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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that we as a State and as
3individual citizens pay honor and respect to the men and women
4who have served our nation; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Many veterans returning from active duty
6experience not only physical ailments but psychological ones as
7well, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety,
8depression, and difficulty readjusting to civilian life in
9general; and
 
10    WHEREAS, For some of these veterans, these psychological
11ailments turn into chronic mental illnesses which can
12tragically result in death from suicide; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Between 2008 and 2016, there were more than 6,000
14veteran suicides each year across the United States; and
 
15    WHEREAS, In 2016, the most recent year for which data is
16available, the suicide rate for veterans was 1.5 times greater
17than non-veterans and accounted for 14 percent of all adult
18suicide deaths in the U.S. even though only eight percent of
19the country's population has served in the military; and
 
20    WHEREAS, In 2016, 6,079 veterans tragically lost their

 

 

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1lives to suicide in the United States with 162 veterans dying
2by suicide in the State of Illinois; and
 
3    WHEREAS, While there are many wonderful and fitting
4memorials and tributes to our nation's greatest heroes at Oak
5Ridge Cemetery, there is no memorial for veterans who have died
6from suicide; and
 
7    WHEREAS, These brave service members deserve to be
8remembered and honored for the great sacrifices they made
9serving this country; therefore, be it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
11HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
12we support veterans currently struggling with mental illness
13and thoughts of suicide and pay tribute to those veterans who
14have sadly lost their lives to suicide; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That we encourage the State of Illinois to create
16a memorial for veterans who have died of suicide to be included
17at Oak Ridge Cemetery where other war memorials commemorate
18Illinois' veterans; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
20delivered to every member of the General Assembly, the
21Governor, and the Director of Veteran Affairs.