State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Missouri > T11 > C160 > 160_360Operation recognition, honorary high school diplomas awarded tocertain veterans and civilian POWs, when.
160.360. 1. The department of elementary and secondary education,with the cooperation of the Missouri veterans' commission, shall developand administer a program to be known as "Operation Recognition". Thepurpose of the program is to award honorary high school diplomas tocivilian prisoners of war (POWs) and to any veteran who left high schoolprior to graduation to enter United States military service. Thedepartment and commission shall jointly develop an application procedure,distribute applications and publicize the program to school districts,accredited nonpublic schools, veterans' organizations, and state, regionaland local media.
2. All civilian POWs who are residents or former residents of thestate of Missouri and all honorably discharged veterans who are residentsor former residents of the state of Missouri, who served in the UnitedStates military and who did not return to school and complete theireducation after their term of service shall be eligible to receive anhonorary diploma. Diplomas may be issued posthumously.
3. Upon approval of an application, the department shall issue anhonorary high school diploma for an eligible civilian POW or an eligibleveteran. The diploma shall also include a statement specifying that thediploma is awarded in recognition of military service experiences and civicduty responsibilities. The diploma shall indicate the civilian POW's orveteran's school of attendance. The department and commission shall worktogether to provide school districts, schools, communities and veterans'organizations with information about hosting a diploma ceremony on oraround Veterans Day. The diploma shall be mailed to the civilian POW orveteran or, if the civilian POW or veteran is deceased, to the civilianPOW's or veteran's family.
(L. 2001 H.B. 441, et al. § 160.341, A.L. 2002 H.B. 1515, A.L. 2003 S.B. 325)
