Class of 2020 celebrates May 15 graduation parade under overcast conditions

By Eric PilgrimMay 15, 2020

Class of 2020 celebrates drive-thru graduation May 15 under overcast conditions
Fort Knox Middle High School Class of 2020 valedictorian Stuart Arnold leads the procession of vehicles parading through the Army post May 15, 2020, as community members celebrated the graduation of more than 65 students. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim, Fort Knox News) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT KNOX, Ky. — Two days ago, installation and Fort Knox Middle High School officials pondered whether severe thunderstorms would put a dampener on graduation celebrations.

Even earlier in the day May 15, the day the event was to take place, they waited to see if the weather would cooperate. Cooperate it did, and throngs of community members lined the streets at various locations to cheer on the 65+ seniors who paraded slowly through the post in decorated vehicles toward the high school.

Class of 2020 celebrates drive-thru graduation May 15 under overcast conditions
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Families of graduating seniors decorated priors prior to the start of the parade, which began in the parking lot of U.S. Army Human Resources Command. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim, Fort Knox News) VIEW ORIGINAL
Class of 2020 celebrates drive-thru graduation May 15 under overcast conditions
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Leaders from U.S. Army Human Resources Command wave at passersby as they prepare to be the first to congratulate the Class of 2020 during the May 15 parade. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim, Fort Knox News) VIEW ORIGINAL

Leading the charge was Class of 2020 valedictorian Stuart Arnold, who arrived two years prior from Germany. Before he and his family came at Fort Knox, he had never known another school environment other than the one in Kaiserslautern.

He hadn’t ever known any other students, either.

Class of 2020 celebrates drive-thru graduation May 15 under overcast conditions
Several members of the Fort Knox community lined the streets for two hours May 15, 2020, to celebrate the unique graduation of more than 65 seniors from Fort Knox Middle High School. COVID-19 restrictions forced leaders to come up with a way to celebrate the Class of 2020 while remaining safe. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim, Fort Knox News) VIEW ORIGINAL
Class of 2020 celebrates drive-thru graduation May 15 under overcast conditions
Soldiers fired a 20-gun salute at Brooks Parade Field in honor of the Class of 2020 as paraded by en route to Fort Knox Middle High School. (Photo Credit: Eric Pilgrim, Fort Knox News) VIEW ORIGINAL

“For the last two years, I have made some great friends, probably better than I’ve had at my old school,” Arnold said. “We have a really tight bond.”

Arnold’s mother said he jumped into activities quickly, including academics, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, and sports. He was preparing for his school’s first track meet of the 2020 season when COVID-19 struck.

As the pandemic spread across the nation, Kentucky race officials were forced to cancel the track meet.

Class of 2020 celebrates drive-thru graduation May 15 under overcast conditions
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Displaying the Army Bowl trophy that the football team won against rival Fort Campbell after a 17-year drought, Fort Knox Middle High School Principal Lonnie Gilmore reads off some of the accomplishments of each graduate as they pass by. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Class of 2020 celebrates drive-thru graduation May 15 under overcast conditions
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Vice Principal Luis Dominguez hollers praise to a graduate as she passes by. He and Principal Lonnie Gilmore made sure the graduation parade was streamed live on Facebook as well as posting a compilation video of the more traditional ceremony. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

“We were thinking it was only temporary, that it was only going to be like three weeks or so of us not having sports. I thought it was quite funny at the time,” Arnold said. “Then when they came out and told us we weren’t going to have school anymore, I was quite surprised.

“It was a bummer that we didn’t get to have a prom, but luckily at the very least, we got to have a graduation.”

Class of 2020 celebrates drive-thru graduation May 15 under overcast conditions
Graduate Vern Daley waves at some of the Fort Knox firefighters who attended the graduation. He and some other seniors participated in a training program with the firefighters this year that encouraged him to seek a career in fire and rescue upon graduation. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

He stood on the sidewalk in front of the schoolhouse, watching as his classmates drove by. Several people clapped and the students cheered each other as parents honked their horns in celebration. Principal Lonnie Gilmore read off each student’s accomplishments as Vice Principal Luis Dominguez waved a sign and yelled praises for them.

The doors to the school remained closed. For now.

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Editor's Note: For more images of the parade, go to the official Fort Knox Flickr page and view the album here.