Full Text of HR0316 102nd General Assembly
HR0316 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Edward Aldrich, a Morris resident, joined the | 3 | | United States Army in 1968 with the plan of becoming a military | 4 | | police officer and starting a career in law enforcement after | 5 | | his service; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, After spending time serving state side, | 7 | | Specialist Edward Aldrich received an order in 1969 to go to | 8 | | Vietnam where he where he was assigned to Company B, 720th | 9 | | Military Police Battalion; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, B Company, known as the Bushwackers, were | 11 | | comprised of three Ambush and Reconnaissance Platoons and one | 12 | | Patrol Boat Riverine (PBR) Platoon; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, During his time with the Bushwackers, Specialist | 14 | | Edward Aldrich was assigned as a rifleman to the 2nd Ambush & | 15 | | Reconnaissance Platoon from July of 1969 through November of | 16 | | 1969; from December of 1969 through July of 1970, he was | 17 | | assigned to the PBR Platoon as a Senior Boston Whaler | 18 | | Operators; and | 19 | | WHEREAS, The Reconnaissance and Ambush Platoons were | 20 | | directed to seek out and destroy any Vietcong or Northern | 21 | | Vietnamese Army Units pertaining to a 22 square mile Tactical |
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| 1 | | Area of Responsibility in and around the Long Binh and Bien Hoa | 2 | | area of South Vietnam; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, The Boston Whaler Operators piloted small armed | 4 | | gun boats primarily used to transport Ambush Personnel to and | 5 | | from embarkation and debarkation points along the Song Dong | 6 | | Nai River; and | 7 | | WHEREAS, The Bushwackers were originally trained to be | 8 | | policemen but were assigned to fulfill infantry tactical | 9 | | operations; they were the first line of defense protecting | 10 | | Long Binh Post, which was the largest military base in South | 11 | | Vietnam; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, The protection of the Long Binh Post required the | 13 | | Bushwackers to perform ambushes as well as recon and patrol | 14 | | missions that lasted up to 12 days in awful terrain and poor | 15 | | weather conditions; and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Just like the infantry units, the Bushwackers | 17 | | were responsible for calling in their own air strikes and | 18 | | support as well as any artillery; and
| 19 | | WHEREAS, These heroes may not have been classified as | 20 | | infantry, but they did the same jobs and have earned the | 21 | | acknowledgment of the United States Army; and
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Specialist Edward Aldrich feels that he and those | 2 | | with whom he served have earned the Combat Infantry Badge, | 3 | | which the United States Army continues to deny; therefore, be | 4 | | it
| 5 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 6 | | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 7 | | we urge the federal government to recognize Specialist Edward | 8 | | Aldrich and all the members of Company B, 720th Military | 9 | | Police, the Bushwackers, with the Combat Infantry Badge for | 10 | | their service and sacrifice to our country during the Vietnam | 11 | | War; and be it further
| 12 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 13 | | presented to Specialist Edward Aldrich as a symbol of our | 14 | | esteem and respect.
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