90-year-old accepts high school diploma in Mich.

DETROIT - John Lawrence Locher has accomplished many things in his 90 years, including living through the Great Depression, fighting in the Pacific during World War II and a long career with General Motors.

But missing was the diploma whose pursuit he abandoned in the early 1930s to help feed his family in Detroit.

Locher checked it off his list, wearing his cap and gown in Detroit Southwestern High School's 2008 commencement ceremonies Monday night - more than 70 years after he dropped out.

"I feel 100 percent lighter," he said. "I appreciate this moment very much. ... It really was overwhelming."