PLACENTIA, Calif. - 94 years young...

For World War II veteran Phil Montano, receiving his high school diploma 76 years later couldn’t have been better timing.

“This was a dream come true,” said Montano.

His grandson PJ, who just wanted to give his grandfather a piece of paper for Father’s Day, walked him to a hero’s welcome. Traditional Yaqui Native American music accompanied him, acknowledging his heritage as a man who served despite years of discrimination.

“It wasn’t something that we had a choice to kind of vote or not vote. It was a matter of just doing it,” said Montano.

His career at Valencia High School was cut short in 1943 when at just 18-years-old, he was drafted and joined the United States Navy.

First Class Petty Officer Montano was thrown right into the war, as a baker aboard the USS Mob Jack.

“And what happened? The whole world broke loose,” said Montano.

They call his generation the Greatest Generation for a reason -- not because of what they had -- but because of what they did with almost nothing. Even today, he wears a few coins as a reminder of the 15 cents he was down to during the Great Depression.

Throughout his life he just found a way -- going from a welder to a plant supervisor and even winning the All-American City award for Placentia -- after he helped build 31 homes for low-income families. And he passed his iron will to his own family.

“The importance of education has been from , everything we do comes from him in one way or another,” said Montano's son Phil Montano Jr.

And as he receives the diploma he waited so long for, this moment really a testament to a full life...

“There’s no magic to it. It’s how you feel. It’s your attitude in life that has a lot to do what you’re going to do when you get there,” said Montano.

A self-made man.