Full Text of SJR0050 101st General Assembly
SJ0050 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, World War II, the most widespread war in history, | 3 | | lasted from 1939 until 1945; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, The United States entered the war in 1941, | 5 | | following an attack on Pearl Harbor
by Japanese fighter planes; | 6 | | and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Over 16 million Americans served their country and | 8 | | the Allied powers over the
course of the war; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, The generation of men and women who served our | 10 | | country in World War II has
been called the "greatest | 11 | | generation" for their selfless sacrifice; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, The Medal of Honor is the highest military | 13 | | decoration that is awarded by the
United States government; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, The Medal of Honor is presented by the President | 15 | | of the United States in the
name of Congress; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, The Medal of Honor is only conferred upon members | 17 | | of the United States Armed
Forces who distinguish themselves | 18 | | through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of | 19 | | life
above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in action |
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| 1 | | against an enemy of the United States,
while engaged in | 2 | | military operations involving conflict with an opposing | 3 | | foreign force, or while
serving with friendly forces engaged in | 4 | | an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which
the | 5 | | United States is not a belligerent party; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, More than 3,400 Medals of Honor have been awarded | 7 | | to our nation's bravest
soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and | 8 | | coast guardsmen since the creation of the award in 1861; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, The Medal of Honor was awarded to 353 Americans | 10 | | during World War II; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, Only two of those 353 Americans are alive today; | 12 | | and | 13 | | WHEREAS, Charles H. Coolidge of Tennessee and Hershel | 14 | | Woodrow Williams of West Virginia served their country with
| 15 | | conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life and | 16 | | therefore deserve the gratitude of the
American people; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, The President of the United States has the sole | 18 | | authority to designate a state
funeral; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States may pass a | 20 | | Concurrent Resolution to allow
an individual to lie in state in |
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| 1 | | the rotunda of the United States Capitol; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Historically, the President of the United States | 3 | | has designated state funerals for
former presidents, generals, | 4 | | and other extraordinary Americans; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Our nation is currently divided and yearns for a | 6 | | unifying national event; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, Designating a state funeral when the last | 8 | | surviving World War II Medal of Honor
recipient dies would be a | 9 | | wonderful way for the American people to unite and honor all 16 | 10 | | million
soldiers, sailors, and airmen who served in our Armed | 11 | | Forces from 1941 to 1945; therefore, be it
| 12 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 13 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | 14 | | CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the President of the United | 15 | | States and the Congress of the United States to take all | 16 | | necessary measures to ensure the last surviving Medal of Honor | 17 | | recipient from World War II be offered a state funeral, | 18 | | including, but not limited to, having the option to lie in | 19 | | state in the rotunda of the United States Capitol; and be it | 20 | | further
| 21 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
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| 1 | | delivered to the President of the United States, the
President | 2 | | and the Secretary of the United States Senate, the Speaker and | 3 | | the Clerk of the United
States House of Representatives, the | 4 | | chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, the chair
| 5 | | of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and the Illinois | 6 | | Congressional Delegation.
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