully. Probably wasn’t as nice as going to high school and getting a diploma. But look what I got here.”

Von Ehwegen will continue celebrating his accomplishments with his friends and family, including his daughter, who traveled from Texas to see him.

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