HR0953LRB098 20628 MST 57628 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that we pay honor and respect
3to the truly great individuals who have served our country, and
4in doing so, have gone above and beyond the call of duty to
5make the ultimate sacrifice for our nation; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
7Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Major
8Reid B. Nannen of Hopedale, who passed away on March 1, 2014
9due to injuries sustained in an F/A-18C Hornet crash at the
10Fallon Grange Training Complex, in Fallon, Nevada; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Maj. Nannen was born in Peoria on October 15, 1981
12to Dale P. and Mary Ann Hays; he graduated from Olympia High
13School in 2000, where he was a 2-year captain of the swim team,
14section leader for the drum line, member of the Elite Eight
15baseball teams in 1999 and 2000, and an Illinois State Scholar;
16following his high school graduation, he attended the
17University of Illinois, where he was a member of the NROTC
18battalion and participated in the Marching Illini Drum Line
19NROTC Drill Team; he married fellow soldier, Sarah M. Simpson,
20on August 6, 2005 in Peoria; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Maj. Nannen was commissioned a 2nd LT. in May of
222004 and attended The Basic School with Delta Company class

 

 

HR0953- 2 -LRB098 20628 MST 57628 r

14-04; after TBS, he attended Naval Aviation Training with
2MATSG-21 at NAS Pensacola, NAS Whiting Field, and NAS Meridian;
3he received his Wings of Gold in February of 2007 and was
4selected to fly F/A-18 Hornets; he moved to Lemoore,
5California, for fleet replacement training with VFA-125 in May
6of 2007; after finishing carrier qualification, he reported for
7duty with MAG-11 at MCAS Miramarl; in June of 2008, he joined
8VMFA (AW)-232 and deployed from May to December of 2010 in
9support of Operation Enduring Freedom 10.2 to Kandahar Airfield
10in Afghanistan; while with the Red Devils, he served as NATOPS,
11Ground Safety, Airframes, and Embark Officers; he attended
12Tactical Air Control Party training in May of 2011 and
13proceeded to Camp Pendleton, California, for duty as a forward
14air controller with 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance
15battalion; he again deployed to Afghanistan from October of
162011 to May of 2012 with 1st LAR in support of OEF 12.1 in the
17lower Helmand River Valley in Afghanistan; he supported every
18company within 1st LAR and conducted the first company level
19helicopter operations within the battle space; he returned to
20Camp Pendleton and subsequently detached from the battalion for
21refresher training at VMFAT-101; in August of 2012, he
22transferred to VMFA (AW)-242, where he served as the assistant
23operations officer; and
 
24    WHEREAS, Maj. Nannen's awards and decorations include the
25NATO Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Global War

 

 

HR0953- 3 -LRB098 20628 MST 57628 r

1on Terrorism Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the
2National Defense Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Navy
3Achievement Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, and the Air
4Medal; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Maj. Nannen was promoted posthumously from
6Captain to Major; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Maj. Nannen enjoyed collecting and assembling
8Star Wars Legos, loved the Drum Corps International, and had a
9great enthusiasm for military history and ancient
10civilizations; he was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in
11Hopedale; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Maj. Nannen was preceded in death by his paternal
13grandparents, "Pete" and Mabel Nannen, and Curtis and Evelyn
14Simpson; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Maj. Nannen is survived by his wife, Sarah; his
16sons, Peter Nannen and Curtis Nannen; his daughters, Betsy
17Nannen and Isla Nannen; his parents, Dale and Mary Ann Nannen;
18his sisters, Bethany Nannen Miller and Briana Nannen; his
19maternal grandparents, Raymond and Elaine Hays; his niece,
20Madeline Miller; his nephew, A.J. Miller; his mother and
21father-in-law, Dale and Dianne Simpson; his sister-in-law,
22Ellyn (Matt) Franke; his grandparents-in-law, Virgil and Jan

 

 

HR0953- 4 -LRB098 20628 MST 57628 r

1Handel; and his step-grandparent-in-law, Shirley Simpson;
2therefore, be it
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
5we mourn the passing of Major Reid B. Nannen, and extend our
6sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew
7and loved him; and be it further
 
8    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
9presented to the family of Maj. Nannen as an expression of our
10deepest sympathy.