HR0842LRB099 15101 GRL 39352 r


  
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, James Vernon has lived in and served his community 
3of Morton, Illinois since 1968, including his active membership 
4in the Morton Jaycees; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, James Vernon honorably served his country as a 
6sergeant in a United States Army intelligence unit in Germany 
7from 1962 to 1966; he met and married Hanna Droell in 
8Frankfurt, Germany in 1966; and

  
 
9    WHEREAS, James Vernon was employed by Caterpillar, Inc. in 
10Information Technology, retiring in 2002 after 35 years of 
11service; and
  
 
12    WHEREAS, James Vernon has enjoyed playing and teaching 
13chess to children in Grundy and Lincoln elementary schools in 
14Morton for many years; and
  
 
15    WHEREAS, James Vernon's military training taught him how to 
16defend himself from a knife attack; and
 
17    WHEREAS, While James Vernon was teaching chess to 16 
18home-schooled children at the Morton Public Library on October 
1913, 2015, a 19 year-old man armed with 2 large knives entered 
20the room in the Morton Library occupied by the young chess 
 
 
HR0842- 2 -LRB099 15101 GRL 39352 r

1players and announced he was there to kill the students; and
 
2    WHEREAS, James Vernon quietly approached the assailant 
3while the children first hid, then quickly fled the room; he 
4then put his military training to use to fight off and subdue 
5the assailant until police arrived; he sustained serious knife 
6wounds to his left hand, including 2 cut arteries and a severed 
7tendon; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, James Vernon's quick thinking, selflessness, and 
9heroic actions saved the lives of many students and thwarted a 
10potentially heinous tragedy; and
 
11    WHEREAS, James Vernon was presented with a proclamation by 
12Governor Bruce Rauner designating October 26, 2015 as James 
13Vernon Day in the State of Illinois; and
  
 
14    WHEREAS, James Vernon serves as a model of bravery, 
15integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of 
16Illinois; therefore, be it
  
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
18NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
19honor and thank James Vernon for his act of great bravery in 
20protecting the children at the Morton Public Library on October 
2113, 2015 and wish him the best in the future; and be it further
  
 
 
 
HR0842- 3 -LRB099 15101 GRL 39352 r

1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
2presented to James Vernon as a symbol of our great respect and 
3esteem.