HR1116 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1116 LRB099 21257 GRL 46801 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The POW-MIA National Chair of Honor "One Empty Seat" is an initiative that was created to help recognize and honor more than 92,000 American soldiers who have been unaccounted for since World War I; and

WHEREAS, These unoccupied seats are dedicated to the memory of the brave men and women and to the sacrifices each of them made serving our country; and

WHEREAS, The Chair of Honor will remain perpetually empty, symbolizing those American prisoners of war and those missing in action who may never return; and

WHEREAS, The Chair of Honor serves as a reminder to all of the sacrifices that the men and women serving in the Armed Forces have made to ensure our continued freedom and way of life; and

WHEREAS, The first Chair of Honor was installed and dedicated at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on Veterans Day in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Sponsored by the Rolling Thunder organization and Hussey Seating, the program has expanded rapidly, with chairs now dedicated in municipal buildings, county courthouses, state capitals, public facilities, professional and college sports stadiums, and even the USS Constitution; and

WHEREAS, The object is to place a black chair in a prominent location to enhance Rolling Thunder's mission of keeping the memories of imprisoned and missing soldiers alive; and

WHEREAS, Over 91,000 service personnel who never came home, whether they were prisoners of war or missing in action, were honored with the unveiling of a Chair of Honor in Newton; and

WHEREAS, Frank Hull, the founder of Olney Rolling Thunder Chapter 3, says the Newton chair is the 13th structure his group has placed in downstate Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Formed in April of 2011, Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 Illinois is a class 501 (c)(4) nonprofit organization serving a 13-county area in southeastern Illinois; and

WHEREAS, On September 3, 2013, the group received their Rolling Thunder, Inc. charter and became one of over 90 chartered chapters throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, By educating the public that many prisoners of war and missing in action soldiers were left behind, the past will be preserved and the future generations of servicemen and women will be protected; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we honor Olney Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 for publicizing the POW-MIA issue, for educating the public that many prisoners of war and missing in action soldiers are left behind, and their continued commitment to helping American veterans from all wars; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Olney Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 as a symbol of our esteem and respect.