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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Korean War began on June 25, 1950 and raged
3 for 3 bloody years; 1.5 million United States soldiers,
4 including thousands from the State of Illinois, answered the
5 call to arms during the war; and
 
6     WHEREAS, 54,246 United States citizens, including 1,754
7 Illinois residents, lost their lives while fighting in Korea;
8 and
 
9     WHEREAS, A total of 103,284 United States soldiers were
10 wounded during the fighting in Korea, with 7,140 soldiers taken
11 prisoner and 8,177 soldiers listed as missing in action; and
 
12     WHEREAS, A total of 131 Medals of Honor were given to
13 United States soldiers fighting in Korea for acts of
14 exceptional bravery and courage, with 93 Medals of Honor given
15 posthumously; 8 Medals of Honor were given to soldiers from
16 Illinois, with 6 given posthumously; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The service and sacrifice of United States
18 soldiers during the Korean War is equal to the service and
19 sacrifice of United States soldiers in any of our nation's wars
20 throughout our history; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The number of living Korean War veterans continues
2 to dwindle each year, depriving those deceased warriors the
3 opportunity to share their experiences and to accept the thanks
4 for their service from a grateful nation; and
 
5     WHEREAS, The Korean War is often referred to as "The
6 Forgotten War" because it fell between the conclusion of World
7 War II and the beginning of the Vietnam War, and because the
8 shaky truce that ended open hostilities in 1953 left the
9 conflict without official closure; and
 
10     WHEREAS, The 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean
11 War occurs on June 25, 2010; and
 
12     WHEREAS, The State of Illinois is commemorating the 60th
13 anniversary of the Korean War by supplying information each
14 month about the State's involvement in the conflict, starting
15 in June 2010 and running through July 2013, to the State's
16 newspapers, radio, and TV stations; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, the
18 Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs, the Illinois Korean
19 Memorial Association, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
20 Library and Museum, along with the Illinois Press Association
21 and the Illinois Broadcasters Association, are sponsoring
22 "Illinois Remembers the Forgotten War" to ensure that "The

 

 

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1 Forgotten War" is no longer forgotten in Illinois; therefore,
2 be it
 
3     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
5 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the date of June
6 25, 2010 as Korean War Remembrance Day in the State of
7 Illinois; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That we encourage all Illinois residents to
9 remember and appreciate the brave men and women who served
10 honorably and paid the ultimate price defending our freedom
11 during the Korean War to ensure that this generation, and those
12 to follow, never forget these heroes and the values for which
13 they fought.