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SJR0003 - 104th General Assembly
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| 1 | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, It is appropriate to remember the many sacrifices | ||||||
| 3 | and contributions to the cause of freedom made by the | ||||||
| 4 | outstanding men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces; | ||||||
| 5 | and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, First Lieutenant James F. Claussen was born to | ||||||
| 7 | Ernest and Stella Claussen on Christmas Day in 1921; at the | ||||||
| 8 | time, the family lived on a small farm near Jacob; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, 1LT Claussen voluntarily enlisted in the U.S. | ||||||
| 10 | Army in June of 1940 with the goal of becoming a paratrooper; | ||||||
| 11 | he did not meet the Army's size requirements to become a | ||||||
| 12 | paratrooper and redirected his efforts to becoming a pilot; | ||||||
| 13 | and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, From June of 1943 until his death in March of | ||||||
| 15 | 1945, 1LT Claussen flew seven combat missions over Sicily, | ||||||
| 16 | France, Holland, and Germany; and | ||||||
| 17 | WHEREAS, On March 24, 1945, 1LT Claussen was killed in | ||||||
| 18 | action while taking part in Operation Varsity; while his | ||||||
| 19 | three-year commitment when enlisting had ended, he volunteered | ||||||
| 20 | to fly the day he was killed in action; his C-46 Commando was | ||||||
| 21 | last seen with its left engine on fire heading back across the | ||||||
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| 1 | Rhine River after successfully dropping all of its | ||||||
| 2 | paratroopers; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, 1LT Claussen was the recipient of the Air Medal, | ||||||
| 4 | the American Defense Service Medal, and the Good Conduct | ||||||
| 5 | Medal; he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart; | ||||||
| 6 | therefore, be it | ||||||
| 7 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL | ||||||
| 8 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF | ||||||
| 9 | REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the | ||||||
| 10 | portion of Illinois Route 3 between mile marker 20 and mile | ||||||
| 11 | marker 22, near Rockwood, as the "1LT James F. Claussen | ||||||
| 12 | Memorial Highway"; and be it further | ||||||
| 13 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation | ||||||
| 14 | is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with | ||||||
| 15 | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | ||||||
| 16 | giving notice of the name "1LT James F. Claussen Memorial | ||||||
| 17 | Highway"; and be it further | ||||||
| 18 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 19 | presented to the family of 1LT Claussen and the Secretary of | ||||||
| 20 | the Illinois Department of Transportation. | ||||||