World War II veteran from Pulaski receives honorary high school diploma

A World War II veteran is now officially a Pulaski High School alum!

The Pulaski Community School District said in a news release that the school board approved the presentation of an honorary high school diploma Wednesday to Jack Kraszewski.

Kraszewski was drafted into World War II once he turned 18 and couldn't complete his senior year. He was drafted to the Army on March 1, 1943 into the 553 Anti-aircraft Battalion, Ninth Division. PCSD says Kraszewski landed on Utah Beach on D-Day and later fought in a key battle known as Battle of the Bulge.

Kraszewski rode through his hometown of Pulaski in a WWII-era Jeep during a parade in his honor in May. At the time, he told our Pulaski neighborhood reporter Pari Apostolakos of the many dangers he faced while in Europe.

"We'd shoot down strafing aircraft, low flying planes," Kraszewski said. "'Cause our guns were 40 millimeter and 50 caliber, so we couldn't reach the bombers."

Kraszewski returned to France with other veterans earlier this month to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy.