24-04-2025
Clock over East Nashville High School honors 59 killed in WW II
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Stand in front of East Nashville High School and look up, you can't miss it — a massive clock greets students going to class every day. The clock at the tippy-top of the school has been welcoming students for nearly 80 years.
'I remember that clock being here from the time I entered East,' recalled Vickie Tillman, past president of the East Nashville High Alumni Association.
Even before she knew its importance, Tillman always admired the impressive clock.
'I will tell you that it really looks stunning at night with the lights shining, especially if it's a clear night with the moon and the stars.'
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In 1947, the school held the dedication ceremony for the new clock. More than two decades later, Tillman went to high school at East.
'Did you know the history behind it?' we asked. 'I did not,' said Tillman. 'It was a clock on top of the building that was here from day one.'
But today, she knows the history well.
It was World War II. More than 400,000 Americans died in the war with 59 casualties from East Nashville High School alone. Fifty-eight students and one teacher died while in service to our country.
'It hurts my heart that these boys died.'
Wanting to honor the 59 killed, Principal William Henry Oliver commissioned the clock in their memory. The clock is 59 inches across and every inch pays respect to a service member who died.
'He loved his students and he wanted to dedicate something to the boys from East High that had lost their lives in World War II,' said Tillman. 'They enlisted. A lot did not even graduate from school.'
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Not far from the clock, at the East High Alumni House, is another special memorial honoring the boys of East High.
A massive letter 'E' has a finely embroidered blue star for every East alumni who served in combat, and a gold star for the fallen.
Take a tour of the treasures inside the alumni house, and you can see it's a school filled with rich history. For Tillman, she hopes the school's history encourages today's students not to waste a minute forging their own path.
'I hope they would know the history of why the clock is up there, and that they are a part of history being made. And they can also make a name for themselves and the school.'
Click here for more information about the alumni association's golf tournament fundraiser this summer to raise money for scholarships and other school needs.
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