SR1067 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR1067 LRB101 20941 MST 70938 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Corporal William Lee Brown of Benton was killed in North Korea during fierce fighting between United Nation coalition troops and Chinese forces on December 2, 1950; and

WHEREAS, Cpl Brown enlisted in the U.S. Army on April 5, 1950 at the age of 18 and served with Company B, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division; he was part of a 30,000-member United Nations Command military force that found itself surrounded by approximately 120,000 Chinese troops; from November 27 to December 13, 1950, both forces clashed in rugged terrain and brutally cold weather; Cpl Brown's remains could not be recovered following the battle, and he was listed as missing in action for almost 70 years; and

WHEREAS, Cpl Brown was awarded the Purple Heart, the Republic of Korea War Service Medal by the Republic of South Korea, and numerous other military medals; and

WHEREAS, On July 27, 2018, North Korean officials agreed to turn over 55 boxes, purported to contain the remains of American service members killed during the Korean War; and

WHEREAS, The U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency notified Cpl Brown's family on October 19, 2019 that his remains had been identified after nearly seven decades; and

WHEREAS, Cpl Brown was born in Sesser to William Faye and Mary Marguerite Brown on November 6, 1932; and

WHEREAS, Left to cherish his memory are his sisters, Dr. Clarice Burchell and Margie Lou Brown; his niece, Robyn Lynn Brummett; and his nephew, Paul Michael (Lori) Burchell; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we remember the sacrifice made by Corporal William Lee Brown in service to his country on December 2, 1950; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Cpl Brown as a symbol of our respect and esteem.