SR0620 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0620 LRB094 19502 HSS 55338 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois learned with regret of the death of Dalmain H. "Dal" Estes of Pontiac on Saturday, December 24, 2005; and

WHEREAS, He was born December 21, 1917, in Herculaneum, Missouri, to Margaret "Peggy" (Craig) Estes and Howard Estes; he married Mildred Metzger on May 31, 1941, and together they had one child, David Estes; she preceded him in death; he married Elizabeth "Betty" Mertes on November 24, 1951, in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Estes retired from his position as general manager of hotels, restaurants, and institutions at Swift and Company in Chicago in 1976 after 40 years; he then worked for the State of Illinois, the Livingston County Broadcasters, and Wal-Mart in Pontiac, finally retiring at the age of 77; and

WHEREAS, He entered the U.S. Army from Lemay, Missouri, in December 1942 and served until March 1946; on D-Day, he was a sergeant with the 467th Antiaircraft Unit, Automatic Weapons Battalion, and landed in the second wave on Omaha Beach at Normandy, France, participating in the largest invasion in history; he and his squad took out a key German bunker that day, enabling American troops to begin the liberation of Europe; and

WHEREAS, He received a Purple Heart at Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge; during the course of his military career, he also earned the Combat Infantry Badge, the Silver Star, and five Bronze Stars; and

WHEREAS, He participated in all five European campaigns during World War II; after the Battle of the Bulge, he was commissioned into the 80th Infantry Division and was a lieutenant in command of the Mine Platoon of the 318th Anti-Tank Co.; after the war, he commanded a German displaced persons camp in Tachau, Czechoslovakia; and

WHEREAS, In 1995, the 50th anniversary of D-Day, Mr. Estes was honored by the village of St. Laurent sur Mer, France, and subsequently a museum exhibit was dedicated to him and the men of the 467th at Musee' D-Day in France; the exhibit still stands today; and

WHEREAS, He has been featured in several books, including "Hometown Heroes", "Paroles du jour J (Words from D-Day)", and "La Traversee Des Etats Unis (Traversing the United States on Route 66)"; and

WHEREAS, He was an accomplished and popular speaker with the Illinois Humanities Council and gave talks to countless school groups with his program "Private Ryan's Sergeant"; he was the author of "Tracks Across Europe", a memoir of his wartime experiences; and

WHEREAS, In 2004, at the age of 86, Dal founded the Livingston County War Museum and Education Center in Pontiac to honor America's Veterans and to share their stories with future generations; he worked to make the museum a place where children could see and touch memorabilia such as uniforms and weapons and talk with veterans; and

WHEREAS, He was awarded the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award from the Illinois Humanities Council in 2002, and is a past recipient of the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award and Grand Marshall of the Threshermen Reunion Parade; and

WHEREAS, He was a member of the AmVets Post 116, American Legion Post 78, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 886, all in Pontiac; and

WHEREAS, Of all the accolades and awards he received, he was most proud of his family; he considered them his greatest legacy, and he never missed an opportunity to tell them he loved them; he taught them to respect nature, to find the best in others, and to love and support each other no matter what; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Dalmain H. "Dal" Estes has been deeply felt by many, especially his wife of 54 years, Betty; his children, David Estes, Becky (Kenny) McComb, Cynthia (Simmie Baer), Melissa (Keith) Barnhart, Adam Estes, and Elizabeth "Ebus" Estes-Cooper; his grandchildren, Jason (Rhonda) McComb, Lizzie (Craig) Roscoe, and Claire Barnhart; his great-granddaughter, Grace Roscoe; his brothers-in-law, Don Mertes and Wilfred Mertes; and his euchre partner and special sister-in-law, Marie Mertes; his first wife, Mildred, and his parents preceded him in death; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Dalmain H. "Dal" Estes, whose continuing example of selfless service will long be remembered; his life bears eloquent testimony to the courage and bravery of the soldiers that he served with along with the rest of the Greatest Generation, and we 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 his family as an expression of our deepest sympathy; his passing is truly a loss not only to his family, but to his community and to our great State.