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 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, On November 7, 2003, Leo High School  served  as
 3    the  site  of a special Veterans Memorial Observance that was
 4    planned by the high school, the Leo Alumni  Association,  the
 5    Veteran's  Leadership  Program,  American  Legion  Giles Post
 6    Number 87, and the Chicago Commission on Human Relations; and

 7        WHEREAS, Leo High School erected a memorial  in  1965  to
 8    the  many Leo men who died serving the United States in World
 9    War II, Korea, and Vietnam,  including  John  Fardy  who  was
10    posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his
11    heroic  sacrifice  during World War II and John Houlihan (Leo
12    1941)  who  served  in  the  Marine  Corps  along  with  Dick
13    Prendergast and twenty fellow classmates from  the  Class  of
14    1943; and

15        WHEREAS,  On  November 11, 1942, a small group of Marines
16    known as Carlson's Raiders fought at Guadalcanal,  the  first
17    beachhead of United States engagement in World War II; and

18        WHEREAS, Joe Auman and Larry Spillan, who were members of
19    Carlson's  Raiders,  were  both  killed  in the Raid on Makin
20    Atoll and thereby became  the  first  Leo  men  to  make  the
21    supreme sacrifice during World War II; and

22        WHEREAS,  Joe  Auman  was  posthumously  awarded the Navy
23    Cross for extraordinary heroism when,  with  utter  disregard
24    for  his  own  personal  safety,  he  manned  a  machine gun,
25    steadfastly remaining  at  his  exposed  position  while  his
26    company was faced with overwhelming enemy fire, and continued
27    to  fire his gun until killed by the enemy; he gallantly gave
28    up his life in the defense of his country; and

29        WHEREAS, Hours later Larry Spillan, who played end on the
30    1940 Catholic Championship Football Team, was killed  in  the
31    same battle; and
 
                            -2-      LRB093 14374 KEF 19990 r
 1        WHEREAS,  The  Leo tradition of heroism continued through
 2    the service of highly decorated Vietnam Veterans Jim  Farrell
 3    (Leo  1961),  Jack Farnan (Leo 1963), Jim Furlong (Leo 1965),
 4    General George Muellner, USAF (ret.),  and  the  late  Thomas
 5    Stack (Leo 1961); and

 6        WHEREAS,  The  Lions  of  today continue to walk down the
 7    road of service, including Mario Bullock, who  was  appointed
 8    to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and Eric
 9    Lee,  who  served  as  a  Marine  and  Chicago  Police  hero;
10    therefore, be it

11        RESOLVED,   BY   THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
12    NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,  that
13    we  congratulate  Leo  High  School for its Veterans Memorial
14    Observance, and we commend the alumni, students, and  faculty
15    of  Leo  High  School for their courage and commitment to our
16    nation; and be it further

17        RESOLVED, That a suitable  copy  of  this  resolution  be
18    presented  to Leo High School President Robert W. Foster as a
19    token of our respect and esteem and with sincere  wishes  for
20    its continued success.