GENESEO – After having left Geneseo Central School in 1950, just after his 17th birthday to join the United States Navy to serve his country in the Korean War, William C. Diffenbacher has finally had the chance to earn his diploma.
During the Geneseo Central School District Board of Education meeting this Tuesday, Diffenbacher was presented with his high school diploma by Superintendent Timothy C. Hayes, Board President Stephen Miskell, and Principal Michael Salatel.
“It really makes me feel good,” said Diffenbacher, 80, of Geneseo. Diffenbacher was quite ecstatic after the presentation this Tuesday, having finally earned his diploma.
After thirteen weeks of basic training in 1950, Diffenbacher was assigned to the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Coral Sea, CVB-43. He made six different six-month tours throughout the Mediterranean Sea paying call to countries such as Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Turkey, Crete, Sardinia, and Greece.
As part of his duties as a Boiler Technician 3rd Class, Diffenbacher’s station had been down in one of the twelve boiler rooms on the ship, where his job was to maintain the speed of the aircraft carrier.
One of Diffenbacher’s memorable moments during his time served in the Navy was on October, 3rd, 1952 when he was promoted to the rank of ‘6 Star Admiral F.A.D.’ After the presentation of the diploma, Diffenbacher had later revealed, joking that ‘F.A.D.’ meant ‘for a day,’ and that he had been the only ‘6 Star Admiral’ as the other Navy Admirals had 5 stars to their rank, making Diffenbacher “the only 6 Star Admiral ever in the U.S. Navy.”
Diffenbacher’s diploma has been dated February 21st, 2013 in honor of his 80th birthday, sixty years after he was honorably discharged from the United States Navy.