Full Text of SR0690 093rd General Assembly
SR0690 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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SR0690 |
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LRB093 23530 RAS 53525 r |
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| SENATE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois | 3 |
| were deeply saddened to learn of the death of United States | 4 |
| Marine Sergeant Benjamin "Mudcat" Smith, of Carterville, on | 5 |
| September 22, 2004 in Iraq; and
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| WHEREAS, Sergeant Smith was born on June 7, 1980 in DuQuion | 7 |
| to James D. and Kimberlee S. (Cowan) Smith; and | 8 |
| WHEREAS, Sergeant Smith was stationed at the Marine Corps | 9 |
| Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California; he | 10 |
| was a tank commander with the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine | 11 |
| Regiment, Charlie Company; and | 12 |
| WHEREAS, Sergeant Smith was killed in an explosion while | 13 |
| working in Al-Anbar province; he was serving his second tour of | 14 |
| duty in Iraq; he was admired for his leadership qualities; and
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| WHEREAS, Sergeant Smith was a 1999 graduate of Carterville | 16 |
| High School; he participated and lettered in both track and | 17 |
| football for four years; he was a member of the 1996 | 18 |
| Carterville High School State Football 3A championship team; | 19 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, Sergeant Smith was an avid outdoorsman who loved | 21 |
| fishing, hunting, and camping; he also enjoyed playing pool, | 22 |
| listening to country music, going to rodeos, and visiting | 23 |
| Disneyland with his fiancee, Kerri Blum; his greatest joy was | 24 |
| coming home to spend time with his family and friends; and
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| WHEREAS, Sergeant Smith was known to some to be a shy and | 26 |
| quiet individual; to his family, he was occasionally known to | 27 |
| be a protective older brother and always known to be a jokester | 28 |
| with a lively sense of humor; Sergeant Smith will be remembered | 29 |
| by many as a heroic young man, deserving of honor; and
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SR0690 |
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LRB093 23530 RAS 53525 r |
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| WHEREAS, The passing of Sergeant Benjamin Smith has been | 2 |
| deeply felt by many, especially his parents, Jim and Kim Smith; | 3 |
| his sister and brother-in-law, Jamie and Josh Qualls; his | 4 |
| brother, Jacob Smith; his grandparents, David "Bones" and Mary | 5 |
| Smith, Helen Sue Cowan, and Robert "Cusser" and Louise Cowan; | 6 |
| his fiancee, Kerri Blum; his three nieces; his nephew; and a | 7 |
| host of loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives; and | 8 |
| WHEREAS, Sergeant Smith was preceded in death by eight | 9 |
| great-grandparents and one uncle; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL | 11 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that together with his | 12 |
| family, friends, and this great nation, we mourn the passing of | 13 |
| Sergeant Benjamin Smith, United States Marine Corps, and extend | 14 |
| to his family and friends our sincerest condolences; and be it | 15 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That we honor the memory of Sergeant Benjamin | 17 |
| "Mudcat" Smith and his willingness to serve our country, which | 18 |
| led to him making the ultimate sacrifice; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 20 |
| presented to the family of Sergeant Benjamin Smith, United | 21 |
| States Marine Corps, as an expression of our deepest sympathy | 22 |
| during their time of loss.
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