Full Text of HR0889 95th General Assembly
HR0889 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
|
|
|
HR0889 |
|
LRB095 16390 GRL 42469 r |
|
| 1 |
| HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 |
| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 |
| Representatives are pleased to recognize one of our own, State | 4 |
| Representative Jim Watson, for his service to our country; and
| 5 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Jim Watson believes in his heart | 6 |
| the words of President John F. Kennedy, who said: "One man can | 7 |
| make a difference and every man should try"; and
| 8 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Watson cites the heroism of our war | 9 |
| heroes throughout American history, including Sergeant Sammy | 10 |
| L. Davis, recipient of the Medal of Honor for valorous conduct | 11 |
| while serving in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, | 12 |
| and Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, recipient of the Medal of Honor | 13 |
| for his gallantry in command of the 20th Maine Infantry at the | 14 |
| Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War; and
| 15 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Watson was a member of the United | 16 |
| States Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves from 1985 until | 17 |
| 1991, serving in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm from 1990 | 18 |
| to 1991; and
| 19 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Watson believes that there is a | 20 |
| general sense of duty that does not end when one takes the | 21 |
| uniform off; and
|
|
|
|
HR0889 |
- 2 - |
LRB095 16390 GRL 42469 r |
|
| 1 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Watson re-enlisted last May as an | 2 |
| E-6 Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserves | 3 |
| and was attached to the Civil Affairs Group (CAG) at Camp | 4 |
| Pendleton, California; and | 5 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Watson is set to deploy to Iraq | 6 |
| next month as a member of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force's | 7 |
| (I MEF) Headquarters Unit; and
| 8 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Watson will be serving in Fallujah | 9 |
| in Al-Anbar province as part of the Unit's Governance Cell, | 10 |
| where he will be working with the local population to build | 11 |
| provincial and municipal governments; and | 12 |
| WHEREAS, To achieve this objective, Representative | 13 |
| Watson's unit will focus on tribal engagement - working with | 14 |
| the existing tribes in the region to form functioning | 15 |
| democratic governments; and | 16 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Watson is a citizen soldier, a | 17 |
| concept which our Founding Fathers strongly believed in; and
| 18 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Watson is making a sacrifice for | 19 |
| our country and for our freedom and is setting a great example | 20 |
| for the next generation of Americans; and |
|
|
|
HR0889 |
- 3 - |
LRB095 16390 GRL 42469 r |
|
| 1 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Watson himself stated: "If | 2 |
| thousands of service men and women with jobs and families back | 3 |
| home can go to Iraq, how can it be wrong for an elected | 4 |
| official to step up and serve?"; and
| 5 |
| WHEREAS, Representative Watson will be leaving behind his | 6 |
| three loving children, ages 9, 13, and 16, and stated that his | 7 |
| family was his main concern upon receiving word he was headed | 8 |
| to Iraq; therefore, be it
| 9 |
| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 10 |
| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 11 |
| honor Representative Jim Watson for his service to our country; | 12 |
| that he has our full support as he leaves this august body to | 13 |
| begin his tour-of-duty; and that we will work to ensure the | 14 |
| interests of his constituents are heard while he is away; and | 15 |
| be it further
| 16 |
| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | 17 |
| presented to Representative Jim Watson and his family as a | 18 |
| symbol of our appreciation and respect.
|
|