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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The POW-MIA National Chair of Honor "One Empty
3Seat" is an initiative that was created to help recognize and
4honor more than 92,000 American soldiers who have been
5unaccounted for since World War I; and
 
6    WHEREAS, These unoccupied seats are dedicated to the memory
7of the brave men and women and to the sacrifices each of them
8made serving our country; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Chair of Honor will remain perpetually empty,
10symbolizing those American prisoners of war and those missing
11in action who may never return; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Chair of Honor serves as a reminder to all of
13the sacrifices that the men and women serving in the Armed
14Forces have made to ensure our continued freedom and way of
15life; and
 
16    WHEREAS, The first Chair of Honor was installed and
17dedicated at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on
18Veterans Day in 2012; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Sponsored by the Rolling Thunder organization and
20Hussey Seating, the program has expanded rapidly, with chairs

 

 

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1now dedicated in municipal buildings, county courthouses,
2state capitals, public facilities, professional and college
3sports stadiums, and even the USS Constitution; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The object is to place a black chair in a
5prominent location to enhance Rolling Thunder's mission of
6keeping the memories of imprisoned and missing soldiers alive;
7and
 
8    WHEREAS, Over 91,000 service personnel who never came home,
9whether they were prisoners of war or missing in action, were
10honored with the unveiling of a Chair of Honor in Newton; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Frank Hull, the founder of Olney Rolling Thunder
12Chapter 3, says the Newton chair is the 13th structure his
13group has placed in downstate Illinois; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Formed in April of 2011, Rolling Thunder Chapter 3
15Illinois is a class 501 (c)(4) nonprofit organization serving a
1613-county area in southeastern Illinois; and
 
17    WHEREAS, On September 3, 2013, the group received their
18Rolling Thunder, Inc. charter and became one of over 90
19chartered chapters throughout the United States; and
 
20    WHEREAS, By educating the public that many prisoners of war

 

 

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1and missing in action soldiers were left behind, the past will
2be preserved and the future generations of servicemen and women
3will be protected; therefore, be it
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
6honor Olney Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 for publicizing the
7POW-MIA issue, for educating the public that many prisoners of
8war and missing in action soldiers are left behind, and their
9continued commitment to helping American veterans from all
10wars; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to Olney Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 as a symbol of our
13esteem and respect.