SR0384 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0384 LRB096 14241 KXB 29039 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Sergeant Gerrick D. Smith of Sullivan, who was killed in the line of duty in Herat, Afghanistan on July 28, 2009; and

WHEREAS, Gerrick Smith was born February 14, 1990 in Decatur, the son of Marilyn Smith and David Jones; and

WHEREAS, Gerrick attended the Church of Christ; he was a member of Sullivan Boy Scout Troop #39; and he was a 2008 graduate of Sullivan High School, where he participated in football, soccer, track, and the Sullivan Singers; and

WHEREAS, He joined the Illinois Army National Guard in his junior year of high school and was mobilized for active duty in October of 2008; and

WHEREAS, He was a member of the 130th Infantry based in Marion; he was posthumously promoted to Sergeant; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Gerrick Smith is survived by his mother, Marilyn Smith; his sister, Seeley Smith; his maternal grandparents, Tom and Mary Smith; his father, David Jones; his paternal grandparents, Dale and Sharon Jones; his half-brother, Eric Jones; his nephew, several aunts and uncles, and many friends; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family and friends and a grateful nation, the passing of Sergeant Gerrick D. Smith; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we honor the memory of Sergeant Gerrick Smith and his willingness to serve his country, which led to him making the ultimate sacrifice; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Sergeant Gerrick Smith as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.