EAST MOLINE, ILL. -- It's been nearly seventy years since the late Pfc. Theodore Bruch said good-bye to Uncle Sam and was discharged from the United States Army. He enlisted at the age of 18 and served with the 1265th Engineer Battalion in the European theater during World War II. It was a period of his life that was not discussed much, if at all, with his family, mostly because Bruch was a modest man and kept his wartime service to himself.
Upon his passing in July 2011, Bruch's daughter Elizabeth Dreier, or "Libby," of East Moline, became curious about her father's military service and the awards he had earned upon discovering her father's discharge papers, or DD Form 214, for interment at the Rock Island National Cemetery.
She then contacted her Congressman's office, that of Rep. Bobby Schilling, 17th District of Illinois, and asked what could be done to help her recover her father's military awards - awards which she had no idea had even existed. Libby was then put in contact with Ken Moffett, from Rep. Shilling's Moline, Ill., office, and together, they were able to recreate the awards earned by PFC Bruch so long ago.
For this reason, Rep. Bobby Shilling, together with First Army Deputy Commanding General for Support, Maj. Gen. Mark MacCarley, presented Bruch's awards to Mrs. Dreier, in recognition of her father's wartime service.
The noon ceremony was held in the Council Room of East Moline City Hall. Following the remarks by MacCarley and Shilling, Libby was presented the Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Easter Campaign with two bronze service stars, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal with Germany clasp, a WWII Honorable Service Lapel Button and the Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar.
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