HR0179 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0179 LRB100 11642 MST 22459 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens, a Central Illinois native and Navy SEAL, who paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country on January 28, 2017 while on a raid in Yemen; and

WHEREAS, Chief Owens was born on March 5, 1980 at Methodist Hospital in Peoria; he lived with his parents, William Owens, a Henry native, and the late Patty Westerfer Owens, a Lacon native, west of Henry; he was baptized in St. Patrick's Church in Camp Grove; his father was in the apprenticeship program at Caterpillar; the family then moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where his father worked with the police force; and

WHEREAS, In the 1990s, Chief Owens returned to Central Illinois and graduated from Illinois Valley Central High School in 1998, where he participated in football and baseball; and

WHEREAS, After high school, Chief Owens applied for the Navy SEAL program in Coronado, Colorado; he met Carryn Wiegand while he was stationed in Washington, D.C. and they were married in the chapel at Arlington National Cemetery; they have three children, Brooke, Luke, and Taryn; and

WHEREAS, Chief Owens was a highly decorated sailor; he earned two Bronze Stars with a combat "V" device, a Combat Action Ribbon, a Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and two Joint Service Commendation Medals with a combat "V" device; and

WHEREAS, On the night of January 28, 2017, Chief Owens was tragically killed in a raid in Yemen, which left three other SEALs injured; and

WHEREAS, Defense Secretary James Mattis praised Owens saying, "The United States would not long exist were it not for the selfless commitment of such warriors. I thank our gallant troops and their families for their dedication to protecting this nation, and I pass our respects to Ryan's family in this most difficult time."; and

WHEREAS, Chief Owens will be missed by his friends, his family, and a grateful nation; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we, along with his family and friends, mourn the passing of Chief Special Warfare Operator Owens William Ryan Owens, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Chief Owens as an expression of our deepest sympathy.