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HJ0070 |
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LRB096 14255 GRL 29053 r |
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| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of |
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| Representatives and the Illinois Senate are saddened by the |
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| death of United States Marine Corps Captain Matthew Charles |
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| Hays Freeman of Richmond Hill, Georgia, who gave his life for |
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| his country in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan on August 7, 2009; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, Captain Matthew Freeman was born on January 19, |
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| 1980 in Lake Forest; after graduating from the U.S. Naval |
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| Academy in 2002, he was commissioned as an officer with the |
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| United States Marine Corps as a pilot; he was assigned to |
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| Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Third |
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| Marine Expeditionary Force in Okinawa, Japan; he then |
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| volunteered for deployment to Afghanistan with ETT 4-5, 3rd |
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| Brigade 201st, RCAC-C Fwd, where he helped train the Afghan |
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| military on the ground while performing supporting combat |
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| operations; and
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| WHEREAS, During one such combat operation, Captain Matthew |
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| Freeman was on a rooftop directing close-air support when he |
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| was tragically killed; he was posthumously awarded the Purple |
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| Heart and the Bronze Star for his valor and service to our |
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| nation; and
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HJ0070 |
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LRB096 14255 GRL 29053 r |
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| WHEREAS, Captain Matthew Freeman is survived by his father, |
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| Mark Hays, and his stepmother, Paula Hays; his mother, Lisa |
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| Freeman, and his stepfather, Gary Freeman; his wife, Theresa |
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| Hess Freeman, who currently serves as an Air Force flight |
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| surgeon in Okinawa, Japan; and his two sisters and one brother; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, Captain Matthew Freeman's patriotism and courage |
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| will be remembered fondly by his loving family, his fellow |
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| soldiers, and the citizens of our grateful nation; therefore, |
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| be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE |
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| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we mourn, along with his family |
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| and friends, the passing of United States Marine Corps Captain |
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| Matthew Charles Hays Freeman; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That we honor the memory of Captain Matthew |
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| Freeman and his willingness to serve our country, which led to |
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| him making the ultimate sacrifice; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
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| presented to the family of Captain Matthew Freeman as an |
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| expression of our sympathy.
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