Colton High “Fact of the Day” – Sept. 28

Courtesy Colton High Archives

In the early 1940s, many young men in Colton volunteered to join the American war effort in WWII. Many missed out on important high school milestones while serving their country.

Joseline Ortega Delgado, Pepper Bough Staff Writer

Colton High School opened in 1895. It is one of the oldest high schools in the Inland Empire. In this daily feature, we celebrate Colton High’s rich history.

Due to so many young men in the Colton community being shipped off to fight in World War II, Colton’s graduation of 1945 honored one of its smallest groups of students since America’s involvement in 1941.

The graduation honored about 100 students, ten of whom were serving in the military and could not attend the ceremony. As a result, the school awarded these servicemen their diplomas “in absentia” to their parents.