HR1578 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1578 LRB096 24615 GRL 44452 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Ernest R. Slavik III on the occasion of earning the Silver Star for his actions during the Vietnam War; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Slavik III was born on March 24, 1946, in Elmhurst; he was raised in Villa Park and spent 4 years at Willowbrook High School; after high school, he worked for the ADT Burglar Alarm Company; and

WHEREAS, In May of 1966, Ernie Slavik III was drafted to serve in the United States Army; after training at Fort Riley, Kansas for a year, he was sent to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam with the 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Slavik III was honored multiple times for valor during the year he spent in Vietnam; on July 11, 1967, he took out 2 enemy bunkers and several insurgents during a firefight in which he fought in the open under heavy enemy fire; he was credited with turning the tide of the battle and was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star for his actions on that day; on June 19, 1967, he dragged 7 wounded soldiers from a bloody battlefield to a successful medical evacuation; after several decades, he was given a second Silver Star for his exceptionally valorous actions; after returning home in January of 1968, he finished his stint in the military at Fort Meade, Maryland, where he trained soldiers and led details; and

WHEREAS, Following his service in the Army, Ernie Slavik III became involved in lithography in 1968; he worked at numerous shops until his retirement in 2005; he served as a foreman at those places for 32 years; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Slavik III has lived on Channel Lake in Antioch for 37 years; he enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, hunting, and working on his 31-acre hunting property in southern Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Slavik's family, which includes his wife, Patricia, his children, Melissa, Kelly, and Ernest IV, and his grandchildren, Brook, Breanna, Jordan, Natilie, Lily, Fisher, and Ernest V, are all undoubtedly proud of Mr. Slavik and his accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, Ernie Slavik III serves as a model of hard work, integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Ernest R. Slavik III on the occasion of earning the Silver Star and wish him continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Ernie Slavik III as a symbol of our esteem and respect.