HR0301LRB104 13440 MST 25829 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois House of 
3Representatives pays honor and respect to those who have 
4served our country and, in doing so, have made the ultimate 
5sacrifice for our nation; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Theodore Alexander 
7Katsoolias served in the U.S. Army as a member of 1st 
8Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division; and
 
9    WHEREAS, On November 25, 1950, approximately 300,000 
10Chinese Communist Forces launched a counteroffensive against 
11U.N. forces after crossing the Yalu River; SFC Katsoolias' 
12unit was positioned near the Chongchon River and soon came 
13under intense attack; unable to halt the enemy advance and in 
14danger of being surrounded, his unit pulled back and was 
15forced to fight against enemy pursuit while also attempting to 
16break through well-defended roadblocks; the withdrawal was not 
17complete until early December and inflicted extremely heavy 
18casualties on his unit; and
 
19    WHEREAS, SFC Katsoolias went missing at some point during 
20the withdrawal to Kujang; he was never reported as a prisoner 
21of war, and his remains have not been recovered; and
 
 
 
HR0301- 2 -LRB104 13440 MST 25829 r

1    WHEREAS, SFC Katsoolias is memorialized on the Courts of 
2the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific; 
3and
 
4    WHEREAS, The Heroes Way Designation Program through the 
5Illinois Department of Transportation honors fallen Illinois 
6heroes who have been killed in action while performing active 
7military duty with the United States Armed Forces and has 
8designated Route 59 in West Chicago from Route 38 to Route 64 
9as the SFC Theodore A. Katsoolias Memorial Highway; therefore, 
10be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
12HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
13we commend the designation of the SFC Theodore A. Katsoolias 
14Memorial Highway as part of the Heroes Way Designation Program 
15through the Illinois Department of Transportation; and be it 
16further
 
17    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
18presented to the family of SFC Katsoolias.