HR0369 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0369 LRB096 12668 GRL 26252 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate William Wurster on the occasion of his 90th birthday on May 8, 2009; and

WHEREAS, William Wurster served his country with pride and distinction as a member of the United State Army Air Force during World War II; during the war, he served as a C-47 pilot delivering ammunition and other supplies to the front lines and ferrying wounded soldiers away from combat zones; by the war's end, he had flown 35 combat missions and served in New Guinea, the southern Philippines, Luzon, the northern Solomon Islands, and the Bismarck Archipelago; and

WHEREAS, William Wurster also flew logistical operations during heavy combat at Peleliu, Okinawa, and Lingayen Gulf; in September of 1944, while ferrying out 30 wounded soldiers during the Battle of Peleliu, his plane was damaged by Japanese ground fire; despite his plane losing an engine, he managed to fly the soldiers 600 miles to Biak to receive treatment; during the same battle, he helped several fighter aircraft that lost track of their objective during a storm to return to an American air base on the island; and

WHEREAS, William Wurster was present when General Douglas MacArthur returned to the Philippines; he also flew over the USS Missouri during the Japanese surrender ceremony; during his service, Mr. Wurster received the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, two Service Bars, the Victory Medal, and an Air Medal, among many others; he was also retroactively awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal by the Filipino government in 1999; and

WHEREAS, William Wurster was employed at Pontiac, working there until his retirement; and

WHEREAS, During the 1960s, William Wurster enjoyed racing speedboats, a hobby that earned him numerous trophies; and

WHEREAS, William Wurster is a member of St. John's Lutheran Evangelical Church; and

WHEREAS, William Wurster is married to his loving wife, Betty; he has three children, Beverly, Bob, and John, as well as 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate William Wurster on the occasion of his 90th birthday and wish him many happy and healthy years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to William Wurster as a symbol of our esteem and respect.