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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3learn of the death of Albert Leon Mampre, the last surviving
4medic from the so-called "Band of Brothers," who passed away on
5May 31, 2019; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Albert Mampre grew up in Oak Park, the son of
7immigrants from the Armenian diaspora; his mother, Viola, came
8from Baghdad; his father, Nishan, came from Turkey and repaired
9rugs and farm equipment; after graduating from Oak Park High
10School, he pursued ministerial studies at Ohio Northern and
11Hardin-Simmons University in Texas; he married Virginia
12Joboulian in 1945; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Albert Mampre enlisted in the United States Army
14in 1942; during WWII, he was part of the 2nd Battalion, 506th
15Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division,
16which was featured in Stephen Ambrose's book Band of Brothers;
17and
 
18    WHEREAS, Albert Mampre's unit jumped into Holland as part
19of Operation Market Garden, where he was twice wounded by a
20sniper as he went to the aid of a wounded lieutenant; he was
21subsequently transported to an English hospital; after
22healing, he returned to the front in France; during the Battle

 

 

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1of the Bulge, he served at Bastogne, Belgium at Regimental
2Headquarters across the plaza from General McAuliffe; he moved
3with the regiment all the way to occupying the Eagle's Nest in
4Berchtesgaden; at the Berchtesgaden Hof, he became the House
5Physician; he ended the war in Paris and Marseilles and then
6flew home to be discharged from Ft. Sheridan; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Albert Mampre received many honors for his war
8service, including the Purple Heart, the Purple Heart with
9bronze oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Member of the 506th
10Infantry Regiment honor by Order of the Secretary of the United
11States Army, the European African Middle Eastern Theater Ribbon
12with four bronze stars, the European Campaign Medal, the WWII
13Victory Medal, the Army of Occupation Medal, and the Legion of
14Merit from the State of Illinois in 2017; he received several
15Unit Citations, including two Presidential Unit Citations, the
16French Croix de Guerre with Palm and Fourregere, the Belgian
17Croix de Guerre with Palm and Fourregere, and the Orange
18Lanyard from the Netherlands; and
 
19    WHEREAS, After the war, Albert Mampre resumed his studies
20at Pepperdine University and UCLA, where he studied psychology;
21he pursued post-graduate studies in psychology and
22social/cultural anthropology at the University of Chicago,
23where his efforts brought the opportunity to work on a project
24at International Harvester (IH); he worked in management

 

 

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1development and public relations at IH alongside his family
2psychology practice; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Albert Mampre was active in many leadership
4capacities in the community and at his church; he served as
5Chairman of the Human Relations Committee in the Evanston
6School District and spent years leading Junior Achievement
7programs and mentoring Boy Scouts; he devoted many hours to
8fundraising for veterans and children's organizations for the
9last 20 years; he attended events all over the world on behalf
10of veterans as an in-demand speaker, presenter, and eyewitness
11to history; he worked with law enforcement and emergency medic
12response teams and visited the wounded at Walter Reed and
13Bethesda Naval Hospitals; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Albert Mampre reconnected with his fellow
15Screaming Eagles in 2001, when the men of the 101st Airborne
16506th Easy Company were invited to The Oscars for the HBO
17miniseries Band of Brothers; never one to glorify his own
18accomplishments, he was still able to articulate the
19challenging circumstances that the soldiers faced, how they
20felt, and how lucky they were to return home; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Albert Mampre shared love, laughter, an
22inquisitiveness about the world, and a commitment to family and
23faith with his wife; in 1948, before they had a family, they

 

 

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1took a three-month bicycle tour of Europe, witnessing its
2recovery from war; they were interested in gardening, music,
3theater, art, advances in science, and archeological digs; he
4loved his English setter Keebler, watching Westerns, and eating
5Baskin-Robbins ice cream and Armenian specialties, including
6rice pilaf and lahmajun; he loved people and gave much of
7himself to others; many were fortunate to experience his
8charisma, wit, humor, charm, and overall kindness; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Albert Mampre was preceded in death by his wife of
1063 years, Virginia; and his daughter, Elizabeth Celebucki; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Albert Mampre is survived by his daughters,
12Virginia E. Mampre and Susan D. (Glen Wright) Mampre; his
13granddaughter, Anayis J. Mampre Wright; his brother, Edward
14Mampre; his son-in-law, Jim Celebucki; and many nieces and
15nephews and their children; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL
17ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
18Albert Leon Mampre and extend our sincere condolences to his
19family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it
20further
 
21    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22presented to the family of Albert Mampre as an expression of

 

 

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1our deepest sympathy.