SR2032 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR2032 LRB100 22297 ALS 41101 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of General Michael Daniel Healy, who passed away on April 14, 2018; and

WHEREAS, General Healy was born in Oak Park to Daniel and Helen Healy on June 13, 1926; he was raised with his three brothers; he graduated from Fenwick High School in 1945; after graduation, he enlisted in the military and served as part of the occupying force in Japan; he met Jacklyn Maddrix in Japan, and they married in 1949; and

WHEREAS, General Healy served in combat during the Korean War as a company commander in the Army Rangers; he became known as "Iron Mike" for dodging enemy machine gun fire while leading an assault on a hill; in 1953, he joined the Special Forces, where he led guerrilla attacks during the Vietnam War that made him the inspiration for John Wayne's character in the 1968 movie, The Green Berets; his brilliance as a counterinsurgency expert was evident in a career that saw him become one of the first Green Berets to achieve the rank of general; and

WHEREAS, General Healy arrived in South Vietnam in 1963 and served five tours for a total of eight years, a remarkable duration for a soldier of his rank; initially, he served as the operations officer and Senior American Adviser to Vietnamese Special Forces, organizing and commanding a battalion-size mercenary unit that bore his name, The Mike Force; in 1970, he was named Commander of Special Forces in Vietnam; in 1973, he began his role as commander of the John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and used his experience in Vietnam to modernize the unit's training regimen and create a new emphasis on counter-terrorism operations; and

WHEREAS, General Healy was awarded three Distinguished Service Medals, two Silver Stars, the Bronze Star, four Legion of Merit Awards, the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Purple Hearts, and was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the Special Forces Regiment for his time in the military; he retired as the top-ranking Green Beret and as a legend in the Special Forces; and

WHEREAS, After his retirement from military service, General Healy was appointed by Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne to be the Chief of Public Health and Safety for the Chicago Housing Authority; and

WHEREAS, General Healy is survived by his wife of 69 years, Jacklyn; his children, Dan, Michael Jr., Timothy, Sean, Kirk, and Patrick; his ten grandchildren; and his eight great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of General Michael Daniel Healy and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of General Healy as an expression of our deepest sympathy.