Verdun HS History
Opened: 1958
Closed: 1967
Verdun High School opened on September 3, 1958. It was a seven through 12 school. The east wing of the Desandrouins Hospital area was requisitioned by TASCOM Headquarters to accommodate the American dependents of high school age in the vicinity. The girls’ and boys’ dorms were located on either side of the school. The school was surrounded by a ten-foot chain link fence with wire on top. Previously, high school age students in Verdun resided at a seven-day dormitory in Kaiserslautern and attended high school at that high school in Germany. The school mascot was the Falcon, and the school colors were black and gold. The first local yearbook was published in 1961 and was called the Virondunum which translates to “a strong place”. The school newspaper was the Falcon Herald, and the teacher sponsor was Ms. Rotter.
The school had a five-day dorm from 1958 to 1963 and even published a separate yearbook about dorm life called the Falcon’s Nest. Students from many bases lived in the dorm including those from Toul, Metz, Etain, Laon and Chambley. Some years there were even foreign students in the dorms.
The school had fifty-nine seniors the first year.
There was a full complement of activities at the school including clubs for audio-visual, photography, chess, journalism, drama, library, boys’ PE and girls’ service. Additionally, there was a Franco-American club and baton and pep clubs. The choral and instrumental programs are highlighted in the yearbooks.
All DoDDS sports programs were available. In 1958, the school football team won the COM-Z football championship.
The high school closed in 1967 due to the removal of American troops from France. Many units were transferred to nearby Zweibrucken, Germany.
