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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to honor United States Marine Corps
4Corporal John M. Peck for his bravery and sacrifice in defense
5of our nation; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Cpl. John Peck was born on September 13, 1985 in
7Daytona Beach, Florida; he moved to Antioch in September of
82002 and graduated from Antioch High School in 2004; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Cpl. John Peck enlisted in the United States
10Marine Corps in September of 2005; in September of 2005, he
11reported to Delta Company of the 1st Recruit Training
12Battalion; after completing recruit training, he reported to
13Delta Company at the School of Infantry in San Diego,
14California; he subsequently reported to 3rd Battalion, 1st
15Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Division and became a Forward
16Observer for the 81mm Mortar Platoon, Weapons Company; in
17September of 2006, he was detached from Weapons Company to Lima
18Company, Weapons Platoon; and
 
19    WHEREAS, In August 2007, while deployed in Al Anbar, Iraq,
20Cpl. John Peck's convoy took sniper fire from an elevated
21position; while trying to take shelter, his vehicle sustained
22damage from an improvised explosive device; he received a

 

 

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1traumatic brain injury from the explosion, for which he
2received the first of two Purple Hearts; after being shipped to
3Lundstruhl, Germany, for medical attention, he was sent back to
4the United States; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Cpl. John Peck was promoted to his current rank
6while serving with the Remain Behind Element of the 3rd
7Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Division; in
8April 2009, Corporal Peck re-enlisted for an additional four
9years of service under the same MOS; during this time, he
10received a Meritorious Mast for his work at the Marine Fitness
11Center; and
 
12    WHEREAS, In December of 2009, Cpl. John Peck decided to
13return to the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment of the 1st
14Marine Division to prepare for deployment to Afghanistan; the
153rd Battalion, 1st Marines were eventually deployed to
16Afghanistan on April 19, 2010; on May 24, 2010, while on a
17dismounted patrol, Cpl. Peck stepped on an improvised explosive
18device; he immediately lost both of his legs and his right arm
19and received a "de-gloving injury" to his left arm; he was
20subsequently airlifted to Lundstruhl, Germany, where doctors
21performed an arterial graft to fix damage to the left artery in
22his left wrist and placed him under medical sedation; on May
2328, 2010, as he was being airlifted to the National Naval
24Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, the arterial graft in his

 

 

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1left wrist burst open, causing a dangerous drop in blood
2pressure, and the flight was diverted to Newfoundland; after
3emergency surgery, he was airlifted from Newfoundland to
4Bethesda on May 30, 2010; while at Bethesda, doctors discovered
5that he had Aspergillus in all four of his extremities, his
6abdomen, and his blood, a condition that normally proves fatal;
7after numerous surgeries and transfusions, he was transferred
8to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to start undergoing physical
9therapy, occupational therapy, and aquatic therapy on August
1010, 2010; he underwent in-patient care until February 28, 2011,
11when his mother arrived to be his non-medical assistant; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Cpl. John Peck has received numerous medals and
13commendations for his meritorious service, including two
14Purple Hearts, two Combat Action Ribbons, two Iraq Companion
15Medals, two Sea Services Metals, the Afghanistan Companion
16Medal, the Good Conduct Metal, the NATO Metal, and the
17Meritorious Mast, as well as numerous letters of appreciation
18and numerous challenge coins; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Cpl. John Peck serves as a model of hard work,
20integrity, and dedication for the people of the State of
21Illinois; therefore, be it
 
22    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
23NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that

 

 

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1we honor United States Marine Corps Corporal John M. Peck for
2his service and wish him the best in his future endeavors; and
3be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
5presented to Cpl. John Peck as a symbol of our esteem and
6respect.