Brandon Twp.-Ed Burns hated school. With a passion.
He was ‘half-way decent? in math although he had a difficult time with all of his classes. He played football and basketball, but eventually was kicked off the team because of his grades. He failed the first semester of ninth grade. Although he was passing the next semester, his buddies were gone. Burns dropped out of school and at just 15, ran away to join the Marines.
On June 11, Burns will walk in the commencement ceremony at East Detroit High School and receive his high school diploma? 60 years after he quit the school.
‘I’m excited in a way and nervous,? said Burns, now a 75-year-old Brandon Township resident. ‘There’ll be a bunch of young kids and an old fart like me.?
Burns will graduate because of Public Act 181 of 2001, a Michigan law which allows eligible World War II and Korean War veterans who never finished school to receive their diplomas.
‘Im getting the diploma of hard knocks,? Burns said. ‘All the education in the world don’t mean a fiddler’s diddler if you don’t have common sense.?
Burns joined the Marine Corps on Feb. 7, 1946. In order to enlist, he lied about both his name and age. When his parents found out what he had done, they were angry, but eventually signed a letter giving their consent so Burns could remain in the Marines. He served in China and returned to the U.S. in November 1947. He was discharged from the Marines in 1951.
Burns married Dorothy Boscoe in 1949 and they would have three children? Danny, Debra and Darlene.
‘I wanted my kids to be smarter than me,? says Burns. ‘I was tough on them in school. I wanted them to be something.?
All three of his children are high school graduates, but Burns says he never had time to go back to school himself. While raising his family, Burns worked two jobs. He was a part-time engineer at Hudson’s for 17 years and worked full-time for the Royal Oak Schools? first as a night fireman, then a maintenance repairman and finally a maintenance supervisor. He retired when he was 62, after Dorothy was diagnosed with cancer. She died in 1993.
When Burns found out last year that he could still receive his diploma, he thought he would just have it sent to him after applying. But his children wanted him to walk at graduation. He plans to wear a cap and gown.
‘I have one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel,? said Burns, who in his retirement makes metal lamps, paints, and likes to read detective stories and books about cowboys and the Marine Corps. ‘I’m lucky to have lived this long. I think my lack of a diploma hindered my ability to get ahead. But everyday you learn something if you want to.?