HR1234 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1234 LRB093 23669 CSA 53680 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois learned with deep regret of the death of United States Marine Corps Sergeant Benjamin Kent "Mudcat" Smith on September 22, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Smith, 24, was killed in action in the Al-Anbar Province of Iraq; and

WHEREAS, He was born on June 7, 1980 in DuQuoin to James D. and Kimberlee S. (Cowan) Smith, and was the oldest of three children; he was a 1999 graduate of Carterville High School where he participated and lettered in track and football for four years; he had been a place kicker for Carterville High School, and was on the 1996 Carterville High School State Football Class 3A championship team; and

WHEREAS, He joined the Marines on June 8, 1999 and was stationed in Twentynine Palms, CA at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center as a Tank Commander for 3rd Platoon; he was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, deployed on February 29, 2004 with the 7th Marines 1st Tank Battalion, Charlie Company; he was expected to return home October 10, 2004; and

WHEREAS, He was an avid outdoorsman who loved to go hunting, fishing, and going to Disneyland with his fiancee Kerri; he also enjoyed playing pool, going to rodeos, camping, and listening to country music; his greatest joy was coming home to spend time with his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his great-grandparents and his uncle, Richard Cowan; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Sergeant Benjamin Kent Smith will be deeply felt by many, especially his parents, James and Kimberlee Smith; his sister and brother-in-law, Jamie and Josh Qualls; his brother, Jacob Smith; his grandparents, David (Bones) and Mary Smith, Helen Sue Cowan, Robert (Cusser) and Louise Cowan; his fiancee, Kerri Ann Blum; his nieces and nephew, Kaitlin, Bethany, Caleb, and Kara; his aunts and uncles, Scott and Judy Houston, Jeff and Diane Eaton, Randy and Patricia Church, Anita Cowan, Bob and Kristine Adams, Yevette Johnson, Sherra and Dan English, Nancy and Donald Howell, Carolyn and Tim Hess, Jeff and Erica Dailey, Teresa Charles, John Caudill, Lewis Skelton, and Melissa and Dave Draper; his cousins, Robert Houston, Andrew Houston, Rebecca Green, Sergeant Michael Eaton U.S.A.F., Clifford Eaton, Raney Church, Suzanne Drake, Danielle Cowan, Robert Cowan, Phillip Cowan, Erin Adams, Keely Adams, and Tabatha Adams, as well as several other cousins; his godfather, Kent (Toby) Tyler; his goddaughter, Tori Jarvis; and many other loving aunts and uncles; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that together with his family, friends, and the citizens of this State and this great nation, we mourn the passing of United States Marine Corps Sergeant Benjamin Kent Smith, and extend to his family and friends our sincerest condolences; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of United States Marine Corps Sergeant Benjamin Kent Smith as an expression of our deepest sympathy.