Hello PHS Alumni

Peoria High School was established in 1856. The many graduates of PHS have gone on to serve society in many different ways. This edition is dedicated to all of those who have served in defense of this great nation. Memorial Day was established as “Decoration Day” after the Civil War. A war in which Peoria High School Alumni fought in to preserve the Union and defeat slavery. If you were observant as a student at PHS you would see all the plaques dedicated to those who served and all who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Please take a moment to remember those who have served and sacrificed. The Alumni Association wishes you a peaceful Memorial Day.

On May 5th, 1868, Fellow Illinoisan and Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, General John A. Logan, issued his General Order Number 11 proclaiming that...

"The 30th of May, 1868 is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land"

Although written in 1868 as part of the first official observances of what we now know as Memorial Day, Logan's words are just as relevant today.

Part Two- Memorial Day Remembrance- Jack Koch

Just a quick note- I was able to locate one of Jack's friends and talk with him about Jack at Peoria High before I gave the speech. A real joy to have that kind of insight into a Peoria High Alumnus. Also the Freedom Wall most of us remember in the front hallway on the main floor was taken down a few years back for reasons unknown.

This is an excerpt from a speech I gave in 2000 at Memorial Day in Peoria:

"The past is full of examples of courage and sacrifice. As I said earlier in my opening I was looking for some examples or meanings or why we should remember. I thought back to my high school days at Peoria High School. I remember walking through the halls. If you have not walked through the halls, you need to. Not only will you find all the iron ever mined around here went into the awards, titles and trophies won by the school but you will get a history lesson. In the front hallway there is the Freedom Shrine. It meant something to me then and it means a whole lot more to me now. Did you know 118 Peoria High graduates fought in the Spanish-American War? There is a plaque there honoring those fallen soldiers. There are many other important replica documents defining great moments in this country’s history. Two in particular are the surrender of Japan and Germany. They define the end of some of the most awful wars this country has had to endure. Sacrifice by every American.  I have seen the memorials on the schools walls honoring those that served. The history is rich and full of sacrifice and heroism. Peorian’s from all the schools in the area that answered their call to duty. Some of you may be in the audience. As I searched I came across an award given to students for outstanding leadership and athletics. It is the Jack Koch (“Cook”) award. It is still given to this day at Peoria High. Jack Koch was a student and enlisted in 1944. He was the class president. He gave the ultimate sacrifice. Let me read to you an excerpt from his final actions. 

Jack was assigned to the Combat Command B (CCB), 8^th Armored Division, 137^th Regimental Combat Team. The Battle of the Bulge had just been repulsed and the remnants of that battle were being mopped up. He was participating in Operation Grenade: The Ninth Army offensive from the Roer River to the Rhine River. Dates of this battle were Feb 23- March 11, 1945. On March 6, 1945 Task Force Murray with the 137^th Infantry and “what remained” of the 8^th Armored Combat Command B started north from Rheinberg to Wesel but German Defense again was fierce as German Forces struggled to cover their retreat and protect the Wesel Bridges. Jack was killed in this action. Small arms and mortar fire was intense. Jack belonged to an armored infantry unit and would normally have been protected by an armored personnel carrier (half-track). He was dismounted at the time. Perhaps as a result of half-track losses from the previous day or perhaps looking for mines along the road. Whatever the cause of his fatal wound, Jack managed to crawl into a nearby ditch where a medic found him. Jack’s assessment was that his wound was not as serious as others nearby and urged the medic to treat a nearby officer first. For this action, Jack was awarded the Silver Star medal (Posthumously) for gallantry in action. A young life given towards our freedom and liberty.

It was a selfless act of sacrifice for his country.

A Peoria High Graduate, a Peorian killed in action. He embodies the character of the people this great city produces."

THE JACK KOCH AWARD that is given each year at PHS:

Members of the 1944 PHS Baseball team initiated this award in memory of Jack Koch, who was the team’s Student Manager, and president of his senior class. This young man died in World War II, while serving in the United States Army. This award exemplifies leadership, dedication, character, and athletic excellence. 

You can check this email out on our Facebook page too! We'd love it if you would share this email and like our Facebook page. Please feel free to forward this email to your PHS Classmates if they want to become Alumni Association members and receive updates, have them hit the "Join Us" button below. If you can donate yearly to the Association, you will be helping out the operations of the Association. We appreciate it. If we have made errors in your name or there have been changes in your address, etc, please let the Alumni Office know and we will correct it!

Sincerely

Bill Robertson, Class of '78

President, Peoria High Alumni Association

Scheduled for 2023:

Upcoming Reunions:

The Peoria High Alumni Association is here to help. Upcoming reunions can be a busy time. The Association can help provide some of your classmates with information for the reunions. If you have listing of members of your class, the Alumni Association would be honored to take those names and load them into our database so we can reach out to them with school news and updates during the year.

Scheduled 2024 Reunions

Class of 1983 Reunion Coming Up Soon - June 9-10, 2023

Class of 1993 Reunion- 24-25 June 2023

Congratulations to the Class of 1993! 30 years! We hope you are attending and renewing old friendships. Your POC is:

Amanda Decker-Fitts

mdeckerfitts@yahoo.com

Facebook Reunion Link '93

Looking for Current Events and Happenings at PHS?

Check out this link to see the latest for PHS Athletics and events. Be sure to go to the calendar tab and see the entire month. Get the scores and info! Go Lions!

We would love to hear Alumni stories from your class! If you have a great story to tell about your teachers, experiences, athletics, coaches, love story, etc....please send them to the Alumni Office. We can also post short articles on your reunion. We would love to include them in the Lion's Pride and possibly print them here within our Quarterly Emails.

In Memoriam

Please visit our website to view those Peoria High Alumni who have recently departed plus a cumulative listing in the newsletter. If you know of an Alumni that has passed away please let the Alumni Office know. You are the only way we have visibility on those Alumni who have passed. The following are those whose families have notified us since the last Lion's Pride Newsletter. In addition to this list you can check the Lion's Pride Newsletter located in the "Media" folder at www.peoriahighalumni.org. If we have made an error please let the Alumni office know.



The Alumni Office was recently notified of these Alumni who have passed this year. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all our fellow Lion's.

For More Information:

​LaVerne Wilson

Administrator Alumni Office

1615 N. North St.

Peoria IL 61604

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309-682-4854