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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, United States Marine Private Jack Redman has
3finally been laid to rest in his Illinois hometown of Watseka
4more than 70 years after his combat death in World War II; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Jack Redman was born on November 17, 1923 to Guy
6"Jack" and Hazel Martin Redman; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Jack Redman graduated from Watseka Community High
8School in 1942, where he excelled in football, basketball, and
9track; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Jack Redman played football at the University of
11Illinois before enlisting in the Marines at the age of 19; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Jack Redman lost his life in battle on the island
13of Tarawa Atoll in the Central Pacific Ocean on November 23,
141943; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Soldiers who fought beside Jack Redman on his
16final day reported that he was a true hero who saved the lives
17of 5 of his friends and was attempting to bring an injured man
18to safety when he was fatally shot; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Jack Redman's remains were lost overseas for more

 

 

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1than 70 years, but his family, including his brothers Merrill
2and Eugene Redman, both of Watseka, along with 2 nieces and 2
3nephews, never gave up their efforts to find him and bring him
4home to Central Illinois; and
 
5    WHEREAS, An exhaustive 7-decade search for Jack Redman's
6pacific theater gravesite finally and successfully ended last
7fall with his discovery by a Tarawa native; and
 
8    WHEREAS, On May 16, 2015, Jack Redman was finally laid to
9rest at the G.A.R. Cemetery in Watseka with full military
10honors; therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
12NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
13honor Marine Private Jack Redman's heroism and sacrifice and we
14also honor the Redman family for their dedication to bringing
15him home, no matter how long it took; and be it further
 
16    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17presented to the family of Jack Redman as a symbol of our
18sympathy and respect.