| 1 | 1 | | SJ0003LRB104 05724 LAW 15754 r SJ0003 LRB104 05724 LAW 15754 r |
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| 2 | 2 | | SJ0003 LRB104 05724 LAW 15754 r |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION |
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| 4 | 4 | | 2 WHEREAS, It is appropriate to remember the many sacrifices |
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| 5 | 5 | | 3 and contributions to the cause of freedom made by the |
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| 6 | 6 | | 4 outstanding men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces; |
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| 7 | 7 | | 5 and |
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| 8 | 8 | | 6 WHEREAS, First Lieutenant James F. Claussen was born to |
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| 9 | 9 | | 7 Ernest and Stella Claussen on Christmas Day in 1921; at the |
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| 10 | 10 | | 8 time, the family lived on a small farm near Jacob; and |
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| 11 | 11 | | 9 WHEREAS, 1LT Claussen voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. |
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| 12 | 12 | | 10 Army in June of 1940 with the goal of becoming a paratrooper; |
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| 13 | 13 | | 11 he did not meet the Army's size requirements to become a |
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| 14 | 14 | | 12 paratrooper and redirected his efforts to becoming a pilot; |
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| 15 | 15 | | 13 and |
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| 16 | 16 | | 14 WHEREAS, From June of 1943 until his death in March of |
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| 17 | 17 | | 15 1945, 1LT Claussen flew seven combat missions over Sicily, |
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| 18 | 18 | | 16 France, Holland, and Germany; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | 17 WHEREAS, On March 24, 1945, 1LT Claussen was killed in |
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| 20 | 20 | | 18 action while taking part in Operation Varsity; while his |
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| 21 | 21 | | 19 three-year commitment when enlisting had ended, he volunteered |
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| 22 | 22 | | 20 to fly the day he was killed in action; his C-46 Commando was |
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| 23 | 23 | | 21 last seen with its left engine on fire heading back across the |
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| 27 | 27 | | SJ0003 LRB104 05724 LAW 15754 r |
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| 30 | 30 | | SJ0003- 2 -LRB104 05724 LAW 15754 r SJ0003 - 2 - LRB104 05724 LAW 15754 r |
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| 31 | 31 | | SJ0003 - 2 - LRB104 05724 LAW 15754 r |
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| 32 | 32 | | 1 Rhine River after successfully dropping all of its |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2 paratroopers; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | 3 WHEREAS, 1LT Claussen was the recipient of the Air Medal, |
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| 35 | 35 | | 4 the American Defense Service Medal, and the Good Conduct |
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| 36 | 36 | | 5 Medal; he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart; |
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| 37 | 37 | | 6 therefore, be it |
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| 38 | 38 | | 7 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL |
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| 39 | 39 | | 8 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF |
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| 40 | 40 | | 9 REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the |
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| 41 | 41 | | 10 portion of Illinois Route 3 between mile marker 20 and mile |
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| 42 | 42 | | 11 marker 22, near Rockwood, as the "1LT James F. Claussen |
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| 43 | 43 | | 12 Memorial Highway"; and be it further |
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| 44 | 44 | | 13 RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation |
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| 45 | 45 | | 14 is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with |
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| 46 | 46 | | 15 State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs |
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| 47 | 47 | | 16 giving notice of the name "1LT James F. Claussen Memorial |
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| 48 | 48 | | 17 Highway"; and be it further |
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| 54 | 54 | | SJ0003 - 2 - LRB104 05724 LAW 15754 r |
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