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| 1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, It is appropriate for the members of the Illinois | ||||||
| 3 | General Assembly to remember the many sacrifices and | ||||||
| 4 | contributions to the cause of freedom made by the outstanding | ||||||
| 5 | men and women who served in combat and gave the ultimate | ||||||
| 6 | sacrifice; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Gary J. Vasquez was born on November 12, 1974 in | ||||||
| 8 | San Jose, California; he later moved to Highland, where he | ||||||
| 9 | graduated from Highland High School in 1992; he subsequently | ||||||
| 10 | earned his Bachelor of Arts in Theater from Illinois State | ||||||
| 11 | University in 1996; he married Sarah Kramer of Chesterland, | ||||||
| 12 | Ohio on October 14, 2006; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Gary Vasquez entered the United States Army in | ||||||
| 14 | January of 2000 as a Cavalry Scout; after receiving Advanced | ||||||
| 15 | Individual Training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, he was assigned to | ||||||
| 16 | Troop A, 1st Battalion of the 17th Cavalry Regiment (Airborne) | ||||||
| 17 | at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Gary Vasquez began the Special Forces | ||||||
| 19 | Qualification Course in 2002 and subsequently earned the | ||||||
| 20 | coveted Green Beret; his perseverance in becoming a Green Beret | ||||||
| 21 | fueled his great advancements within the military; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Gary Vasquez's dedication and passion for his | ||||||
| 2 | career was evident when he relayed stories about his missions | ||||||
| 3 | with a sparkle in his eye and a soft excitement in his voice; | ||||||
| 4 | and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, When Sgt. Gary Vasquez wasn't deployed or on a | ||||||
| 6 | training mission, he would spend time talking about and | ||||||
| 7 | planning for his own family with Sarah; he said that if he | ||||||
| 8 | couldn't work for the Army as a Special Forces Sergeant, his | ||||||
| 9 | career would be as a father to his children; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Gary Vasquez's military education includes | ||||||
| 11 | the Advanced Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Basic | ||||||
| 12 | Noncommissioned Officer Course, the Air Movement Course, the | ||||||
| 13 | Survival Evasion, Resistance, and Escape Course, the Basic | ||||||
| 14 | Airborne Course, the Warrior Leaders Course, the Ranger Course, | ||||||
| 15 | and the Special Forces Qualification Course; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Gary Vasquez was the recipient of numerous | ||||||
| 17 | awards and decorations, including 2 Bronze Star Medals, 2 Army | ||||||
| 18 | Commendation Medals, 2 Service Medals, the Afghanistan | ||||||
| 19 | Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the | ||||||
| 20 | Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the | ||||||
| 21 | Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman | ||||||
| 22 | Badge, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, the Ranger | ||||||
| 23 | Tab, and the Special Forces Tab; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Gary Vasquez was one of 3 soldiers who gave | ||||||
| 2 | their lives defending America's freedom on September 29, 2008, | ||||||
| 3 | when his vehicle hit an enemy improvised explosive device while | ||||||
| 4 | conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol in the vicinity of | ||||||
| 5 | Yakhchal, Helmand Province, Afghanistan; he was riding with | ||||||
| 6 | Capt. Richard G. Cliff, Jr. of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina | ||||||
| 7 | and Sgt. First Class Jamie S. Nicholas of Maysel, West | ||||||
| 8 | Virginia; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Gary Vasquez was survived by his wife, Sarah; | ||||||
| 10 | his mother, Margaret DuHasek, who passed away on August 1, | ||||||
| 11 | 2014; a brother, Barry DuHasek; and a sister, Keely Vasquez; he | ||||||
| 12 | was preceded in death by his father, Frank Vasquez, a | ||||||
| 13 | lieutenant colonel who served in Vietnam; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Gary Vasquez was buried with full military | ||||||
| 15 | honors at Saint Joseph Cemetery in Highland; flags in the State | ||||||
| 16 | of Illinois were also flown at half-staff in his honor from | ||||||
| 17 | October 9-11, 2008; therefore, be it
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| 18 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | ||||||
| 19 | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
| 20 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the section of | ||||||
| 21 | Illinois Route 160 between the intersection of Broadway and | ||||||
| 22 | Poplar Street in Highland and the intersection of West 4th | ||||||
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| 1 | Street and West 2nd Street in Trenton as the Sgt. Gary J. | ||||||
| 2 | Vasquez Green Beret Memorial Highway; and be it further
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| 3 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation | ||||||
| 4 | is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with | ||||||
| 5 | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | ||||||
| 6 | giving notice of the name of the Gary J. Vasquez Green Beret | ||||||
| 7 | Memorial Highway; and be it further | ||||||
| 8 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 9 | presented to the family of Sgt. Gary J. Vasquez, the Mayor of | ||||||
| 10 | Highland, the Mayor of Trenton, and the Secretary of the | ||||||
| 11 | Illinois Department of Transportation.
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