HR1026 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1026 LRB098 21045 GRL 58767 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The United States Navy has a proud tradition of service dating back to the Revolutionary War, when the Continental Congress created the Continental Navy to fight on the seas for our nation's independence; following the dissolution of the Continental Navy, the Founding Fathers gave Congress the right to create a navy through the United States Constitution, which culminated in the creation of the Naval Act of 1794 and the launching of the first United States warships in 1797; and

WHEREAS, The United States Navy has been deployed in all of the United States' great conflicts, fighting for our nation during the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm, and the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan; and

WHEREAS, The United States Navy also performs humanitarian missions throughout the world, helping those in need without pride or prejudice; and

WHEREAS, The United States Navy is known throughout the world for its strength, courage, and compassion; notable commanders in the United States Navy, including John Paul Jones, Oliver Hazard Perry, and Chester Nimitz, serve as role models to naval officers and citizens around the world; and

WHEREAS, In a world fraught with peril, the United States of America has the world's finest Navy, with the ability to project power across the sea and on shore by virtue of its surface and subsurface forces, carrier air power, and special warfare teams; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is home to Naval Station Great Lakes, which hosts the Navy's only Recruit Training Command, graduating 37,000 men and women annually to become our Navy's sailors; Illinois is also home to the Naval Hospital Corps School and the Navy's technical training schools for surf ace warfare excellence at Training Support Center Great Lakes, graduating more than 25,000 students annually; and

WHEREAS, Many Illinois citizens have gone to sea in the service of their country; many Navy ships have also been named for cities within and for our great State of Illinois, including the USS Illinois and the USS Springfield; and

WHEREAS, Thousands of Illinois citizens are currently serving or have served in the United States Navy at naval bases, joint forces commands, and Navy Operational Support units all over the globe; and

WHEREAS, The thousands of courageous men and women in uniform stand ready to defend the United States and its interests through overwhelming force and commitment to their nation and its citizens; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate the week of April 28 - May 4, 2014 as "Navy Week" in the State of Illinois in honor of this fine institution and its many dedicated men and women in uniform; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Secretary of the Navy Raymond Mabus as a symbol of our esteem and respect.