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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 and raged
3 for three bloody years; one and a half million United States
4 soldiers, including thousands from Illinois, answered the call
5 to arms during the war; and
 
6     WHEREAS, 54,246 United States citizens, including 1,754
7 Illinois residents, lost their lives while fighting in Korea;
8 and
 
9     WHEREAS, A total of 103,284 United States soldiers were
10 wounded during the fighting in Korea, 7,140 taken prisoner, and
11 8,177 were listed as missing in action; and
 
12     WHEREAS, A total of 131 Medals of Honor were received for
13 exceptional bravery and courage by United States soldiers
14 fighting in Korea, 93 posthumously, including eight Medals of
15 Honor received by soldiers from Illinois, six posthumously; and
 
16     WHEREAS, The service and sacrifice of United States
17 soldiers during the Korean War is equal to the service and
18 sacrifice of United States soldiers in any of our nation's wars
19 throughout our history; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The number of living Korean War veterans continues

 

 

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1 to dwindle each year, depriving those deceased warriors the
2 opportunity to share their experiences and to accept the thanks
3 for their service from a grateful nation; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The Korean War is often referred to as "The
5 Forgotten War" because it fell between the conclusion of World
6 War II and the beginning of the Vietnam War, and because the
7 shaky truce that ended open hostilities in 1953 left the
8 conflict without official closure; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean
10 War occurs on June 25, 2010; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is commemorating the 60th
12 anniversary of the Korean War by supplying information each
13 month about the State's involvement in the conflict, starting
14 in June 2010 and running through July 2013, to the State's
15 newspapers, radio and TV stations; and
 
16     WHEREAS, The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, the
17 Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, the Illinois Korean
18 Memorial Association, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
19 Library and Museum are sponsoring "Illinois Remembers the
20 Forgotten War" along with media partners the Illinois Press
21 Association and the Illinois Broadcasters Association, to
22 ensure that "The Forgotten War" is forgotten no more in

 

 

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1 Illinois; therefore, be it
 
2     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
3 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we designate June 25,
4 2010 to be Korean War Remembrance Day in the State of Illinois,
5 and hereby encourage all Illinois residents to remember and
6 appreciate the brave men and women who served honorably and
7 paid the ultimate price defending our freedom during the Korean
8 War, to ensure that this generation, and those to follow, never
9 forget these heroes and the values for which they fought.