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92_HR0766
LRB9216525RHrh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Robert O. Martin, former Bradley chief of
3 police, was a member of the almost mythic 104th Infantry
4 Division that fought in World War II and invaded Normandy to
5 begin the final phase of that conflict; and
6 WHEREAS, On February 9, 2002, Robert O. Martin, traveled
7 to St. Louis, Missouri, where he and 300 other veterans were
8 honored by the French government for their service in the
9 liberation of France; the consul general of France in
10 Chicago, Dominique Decherf, presented Robert Martin and the
11 other soldiers a "Thank You America" certificate from France
12 in recognition of the soldiers' brave action and sacrifice
13 during World War II; and
14 WHEREAS, Robert Martin served in the 413th Regiment,
15 Third Battalion, Company I of the Timberwolves; the 104th
16 Division was activated at Camp Adair in Oregon on September
17 15, 1942; and
18 WHEREAS, Led by Major General Terry Allen, the division
19 landed in Cherbourg, France on September 7, 1944, the first
20 American division to go directly from the United States to
21 France; its first job was to organize and operate 12 motor
22 truck companies to transport sorely needed supplies to the
23 front lines; they created the "Red Ball Express" which
24 transported 40 percent more cargo than any other division;
25 and
26 WHEREAS, The 104th Division fought in Holland and then
27 went on to be part of the drive from the Siegfried Line east
28 of Aachen to the Roer River in Germany from November 16 to
29 December 14, 1944; the men fought on the Roer River until
30 February 22, 1945, and from there, the Timberwolves fought to
31 Cologne, seizing the southern half of the city; the 104th
32 Division then moved to the Remagen Bridge-head and crossed
-2- LRB9216525RHrh
1 the Rhine River; beating off the defense just past the
2 bridge, the soldiers fought through Germany; in one offensive
3 move, the Timberwolves made an uninterrupted drive through
4 the center of Germany meeting the Russian 118th Division east
5 of the Mulde River on April 26, 1945; from then to June 1945,
6 the Timberwolves processed many thousands of released allied
7 prisoners of wars and displaced citizens as well as occupying
8 several German towns; and
9 WHEREAS, The division left for the United States in June
10 1945, arriving home to celebrate the third anniversary of its
11 activation on September 15, 1945 at Camp St. Louis-Obispo, an
12 event that is still celebrated annually; therefore, be it
13 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
14 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
15 we congratulate Robert O. Martin on being honored by the
16 French government in recognition of his bravery and
17 participation in the liberation of France during World War
18 II; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
20 presented to Robert O. Martin as an expression of our esteem.