HJ0152 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0152 LRB099 21851 MST 48714 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, It is appropriate for us to remember the many sacrifices and contributions to the cause of freedom made by the outstanding men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces; and

WHEREAS, Major Reid Nannen, son of Mary Ann and Dale Nannen, was a Hopedale native; he attended Olympia High School, where he was a two-year captain of the swim team, section leader for the drum line, a member of Elite Eight baseball teams in 1999 and 2000, and was an Illinois State Scholar; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from Olympia, Major Nannen attended the University of Illinois, where he was a member of the NROTC battalion and participated with the Marching Illini Drum Line and NROTC Drill Team; and

WHEREAS, Major Nannen enlisted in the U.S. Marines and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in May 2004; he attended The Basic School with Delta Company class 4-04, the Naval Aviation Training with Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, the Naval Air Station Whiting Field, and Naval Air Station Meridian; he received his Wings of Gold in February of 2007 and was selected to fly F/A-18 Hornets; and

WHEREAS, Major Nannen moved to Lemoore, California for fleet replacement training with Strike Fighter Squadron VF A-125 in May of 2007; he reported for duty with Marine Air Group-11 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, and in June of 2008, he joined Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMF A (AW)-23 2 and was deployed from May to December of 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 10.2 to Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan; and

WHEREAS, While with the Red Devils, Major Nannen served as Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization, Ground Safety, Airframes, and Embark Officer, and attended Tactical Air Control Party training in May of 2011; and

WHEREAS, Major Nannen was then detached from the Red Devils and proceeded to Camp Pendleton, California for duty as a forward air controller with 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance battalion; and

WHEREAS, Major Nannen again deployed to Afghanistan from October of 2011 to May of 2012 with 1st LAR in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 12.1 in the lower Helmand River Valley in Afghanistan, supporting every company within 1st LAR and conducting the first company level helicopter operations within the battle space; and

WHEREAS, Major Nannen returned to Camp Pendleton and subsequently detached from the battalion for refresher training at VMFAT-101; he was transferred to VMFA (AW)-242, based in Iwakuni, Japan, where he served as the Assistant Operations Officer; and

WHEREAS, Major Nannen's awards and decorations include the NATO Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, National Defense Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and Air Medal; and

WHEREAS, On March 1, 2014, Major Nannen, while participating in the elite Top Gun Pilot training school, was killed when the FI A-18C Hornet he was piloting during a training exercise crashed on the Fallen Range Training Complex, about 70 miles east of Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada; and

WHEREAS, Major Nannen left behind his parents, Dale and Mary Ann; his wife, Sarah, also a Military Veteran; four young children, Peter, Curtis, Betsy, and Isla; and his sisters, Briana Nannen and Bethany Miller; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate that the section of Interstate 155 beginning at the Hopedale Exit on Illinois Route 122 and ending at the intersection of Illinois Route 9 as the "Major Reid Nannen Memorial Highway"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs giving notice of the name of the "Major Reid Nannen Memorial Highway"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family of Major Nannen, the Mayor of Hopedale, and the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation.