SJ0064 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0064 LRB101 20524 MST 71250 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, and Illinois was one of the states deeply affected by the war effort; and

WHEREAS, When war was declared in December 1941, thousands of men from Illinois enlisted, and thousands more came through Illinois either en route to or arriving at training stations; and

WHEREAS, By the end of 1945, Illinois had registered 1,954,674 men at separate local draft boards; of these, 629,516 were called to serve; an additional 328,338 enlisted on their own, bringing the total number of men from Illinois entering the services to 957,854; and

WHEREAS, The number of Illinois women joining the military during the war was 13,587; counting those who already were in the military and those whose National Guard units were activated, Illinois supplied the U.S. Armed Forces with nearly one million of its citizens during the course of the war; and

WHEREAS, From December 7, 1941 through September 2, 1945, 17,521 Illinois servicemen and women were killed in combat or later died of wounds or injuries sustained in battle; and

WHEREAS, Illinois was the home to several prisoner of war camps, including one a few miles outside of Peoria in Washington that operated from 1944 to 1945; the camp started with 50 German prisoners who helped make K-rations for the troops and expanded to over 200 prisoners of war; and

WHEREAS, In Peoria, production of earth-moving equipment made by Caterpillar had already accelerated in pace due to the federal Lend-Lease program, supplying goods and war materials to Allied countries; Caterpillar tractors were already being used by the Allies in the early stages of World War II, and once the United States entered the war, production escalated; bulldozers were vital to the war effort as they allowed the creation of air fields and the cleanup of debris after battle; and

WHEREAS, It is important to thank and honor veterans of World War II, including personnel who were held as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action, for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States and to thank and honor the families of these veterans; and

WHEREAS, It is important to educate the public about the history of World War II and highlight the service of the Armed Forces during World War II and the contributions of federal agencies and non-governmental organizations that served with, or in support of, the Armed Forces; and

WHEREAS, It is important to pay tribute to the contributions made on the home front by the people of the United States during World War II; and

WHEREAS, It is important to recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by the Allies of the United States during World War II; and

WHEREAS, It is important to remember the Holocaust, the annihilation of 6,000,000 Jews by the Nazi regime, and that the Nazis also slaughtered many other people based on their ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, and sexual orientations and to pay tribute to the Allied troops who liberated Nazi concentration camps during World War II; and

WHEREAS, It is in the public interest to ensure that this occasion is properly celebrated throughout the State; and

WHEREAS, The Commemorative Medallions Act (15 ILCS 555) provides that the State Treasurer may issue medallions to commemorate popular contemporaneous events of statewide interest; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the State Treasurer is authorized to issue official commemorative medallions honoring the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the State Treasurer shall contract for the production, marketing, distribution, and sale of the medallions; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the National Veteran's Art Museum in Chicago be included in the process of designing the medallion; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the State Treasurer to sell the medallions at a cost that is in excess of what it costs to produce each medallion and to distribute the excess equally between the Chicago Veterans Home Member Benefit Fund and the National Veteran's Art Museum; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to State Treasurer Michael Frerichs.