HJ0028

LRB095 11293 DRJ 31901 r






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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION


 
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    WHEREAS, Illinois State women have proudly served in 
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defense of our Nation since the Civil War, despite their lack 
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of military standing before the 1900s; and
 
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    WHEREAS, They served in all major conflicts in 
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ever-increasing numbers, volunteering to preserve our freedom; 
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and
 
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    WHEREAS, They served in expanding positions of 
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responsibility    from laundresses and cooks to administrators, 
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from medical and technical personnel to full combatants; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Illinois State women contributed to establishing 
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and maintaining our independence, preserving the Union, 
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abolishing slavery, and advancing the cause of freedom and 
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democracy around the world; and
 
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    WHEREAS, In times of conflict, State of Illinois women 
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served the military as society permitted or as the situation 
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demanded; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Women came forward to replace men as battlefield 
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emergencies demanded and some even disguised their gender in 
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order to serve; others masked their identity, risking their 
 


 






HJ0028
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LRB095 11293 DRJ 31901 r




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lives as couriers and intelligence agents; and
 
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    WHEREAS, The value of their contributions has finally been 
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recognized by their ever-increasing integration and 
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opportunities in the Armed Forces; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Women now make up over 15% of the active duty 
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force and about 23% of the reserve force, totaling over 203,000 
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women soldiers; and

 
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    WHEREAS, Today women make up 7% of the United States 
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Veterans population; therefore, be it

 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE 
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SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the General Assembly authorize 
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the construction of a memorial honoring women in military 
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service on a portion of the State-owned property in Oak Ridge 
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Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois.