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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Everett Atkinson
4on the occasion of his 99th birthday on June 5, 2021; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Everett Atkinson was born in the home of his
6parents, Emery Pearl and Hallie Winnifred Moore Atkinson, who
7lived on then-muddy Harmony Road; he was the eldest of four
8boys; he graduated from Barren's one-room county school when
9he was 12 years old and in the eighth grade; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Everett Atkinson attended Mt. Vernon Township
11High School for his freshman year until his mother became ill
12with pneumonia; the doctor was unable to reach her due to the
13mud-laden roads, and she passed away at age 33; he dropped out
14of school to assist his father on the dairy farm with chores
15and with raising his three younger siblings; and
 
16    WHEREAS, On the day Everett Atkinson overheard the radio
17announcement of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, he told his
18father he wanted to enlist in the Army; he then hitch-hiked to
19Scott Air Force Base on a sunny Sunday in May 1942 and
20officially enlisted in the U.S. Army in the Metropolitan
21Building in East St. Louis; given the choice of artillery,
22infantry, cavalry, or air corps, he chose the latter; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, By July 21, 1942, Everett Atkinson was appointed
2Student Squadron Sargent Major and officially became an
3Aviation Cadet on November 2, 1942; he then took additional
4training as an electrical specialist and applied for Cadet; he
5had to pass Aviation Entrance Exams, along with 25 other
6servicemen; he was concerned because he had only completed
7ninth grade, but he was pleasantly surprised to find out that
8he was one of five or six who had passed the exam; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Everett Atkinson's desire to learn and excel in
10every facet of aviation led to higher learning and experiences
11with pilots, navigators, bombardiers, ground prep school, and
12advanced single-engine classes at numerous bases across the
13United States; he ultimately became a Commissioned 2nd
14Lieutenant on August 30, 1943 and became a Flight Instructor
15in the Army Air Forces; during that time, he was elected to the
16Honor Committee and graduated in the top 10 percent of his
17class; and
 
18    WHEREAS, While on a 10-day leave, Everett Atkinson met and
19fell in love with Doris Louise McCauley; they said their vows
20on December 3, 1943 and enjoyed many years of matrimony until
21she passed on April 24, 2009; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Everett Atkinson was honorably discharged on

 

 

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1February 15, 1946 as a First Lieutenant and returned to Mt.
2Vernon, where he and Doris raised their family of three
3children, Ruth Ann Clark-Wheeler, Rebecca Louise Hill, and
4Dennis Dale Atkinson; the family now includes seven
5grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Everett Atkinson provided for his family by
7working for his father's dairy farm, which had been owned by
8his wife's family until 1949; he purchased the farm in 1965;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, Everett Atkinson had recently served with Mentors
114 Kids and is currently volunteering in Hospice for Veterans;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, In October 2018, Everett Atkinson visited
14Washington, D.C. as part of the Veterans Honor Flight; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Everett Atkinson's view of life and tragedies
16faced by all is "hang in there, there is a light at the end of
17the tunnel and the sun comes up every morning in the East.
18There are still many chances to love and enjoy life.";
19therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
21HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that

 

 

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1we congratulate Everett Atkinson on the occasion of his 99th
2birthday, and we thank him for his years of service; and be it
3further
 
4    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
5presented to Evertt Atkinson as an expression of our respect
6and esteem.