Everett Reamer, 80, will walk across the stage June 3 at Taylor High School, wearing a cap and gown, to get his high school diploma. It is an honorary diploma, but he doesn't mind.

And he doesn't mind that he is about 62 years late in getting the diploma, because he had other important things to do - like fighting a war.

"When World War II started, I felt I wanted to be a part of it,'' Reamer said. "I lied about my age to get into the army. I told the recruiters I was 18, but I was only 16.''

He was serving with the 60th Coastal Artillery Anti-Aircraft group as a fuse setter on the Island of Corregidor in the Philippines on May 7, 1942, when his unit was captured. He was assigned to Osaka Number One POW Camp in Osaka, Japan.

World War II veteran Everett Reamer, 80, holds a copy of his book, Sanity Gone Amuck, about his experiences in a Japanese POW camp. He will receive an honorary diploma June 3 from Taylor High School. Photo by THOMAS E. WITTE For The Enquirer

Reamer, of Miami Heights, talks of slave labor, solitary confinement and going 131 hours without food and water.

"The Red Cross was sending food for us, but the Japanese were taking it and gave us nothing,'' he said.

During his 41 months as a prisoner of war, he said he went from 160 pounds to 92 pounds.

"I can remember August 22, 1945, when a Japanese guard came to my room and beckoned for me to come out. I was afraid to go out because they had told us that we would be killed. Finally I decided, well, this is it. When I went out, the guard told me, 'The war is over. We are now friends.' You can't imagine how I felt,'' Reamer said.

Businesswoman honored

Christine Poon, who grew up in Cincinnati, was recognized as the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association 2004 Woman of the Year last week at a ceremony in New York City.

Poon is an executive with Johnson & Johnson's pharmaceuticals business.

She lives in Princeton, N.J., just 30 minutes from the company's headquarters in New Brunswick, N.J.

Poon, the daughter of James and Virginia Poon of Indian Hills, attended Wyoming High School.

She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Northwestern University, a master's degree in biology/biochemistry from St. Louis University and a master's in business administration in finance from Boston University.

Memorial tournament

A cornhole tournament is being held at 6 p.m. today at Little Flower Church, 5560 Kirby Road, Mount Airy, to benefit the Brian Hunter Memorial Fund.

Hunter, a graduate of La Salle High School, was killed in a motorcycle accident on Feb. 15 at age 22.

For more information, call 591-0082.

Bus drivers awarded

For their commitment to excellence, bus safety and driver training, Ginger Hucker and Nancy Davis have been awarded the Southwest Region Driver of the Year Awards.

Davis has been a bus driver for the Milford Exempted Village School District for 18 years.

Hucker has driven for the New Richmond Exempted School District for 23 years.

Hucker is great with students and parents, said her supervisor, Sharon Starks, who nominated her.

The award is presented by the Ohio Association of Pupil Transportation.

Winners are selected based on an accident-free record, outstanding attendance and involvement in the community.

Group carries on for friend

Twelve women who have been friends since elementary school have formed a friendship group to carry on the work of Jackie B. Brown.

Brown, who is a part of the friendship group, is a former teacher and librarian forced to take a medical leave.

The group has volunteered to carry on Brown's efforts to get every child to read more.

Last week, the women set up the Jackie B. Brown Reading Award at Burton Elementary School in Walnut Hills, where Brown taught, and held a surprise ceremony to kick off the program..

The award consists of a plaque and a $25 gift certificate to Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Prizes will be given to the top scorers on the second-, fourth- and sixth-grade reading proficiency tests at Burton School.

"Jackie has dedicated her professional life to making sure children learned to read well and appreciate books - the keys to knowledge," said Ingrid Smith, a member of the group.