Tinley Park’s Fredric Arana received a degree in bilingual education from Governor’s State University.
He earned a master’s degree at National Louis University.
He became a teacher and worked his way up the ladder to an assistant principal role.
Then he was named the first principal at Little Village Academy.
That’s a pretty good resume. But there was one thing missing. Arana never received a high school degree. Until Thursday.
During Leo High School’s veterans ceremony at the John P. Fardy Courtyard, Arana was presented with a diploma by Principal Shaka Rawls and Leo President Dan McGrath.
Arana left the school in 1964 to join the Army before he had a chance to complete his high school education. He served for three years — two years during the Korean DMZ Conflict and one year in Vietnam — and achieved the rank of sergeant.
“It has always bothered the sergeant that he never received his Leo diploma,” said Gavin Armour, a Leo parent. “We are going to rectify that today.”
Armour said Arana lived out the charge from President John F. Kennedy, that we ask not what our country can do or us but what we can do for our country.
“For that and his distinguished military service and his service to others through his career in education, we are proud to welcome Sgt. Fredric Arana to the Leo family as a graduate of the class of 1965,” he said.
Several Leo alumni, veterans and current students gathered in the courtyard and applauded the 78-year-old Arana.
Several family members also attended the ceremony.
Fredric and Angie raised three children, Carole, Aaron and James. Aaron served in the Army reserves and James in the Air Force Reserves.
The family was happy Leo officials honored Fredric with the diploma.
“It means a lot to us because my dad has been through a lot in his life,” James said. “One of the things he regretted was not finishing and getting his high school diploma here.”
Before the ceremony, Arana reflected on his life during and after serving in the military.
For one thing, the holiday season was not the same as it was growing up in the Englewood community.
He said he and his fellow troops were shipped out to Korea in an old World War II boat and battled seasickness and homesickness.
“My first Christmas was in the Pacific Ocean somewhere,” he said. “My second was in Korea. The third was in Vietnam.”
Fredric said he was glad he had the military experience because it helped him in life.
However, the third year in action in Vietnam did him some harm mentally with post-traumatic stress disorder. In 1967, in his first week out of the military, he nearly suffered a fatal tragedy.
“Coming back from Vietnam, I had a lot of problems,” Arana said. “I was drunk and I was driving and hit a light post.
“I told the police officer that I came home from Vietnam and he said ‘you came home from the war and you’re going to kill yourself, now,’” he recalled. “I always remembered that. It was God’s way of saying to straighten out or I was going to die. I made my peace with the Lord.”
Also, during his first week back, Arana met Angie, whom he corresponded with while he was away. They married a year later.
He earned his graduate equivalency degree in the military to allow him to eventually collect his two college degrees. But not having the high school diploma gnawed at him.
Thursday’s ceremony represented the first time Arana visited Leo since 1964.
“It brings back a lot of memories for me,” he said, “Leo had a lot to do with my life when I was growing up. I really regretted not finishing here.”
This isn’t the first time the school gave out a diploma to a former student who had his high school career interrupted by military service.
In 2015, Leo awarded a diploma to Orland Park’s Jim Wilkins, who joined the Navy in 1942 and served in World War II.
Leo officials said two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Wilkins enlisted in the Navy.
He saw action in World War II joining a family heritage that saw his ancestors serve in World War I and the Civil War.
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
