Eugene Maisano joined the U.S. Navy in the spring of 1951 over the objections of his mother and the principal of the vocational school he was attending in Monessen.

But he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers, Mike and Anthony, who served in the Pacific during World War II.

Because he left Monessen High School early, Maisano never received his diploma, something he has always regretted.

Maisano can put that regret behind him. Because at 81, he was scheduled to receive an honorary diploma during a special ceremony Thursday.

Monessen School District Acting Superintendent Dr. Leanne Spazak planned to present Maisano with the diploma during a reunion of the Class of 1953 at 1 p.m. in the Alpine Club.

“This is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Maisano said. “I was embarrassed I quit school.”

Maisano said a friend, Bill Cioccio read about a World War II veteran who had received a diploma. That motivated Maisano to do the same.

Maisano credited friend George Essey for encouraging him to seek a diploma and for approaching school officials to help Maisano achieve his goal.

Essey accompanied Maisano when he applied for the diploma at the district office.

Maisano's big day has been six decades in the making. He joined the Navy in April, during his junior year in high school.

“My mother cried. She did not want me to quit school,” Maisano said of Louise Maisano.

“When I get this diploma, she'll be happy up in heaven.”

Maisano underwent basic training at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois.

He then was assigned to U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo in Sasebo, Japan. It was the main transfer point for United Nations and U.S. forces during the Korean War.

As a youth in Monessen, Maisano would ride a bus on Saturdays to Charleroi, where, starting at age 12, he worked as a cobbler for the Romito Shoe Store.

At Sasebo, that skill was utilized as he spent two years as a cobbler for the navy.

He was then assigned to the battleship USS John W. Thomas, working in the ship's laundry. The ship patrolled off the coast of North Korea.

After leaving the service in 1954, Maisano worked at Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel for more than four decades. He never considered going back to complete high school.

He completed a bricklaying school and had three trades throughout his career – cobbler, bricklayer and machinist.

Maisano met his wife, Helen, in a shop in downtown Monessen. The couple was married for 57 years before she died in 2012.

They had six children, Jerry and Mark Maisano, both of Monongahela, Lisa Tabacca of Monessen, Jayne McKeown of Pottsville, Pam Maisano of Erie and Beth Ann Maisano of Louisiana.

Maisano said his message upon receiving his diploma will be simple: “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for accepting me. Will you accept me for being one of you?”

Chris Buckley is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-684-2642 or cbuckley@tribweb.com.

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