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92_SR0408sam001
LRB9216730REmbam01
1 AMENDMENT TO SENATE RESOLUTION 408
2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend Senate Resolution 408 on page
3 1, by replacing lines 2 through 5 with the following:
4 "WHEREAS, The Illinois National Guard and its militia
5 forebears have faithfully served the State and the nation for
6 more than 300 years, quickly answering the call to arms with
7 pride and professionalism; and
8 WHEREAS, Five brigades of Illinois volunteers, including
9 Abraham Lincoln, were mustered in April 1832 to defend
10 settlers and end hostilities during the Black Hawk War; and
11 WHEREAS, Illinois provided the Union with leaders such as
12 President Lincoln and Generals Grant, Logan, and McClernand,
13 as well as more than 250,000 men during the Civil War, the
14 largest contingent of any state; and
15 WHEREAS, Illinois was the first state to respond to the
16 Federal call for troops and mustered ten regiments, including
17 Poet Carl Sandburg and the Naval Militia for service in the
18 Spanish American War; and
19 WHEREAS, The Illinois National Guard was called for
20 service to pursue Pancho Villa and restore peace on the
21 Mexican Border in 1916; and
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1 WHEREAS, 25,000 Illinois National Guard troops were
2 mobilized during World War I and nine soldiers of the 33rd
3 Infantry Division received Medals of Honor for their heroic
4 conduct; and
5 WHEREAS, The 33rd Infantry Division helped recapture the
6 Philippines, and Illinois National Guard units served in all
7 theatres of World War II; and
8 WHEREAS, Illinois National Guard units served in both the
9 Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War; and
10 WHEREAS, In 1993, when the Mississippi River flooded its
11 banks, 7,000 members of the Illinois National Guard provided
12 assistance to their fellow Illinoisans who were displaced;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, In recent years, 1,200 Illinois Army and Air
15 National Guard members have been deployed to support
16 operations in Macedonia, Kosovo, and Iraq; and
17 WHEREAS, Since late September 2001, when Governor Ryan
18 activated nearly 300 soldiers to augment security forces at
19 the State's 11 commercial airports, this vital reserve
20 component with a unique dual, State, and federal mission has
21 played as increasingly greater role in defending the homeland
22 and contributing to the nation's war on terrorism; and
23 WHEREAS, More than 1,300 soldiers of the 66th Infantry
24 Brigade have been mobilized to deploy to United States Army
25 Europe in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as part of
26 our nation's war on terrorism, representing the single
27 largest mobilization of the Illinois Army National Guard to
28 federal service since the Korean War; and
29 WHEREAS, More than 470 members of the Air National Guard
30 are on active duty, fulfilling federal missions worldwide,
31 including patrolling the no-fly zone over Southern Iraq; and
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1 WHEREAS, The State of Illinois recognizes the continued
2 dedicated service of Illinois' 13,000 Army and Air National
3 Guard members who, like the founders of the colonial militias
4 before them, serve the State and the nation by protecting the
5 lives and property of their families, friends, and neighbors;
6 therefore, be it
7 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
8 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate May 16,
9 2002 as Illinois National Guard Day; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That all residents of Illinois thank the
11 soldiers and airmen of the Illinois National Guard for their
12 dedication to our State and country and for their willingness
13 to leave family, friends, employers, and school to answer the
14 call to duty during this time of danger to our country; and
15 be it further
16 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17 presented to Major General David Harris, the Adjutant General
18 of the Illinois National Guard.".