Happy graduation day.

At age 98 and as a World War II veteran, Anthony Simeone has seen a lot in his life. But he says that one of the best days ever came last Friday when he received his high school diploma from Cranston High School East.

He was visibly moved at a special ceremony organized by the Cranston School Department where he was honored with music from a contingent of the marching band and applause from members of the school’s Jr. ROTC program, school leaders, and other dignitaries. Family members, including Virginia, his wife of 73 years, were beaming when he was handed his diploma by Cranston Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse.

“This means the world to me,” he said afterwards.  “I never thought it would happen.”  Simeone did receive his GED (General Education Development) certificate after he returned home from war, but said it was not quite the same and he always felt that something was missing.

He grew up on Farmington Avenue, the Gladstone section of Cranston, and recalled that he had to leave school to help out his family when he was a student at the city’s Hugh B. Bain Junior High School.  Then, at age 17, he was drafted into the Army and served as an infantry replacement soldier assigned to the 14th and 2nd armored divisions. He was deployed to Europe, including France and Germany, and in 1945 fought in the Battle of the Bulge — the United States’ single deadliest World War II battle.

Simeone did not talk about all of his wartime memories, but did say that he was proud to be in the military and would have served longer if needed.

He returned home to Cranston in August 1946 and earned his GED while working full time at Atlantic Mills in Providence.  He moved on from working some of the specialized equipment at the textile mills to other companies, eventually becoming a machinist at DeHoff Machinery in Cranston until his retirement in 1991.

He had been home from war about four years when he met Virginia Ficorilli, the “love of his life.” They married in 1951, and both recalled Friday that on their first date they went dancing at Crescent Park in East Providence.  “I was all dressed up, but we still went on the roller coaster,” Virginia said as the couple clasped hands.

Asked if their meeting was love at first sight, Anthony Simeone answered unequivocally. “Absolutely,” he said.  “For me it was.”

The Simeones have two children and two grandchildren. His granddaughter, Regina Bifulco, is a teacher with the Cranston Public Schools and when she talked about her grandfather at work, school officials set out to make sure he received the high school diploma that they felt he so richly deserved.  “This ceremony not only celebrates Mr. Simeone’s remarkable achievements, but also highlights the enduring legacy of our community veterans,” school officials said in a statement.

After the presentation of the diploma, Cranston East principal Thomas Barbieri had a couple of more surprises for the new graduate.  He gave Simeone a school sweatshirt and revealed that he had found his class transcripts from his time at Bain. Virginia Simeone looked them over quickly before showing the documents to reporters who were gathered around them.  “It’s okay,” she said with a smile. “I see a lot of A’s and B’s.”

His daughter, Diane Bifulco, wrote a brief biography of her dad for the graduation ceremony, stating, in part, that this true patriot, born on the 4th of July, is “certainly a member of the greatest generation.”