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Ladies and Gentlemen, please direct your attention to the center of the court as we recognize one of our Loyal Leathernecks.
Pete Fulks is a native of nearby Littleton and is a
member of Western's Athletics Hall of Fame.
He played both baseball and basketball for the legendary Rock Hanson.
[title on screen: Tim Van Alstine, Western IL Athletics Director and Pete Fulks, WIU Alum '49] Pete began his career at Western in 1937. He would have graduated in 1941
[title on screen: Tim Van Alstine, Western IL Athletics Director and Pete Fulks, WIU Alum '49] but he was one of 17 baseball players selected to represent the USA
[title on screen: Tim Van Alstine, Western IL Athletics Director and Pete Fulks, WIU Alum '49] at the World Amateur Baseball Championships held in Havana, Cuba
and before he returned to Western he was drafted into the Air Force to serve his Country in World War II.
Pete flew 18 combat missions as a P-51 Mustang pilot. On his 18th mission
he was shot down while strafing an enemy supply train.
Pete was able to crash land his plane in Yugoslavia and spent
65 days living in Yugoslavia before making his way back to U.S. forces.
Pete returned to Western and graduated in 1949. He is presenting his
Leatherneck Letter Jacket to Western tonight. He was given the jacket in 1938 for a being a member of
Western's conference championship basketball team.
Pete will be 93 this year. He recently had a hole-in-one
while playing in the Leatherneck Golf Tournament at Western.
Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm Western welcome to one of our greats, Pete Fulks.
Cheering and applause