HJ0096 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0096 LRB097 22411 GRL 71167 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois General Assembly pays honor and respect to the truly great individuals who have served our country and, in doing so, have gone above and beyond the call of duty to take part in truly heroic tasks; and

WHEREAS, Of the millions of men and women who have served this country with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard, only 3,468 have ever been awarded the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government, the Medal of Honor; and

WHEREAS, The Medal of Honor is awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of one's life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against any enemy of the United States, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party; and

WHEREAS, It is a true honor for an individual to be awarded the Medal of Honor and serves to distinguish those individuals as true American heroes; and

WHEREAS, Allen J. Lynch was born on October 28, 1945, in Chicago; he grew up in the Lake Eliza area of Indiana, where he attended Union Center Elementary School and Wheeler Junior High School; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from high school, Allen Lynch joined the United States Army in 1964; he was later sent to Vietnam in the fall of 1966 and was assigned to the 12th Cavalry; he served as a rifleman for several months before becoming his platoon's radiotelephone operator; and

WHEREAS, On December 15, 1967, Allen Lynch was serving as a specialist four in Company D, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 12th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile); during a firefight near the Binh Dinh Province of Vietnam, he saw 3 wounded soldiers out in the open who were under intense enemy fire; he quickly dropped his radio and went to help the soldiers; under intense fire, he carried the wounded soldiers to safety and single-handedly defended them against the advancing enemy force for several hours; and

WHEREAS, Following this courageous action, Allen Lynch was subsequently promoted to the rank of sergeant and awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty; and

WHEREAS, Allen Lynch's quick thinking and disregard for his own safety were vital in saving those lives, but his fight on behalf of his fellow soldiers did not end on the battlefield; after the war, he settled in Gurnee and worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs, where he advocated for increased benefits for disabled veterans; he later served as chief of the Illinois Attorney General's Veterans Rights Bureau until his retirement in 2005; and

WHEREAS, Allen Lynch continues his dedication to our nation as a volunteer with the Vietnam Veterans of America organization; he serves as the liaison for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and frequently gives speeches at military-related events; he also performs ministry work with the Lake County Jail; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the Grand Avenue Overpass over Interstate 94 in Gurnee as the "Allen J. Lynch Congressional Medal of Honor Overpass"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That upon completion of any unfinished sections of highway, the Illinois Department of Transportation is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs giving notice of the name; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Allen J. Lynch, his family, the Village of Gurnee, the Lake County Board, the Lake County Veterans Assistance Commission, and the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation.