HR0231 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0231 LRB100 12058 MST 24150 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, 2017 marks the centennial observance of the entry of the United States into World War I, a war that lasted from 1914 to November 11, 1918, with the United States formally entering the war on April 6, 1917; and

WHEREAS, More than four million American men and women served in uniform during World War I; the United States suffered 375,000 casualties and 116,516 deaths; and

WHEREAS, More than 350,000 Illinoisans served in the military during World War I; the war claimed the lives of 4,266 Illinois servicemen; and

WHEREAS, One out of every 12 men who fought in the United States Army was from Illinois; Illinois furnished more men to the Armed Forces during the war than any other state except New York and Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, Among the units that fought in the war were the 33rd Infantry Division, which was comprised solely of Illinois residents, and the 370th Infantry Division, which consisted of mostly Illinois residents and which was the only regiment in the then-segregated military that consisted entirely of African American soldiers, including officers; and

WHEREAS, Illinoisans took part in naval and aerial combat in some of the most hard-fought battles of the war, including Le Hamel, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the Somme Offensive, and around St. Mihiel; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois State Military Museum, located at Camp Butler in Springfield, tells the story of all Illinois veterans and of their service to our country and will be commemorating the centennial of World War I with educational programs, reenactments, and written histories; and

WHEREAS, Illinois National Guard troops were activated for duty in preparation for the war on March 26, 1917, two weeks before the American entry into the war; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commemorate the centennial of the United States entering and participating in World War I beginning on March 26, 2017, the date Illinois soldiers mobilized for the war effort; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage the Illinois State Military Museum, the Illinois World War I Centennial Committee, and all Illinois residents to honor and commemorate the heroic men and women who fought for freedom and democracy during the Great War; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the Illinois State Military Museum and the Illinois World War I Centennial Committee.