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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, A grateful nation cannot forget and must remember
3the many sacrifices and contributions to the cause of freedom
4made by the outstanding men and women who served in the Korean
5War; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The Korean War has played an important part in
7American history, and the veterans of the Korean War have
8earned the respect and admiration of all people; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Korean War began when communist North Korea
10invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The United States secured a resolution from the
12United Nations calling for the military defense of South Korea
13against the North Korean aggression, and in a matter of days,
14U.S. land, air, and sea forces had joined the battle; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Between June 25, 1950 and July 27, 1953,
16approximately 5,720,000 Americans served in the military, many
17of whom were stationed in Korea; and
 
18    WHEREAS, An estimated 298,000 citizens from the State of
19Illinois served during the Korean War; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, A total of 33,700 soldiers, sailors, marines, and
2Air Force personnel were killed in Korea, and more than
3100,000 were wounded; and
 
4    WHEREAS, In total, 1,789 members of the Armed Forces from
5Illinois never returned home from Korea, including 396
6POW/MIAs who remain unaccounted for; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The Korean Armistice Agreement was signed after
8three years of war; the two sides agreed to create a 2.5-mile
9buffer zone between the states, known as the Korean
10Demilitarized Zone, reflecting the territory held by each side
11at the end of the war, which crosses the 38th parallel
12diagonally; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Franklin County shares a unique latitudinal line,
14the 38th parallel, with the historical boundary between North
15and South Korea; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
17HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
18SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the section of
19Interstate 57 in the City of Benton as the "38th Parallel
20Korean Veteran Highway"; and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation

 

 

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1is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with
2State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs
3giving notice of the name of the "38th Parallel Korean Veteran
4Highway"; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
6presented to the Korean War Veterans Association and the
7Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation.