Chuck Carroll

I just released 'Cold Steel Rail' by Paint the Moon, my rock band. It's available on all streaming and download platforms.

But the real story is below under the School Story heading.

Last month, October, 2021, I graduated from High School!

READ ABOUT IT BELOW!

I came from Kaiserslautern at the beginning of my Junior Year. Not many of you could possibly remember me. In March, 1969 in my senior year, someone from the guidance office told me I wouldn't be graduating with my class because I hadn't taken a Texas History course. So, I left home after the Richard B. King Speech Tournament in Corpus.

I borrowed $10 from someone and took a greyhound to Houston where I got swept up in the acid scene. I came back in the Summer and tried to take the course in summer school, but they kept hassling me about my long hair and told me I had to wear socks with my sandals.

I quit and joined the Army. In October, 1969 I took the GED test at Ft. Sam and passed with flying colors. However, when I got out of the Army and requested my high school diploma, I was told I couldn't have it because there was no section in the GED test for Texas History.

In the mid 70s I sneaked into SAC by going in on the last day of registration and promising to have my transcripts sent. From there I transferred to St. Phillips and finally to Rutgers University where I got my BA and then Rutgers Law School. But still no high school diploma!

69 years old from the class of 69 and I was going through some old documents and pictures this past October, 2021. I found my old GED transcripts and thought, "I wonder if Wisconsin requires a state history test?" I made phone calls and sent out emails to state and federal authorities and by the end of the week I had received a high school diploma from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. A week later I got another diploma in the mail signed by the mayor of Washington DC!

It turns out Texas is the only state that requires a state history course to graduate from high school. I wonder how many other states might issue me a diploma without having to remember the Alamo?