Full Text of SR1173 098th General Assembly
SR1173 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The United States was involved in combat missions | 3 | | in Vietnam between
November 1, 1955 and November 30, 1975; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, In 1961, North Vietnam forces advanced into South | 5 | | Vietnam using the Ho Chi
Minh Trail which crossed into Laos; | 6 | | and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Combat that was fought during this time in Laos is | 8 | | historically known as "the Secret War"; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Laotian soldiers and airmen were recruited and | 10 | | trained to engage in guerilla
warfare against the North | 11 | | Vietnamese; they fought alongside American soldiers, rescued
| 12 | | downed pilots, and defended American outposts; many were | 13 | | injured, tortured, and killed; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, After the evacuation of allied forces at the end | 15 | | of the war, these soldiers and
their families were forced to | 16 | | flee to Thailand for refuge, many eventually immigrated to the
| 17 | | United States; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Many chose Illinois as their new home, with over | 19 | | an estimated 4,500 Lao Americans settling in Chicago and the | 20 | | collar counties; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, There are fewer than an estimated 100 Lao American | 2 | | veterans still living in Illinois today; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, In 2014, the City of Elgin placed an official | 4 | | plaque at the Elgin Veterans
Memorial Park to recognize and | 5 | | honor Laotian veterans who have served alongside United States | 6 | | Armed Forces during the Vietnam War; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Governor Pat Quinn and Elgin Mayor David Kaptain | 8 | | declared July 19, 2014 as the Lao Veterans Memorial Day, a day | 9 | | to remember these brave soldiers; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, Despite the service of these brave veterans and | 11 | | this public recognition, these few remaining Lao American | 12 | | veterans in Illinois are still denied the right to be buried in | 13 | | U.S. national cemeteries and State cemeteries and are | 14 | | ineligible for other benefits; therefore, be it
| 15 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL | 16 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize and | 17 | | support these Lao American veterans by acknowledging their | 18 | | service and sacrifice made in fighting alongside U.S. Armed | 19 | | Forces during the Vietnam War; and be it further
| 20 | | RESOLVED, That we fully support and applaud Governor |
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| 1 | | Quinn's proclamation of July 19, 2014 as Lao Veterans Memorial | 2 | | Day; and be it further | 3 | | RESOLVED, That we urge the General Assembly and the | 4 | | Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs to provide burial | 5 | | rights for the few remaining Lao American veterans in Illinois; | 6 | | and be it further | 7 | | RESOLVED, That we urge all Illinois educators when | 8 | | discussing the history of the Vietnam War to share with | 9 | | students of an appropriate age the story of the "Secret War" | 10 | | and the sacrifices made by those who fought alongside U.S. | 11 | | Armed Forces; and be it further | 12 | | RESOLVED, That we further commit to exploring ways to | 13 | | develop an Asian American social science and history curriculum | 14 | | for public schools that would provide in one centralized | 15 | | structure the shared history of events, such as the story of | 16 | | the "Secret War" and the service of Lao veterans, along with | 17 | | many other examples of Asian American experiences in the United | 18 | | States; and be it further | 19 | | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 20 | | presented to the executive directors of the Lao American | 21 | | Organization of Elgin, Lao Veterans Organization of Illinois, | 22 | | Lao American Community Services, and Asian Americans Advancing |
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| 1 | | Justice-Chicago.
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