HR0799 LRB093 21676 HSS 49440 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives were saddened to learn of the death of Major
4 Arthur "Artie" Gene Ecklund; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Arthur "Artie" Ecklund was born in Galesburg on
6 May 5, 1943; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Major Ecklund was drafted into the United States
8 Army in 1966, attended basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas, and
9 was later commissioned as an officer at Fort Sill Oklahoma; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Major Ecklund completed helicopter training at
11 Fort Walters, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama; he graduated from
12 training as a Huey gunship pilot to later serve his country as
13 an Army air control pilot in Vietnam; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Major Ecklund arrived in Vietnam in November 1968
15 with the 183rd Aviation Company of the United States Army's 1st
16 Aviation Brigade; and
 
17     WHEREAS, On April 3, 1969, Major Ecklund and his U.S. Air
18 Force observer, Captain Perry Jefferson, were flying a visual
19 reconnaissance mission out of Phan Pang airbase when their
20 helicopter was shot down by enemy fire; and
 
21     WHEREAS, Thirty-five years to the date of his
22 disappearance, on April 3, 2004, Major Ecklund was laid to
23 rest; and
 
24     WHEREAS, The family of Artie Ecklund remember him as a
25 devoted and generous son and brother, as well as an ambitious
26 and self sufficient individual; and
 
27     WHEREAS, 9,087,000 United States military personnel

 

 

HR0799 - 2 - LRB093 21676 HSS 49440 r

1 courageously served their nation in the conflict in Vietnam;
2 58,169 military personnel were killed in the line of duty and
3 1,870 were declared to be missing in action from this conflict;
4 therefore, be it
 
5     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
6 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
7 honor Major Arthur "Artie" Ecklund along with all who knew and
8 loved him and extend our sincere condolences to his family,
9 friends, and community; and be it further
 
10     RESOLVED, That we honor the memory of Major Arthur Ecklund
11 and his willingness to serve our country, which led to him
12 making the ultimate sacrifice; and be it further
 
13      RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
14 presented to the family of Major Arthur Ecklund as an
15 expression of our deepest sympathy and appreciation.