Reclaiming History
Researching the Untold WWII Story of
Father Viktor Koch, C.P.
by Katherine Koch
Introduction by Fr. Rob Carbonneau, C.P.
Memorial Day weekend 2004 saw the dedication of the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. On the one hand, we are fortunate to have so many people still alive who can help us make sense of World War II historical documentation. On the other hand, social commentators and reporters have made us aware of the contribution of the many World War II veterans who have died. Both of these situations have led to an increased interest in research on World War II. As a result, worn letters and photos have come out of family storage. Others have tried to find information from a variety of historical sources.
Anyone who has tried to find and put together the pieces that make up such an historical puzzle can identify with the following essay by Ms. Katherine Koch. In May 2004 Ms. Koch and her father Gary Koch came to use the Passionist Historical Archives to find out more about their relative Father Viktor [the German spelling] Koch. In 1945, this Passionist priest saved the town Schwarzenfeld, Germany from United States military forces who had liberated the town and had plans to partially destroy it! Background on this can be found at www.viktorkoch.com.
The value of Ms. Koch's essay is that it explains the personal dimension in doing archival research. Most people who have used archives can identify with this. Others who have not been to archives may take this as an opportunity to understand the value of archives on the national, state, and local level.
In the end Katherine Koch's essay is a living testimony to a World War II veteran. In reading it we understand why the dedication of the World War II Memorial carried so much emotion. We also appreciate what makes up the pieces of an historical puzzle. So often the pieces have to be found. Never in one place, they are gathered together by random events such as a conversation, phone call, or newspaper report. This leads to emails or correspondence between people who have a common historical interest. This in turn leads to archives. Archives help us know and respect the truth of history.
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