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HR0422 |
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LRB094 12320 CSA 46251 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, On May 7, 2005, on her 90th birthday, Rachel |
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| Fairbanks Sweitzer of Wilmette was awarded one of France's most |
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| distinguished awards, the National Order of the Legion of |
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| Honor, for her service as a nurse in the Normandy invasion; and
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| WHEREAS, Mr. Richard Barbeyron, the French consul general |
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| in Chicago, presented Mrs. Sweitzer with the award; the same |
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| award was given to astronaut Neil Armstrong and former |
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| Secretary of the State Colin Powell; and
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| WHEREAS, The National Order of the Legion of Honor, created |
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| by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, recognizes feats of military |
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| valor and distinguished achievements in the arts, teaching, |
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| agriculture, trade, and industry; and
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| WHEREAS, Mrs. Sweitzer, who grew up in Fairwater, |
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| Wisconsin, graduated from St. Agnes School of Nursing in Fond |
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| du Lac in 1935; she worked for Hines VA Hospital near Maywood |
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| and was "loaned" to the military; she was assigned to a |
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| surgical unit under Gen. George Patton's 3rd Army during World |
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| War II; after being moved to several U.S. locations, she was |
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| transported to England and spent months traveling from one |
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| battle site to another with a surgical unit; in some cases, a |
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| truck served as an operating room; another truck followed with |
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| provisions; it was during this time that she met her husband, |
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| Caesar Sweitzer, a doctor serving in another unit; her military |
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| stint ended after the war in February of 1946; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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| we honor Rachel Fairbanks Sweitzer for her valuable |
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| contributions to her country and
congratulate her on the |
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| distinction of being awarded the National Order of the Legion |
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| of Honor; and be it further
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