DAPHNE — Oliver Bertagnolli and Samuel Jenkins Sr. aren’t typical Daphne High students, but that didn’t stop them from enjoying the fun of graduation.

Monday night’s ceremony was the culmination of many traditional pre-graduation activities for them, right down to practicing the ceremonial walk with other students earlier in the day.

But unlike the other graduates, both men are World War II veterans who never finished high school because of their military duties.

Operation Recognition, sponsored by the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs, makes it possible for qualifying veterans to receive their diploma.

Family members can also apply under this program for a diploma to be awarded to a deceased veteran.

“This is a real worthwhile program because it allows these veterans to get some of the recognition they deserve,” said Mike Northcutt, state Veterans Affairs assistant commissioner.

Northcutt said he is unaware of any other graduation in the state featuring two veterans.

“It’s so great to hear about them and we hope that even more veterans will take advantage of this program,” Northcutt said in a telephone interview from his Montgomery office.

Daphne native Oliver Bertagnolli, 83, is happy to participate in this program because it allows him to recapture part of his youth.

Although he had finished the ninth grade, Bertagnolli left school for work when he received his draft card.

“Leaving school was a hard decision,” he said with a sigh.

He entered the Army in 1942 and traveled the country before his unit was eventually sent to the Pacific Ocean, Bertagnolli said.

“We were waiting for the invasion of Japan, only we didn’t know it at the time,” he said. “But dropping the atomic bomb ended all that. And that’s what saved us.”

After three years military service, Bertagnolli “couldn’t wait to get back home.” He eventually married his sweetheart, Inez, and they settled in Spanish Fort, where they still live.

Bertagnolli said he first heard about this veterans program about two years ago. But he credits DHS teacher Harriett Outlaw with having helped make it a reality.

The timing couldn’t be better, since he graduated along with his great-granddaughter Kristin Hamric.

“I think this is real nice — real, real nice,” he said proudly.

Nerves weren’t a problem for Bertagnolli, but “I did wake up a few times in the middle of the night thinking about it,” he added.

Jenkins, 81, a Loxley native and former Baldwin County Commission member, clearly remembers being drafted in 1944. At that time, he attended the Baldwin County Training School in Daphne.

“They let me stay until the Christmas holidays but then I had to go off,” Jenkins said.

“I was just 18 years old so I did as I was told. It was important to do that because we were dedicated; We had to live up to expectations, regardless of the task.” At that time, the Army was segregated, he said.

Jenkins said that the dropping of the atomic bomb also impacted his Army unit.