William "Charles" Wilson had already dropped out of school and was an 18-year-old ironworker when he was drafted and sent to Vietnam in 1967. The Army made him a demolition expert and sent him out to blow up bridges and enemy tunnels, but he never got a high school diploma.
A bill that passed unanimously Tuesday in the Florida Senate could let Wilson and other veterans finally get a diploma. The diploma bill still needs to pass the House and get the governor's signature.
Florida already grants diplomas to World War II and Korean War veterans who left high school to serve in the military.
The department hasn't estimated how many Vietnam veterans will apply if the proposed law (SB 316) passes, but the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs says more than 450,000 Vietnam veterans live in the state.
Bob Neitzel, vice president of Vietnam and All Veterans of Florida, says he isn't sure either how many of his fellow vets will apply for the diplomas. Between staff time, postage and the document's gold seal, each one costs the state about $13.
To get a diploma under the proposed law, honorably discharged veterans must have joined the military between Feb. 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975 - the day President Gerald Ford declared an end to the Vietnam era.
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