SR0349 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0349 LRB102 18785 LAW 27484 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, During World War II's Battle of the Bulge, American forces at Hosingen, Luxembourg made a heroic stand against overwhelming odds, which bought critical time for Allied troops and stalled Hitler's efforts to break the Allied advance; Enoch "Nick" Scull Jr. of Sandwich was one of 300 soldiers who fought in Hosingen; and

WHEREAS, Nick Scull was born on a farm outside of Plano in August 1924; he served in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer with the 103rd Combat Engineer Battalion of the 28th Infantry Division during World War II; during his service, he fought in many battles in Northern Europe, most notably D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge; and

WHEREAS, Alongside his fellow soldiers, Nick Scull held back numerically superior enemy troops against overwhelming odds for two and a half days at Hosingen until the detachment's ammunition was exhausted; and

WHEREAS, Nick Scull, in addition to setting defensive land mines and neutralizing enemy mines, commanded a machine gun nest during the crucial days in Hosingen; and

WHEREAS, After exhausting their food, water, and ammunition, Nick Scull and the rest of the American forces in Hosingen were ordered to surrender and were captured by the Germans; and

WHEREAS, After his capture, Nick Scull was confined to three German prisoner of war camps, where he lost 55 pounds and suffered from frostbite; and

WHEREAS, Nick Scull has received several honors for his bravery and service, including two Purple Hearts for injuries received; he was granted the rank of a Knight of the Legion of Honor by the French government in 2019 in recognition of the sacrifices he made and valor he displayed in liberating France from the horrors of National Socialism; and

WHEREAS, Nick Scull will be awarded the Order of Merit Medal of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg for his defense of Luxembourg at Hosingen during the Battle of the Bulge, and the award ceremony will take place at the Quincy Veterans' Home on June 12, 2022; and

WHEREAS, The people of Illinois desire to join the people of Luxembourg in honoring and thanking Nick Scull for his valor and courage in risking his life to confront the menace of National Socialism; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare August 12, 2021 as The Heroes of Hosingen Day in the State of Illinois and request the day be celebrated with appropriate events and activities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Enoch "Nick" Scull Jr. as an expression of our esteem and respect.