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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives would like to congratulate Highland VFW Post
45694 on its 75th Anniversary; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Highland VFW Post 5694 was established on
6February 24, 1946, and its Auxiliary was founded on July 28,
71946; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Highland VFW Post 5694 originated when the local
9World War I veterans returned home; once World War II started,
10most of the membership returned to service, and with few
11members remaining, the Post lost its charter due to lack of
12participation; and
 
13    WHEREAS, When World War II ended, the returning members
14needed a place to gather and to talk about their experiences;
15they decided to meet at a place called Bucket's Tavern; this
16location became the meeting place of a group of young men
17interested in forming a Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in
18Highland; and
 
19    WHEREAS, The necessary steps were then taken to form
20Highland VFW Post 5694; the first recorded meeting of the Post
21was held at the Highland Public School gymnasium on February

 

 

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124, 1946; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Highland VFW Post 5694 was instituted with
3approximately 200 members on the charter; this was a group of
4energetic young men who wasted no time starting fundraising
5projects, which included dances being held at the Lindendale
6Park ballroom; and
 
7    WHEREAS, In early 1948, negotiations were started to
8purchase property consisting of a building, a lake, and
9approximately four acres; the final purchase was completed in
10August of 1948, and a new organization named Oversea's
11Veterans of Highland, Inc. was formed; Highland VFW Post 5694
12served as the parent organization with all Post members
13automatically becoming corporate members; and
 
14    WHEREAS, On March 10, 1951, a major disaster struck when a
15defective chimney caused a fire that completely destroyed
16Highland VFW Post 5694's building; a rebuild plan was then put
17into place, and the membership responded in excellent fashion
18with physical labor; the community did likewise with donations
19of money and materials; in September of the same year, the
20rebuild was complete, and a grand reopening was held; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Between 1951 and 1967, there were quite a few new
22additions to Highland VFW Post 5694 after the rebuild; a

 

 

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1monument was purchased for the comrades who lost their lives
2in World War II; a 105 Howitzer Artillery weapon was added, and
3an additional 14 acres of land were added towards the
4development of a park; additions were added inside the Post
5building as well, with the installation of six bowling alley
6lanes; one final addition came in the form of a jet plane that
7was mounted outside as a dedication to the memory of those
8comrades who lost their lives in the Korean War; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Highland VFW Post 5694 has always placed a
10special emphasis on community service, hosting annual
11Christmas programs, Easter egg hunts, and trips to Major
12League Baseball games in St. Louis; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Other contributions to the community have
14included donations to furnish a room at the local hospital,
15building baseball fields for boys of the community to use, and
16providing special lighting equipment for the Highland Fire
17Department Emergency truck; smaller donations were also made,
18which included donating flags for schools and churches and
19Christmas baskets for the needy; and
 
20    WHEREAS, There has never been a year that Highland VFW
21Post 5694 has not donated to national organizations such as
22the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, March of Dimes,
23United Cerebral Palsy, Cancer Fund, and many more worthy

 

 

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1causes; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Highland VFW Post 5694 had peak membership in the
3early 1970s, including hitting a high of 510 members during
4the years 1973 and 1974; sadly, many members have passed away,
5and the current membership stands at 250; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In 2020, the Highland VFW Post 5694 experienced
7significant setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, in
8March of 2021, fish fries with limited attendance were
9resumed, and the members look forward to coming back strong as
10more restrictions are being lifted; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The purpose of the VFW shall be fraternal,
12patriotic, historical and educational, to preserve and
13strengthen comradeship among its members, to assist worthy
14comrades, to perpetuate the memory and history of the dead and
15assist their widows and orphans, to maintain true allegiance
16to the Government of the United States of America and fidelity
17to its Constitution and laws, to foster patriotism, to
18maintain and extend the institutions of American Freedom and
19to preserve and defend the United States from all its enemies;
20and
 
21    WHEREAS, Over the last 75 years, the Highland VFW Post
225694 has endeavored to uphold these principles and pledges to

 

 

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1continue to do so as well as push forward for community
2service; therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
4HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5we congratulate the Highland Veterans of Foreign Wars Post
65694 on their 75th anniversary and thank them for their
7service to the community and the country; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to Highland VFW Post 5694 as a symbol of our esteem
10and respect.