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LRB093 12274 KEF 18200 r
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, A West Aurora High School graduate who joined
3 the Marines to play in its drum and bugle corps was killed
4 May 19, 2003 when his helicopter crashed during a resupply
5 mission in central Iraq; and
6 WHEREAS, First Lt. Timothy Ryan, who graduated from West
7 High in 1991, was one of four Marines aboard a CH-46 Sea
8 Knight helicopter when it went down in a canal about 60 miles
9 south of Baghdad; and
10 WHEREAS, There were no survivors, and a fifth Marine
11 drowned trying to rescue the crew; and
12 WHEREAS, Lt. Ryan's path to becoming a Marine officer was
13 an unlikely one; he enlisted in 1997, just weeks after
14 graduating from Illinois State University with a degree in
15 music and days after marrying his wife Michelle; he was
16 accepted to play percussion in the USMC Drum & Bugle Corps,
17 an elite 80-musician ensemble of fully commissioned Marines,
18 and soon began traveling extensively, playing at military
19 functions across the United States and in Europe; and
20 WHEREAS, Lt. Ryan soon discovered, however, that his true
21 passion was for flying helicopters; he graduated from the
22 Marine Corps Officer Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia,
23 and "got his wings" at Whiting Airfield near Pensacola,
24 Florida; and
25 WHEREAS, At West High, Lt. Ryan made friends easily and
26 spent time playing in the marching band and building sets for
27 school plays; and
28 WHEREAS, Lt. Ryan's passing will be deeply felt by many
29 family and friends; therefore, be it
30 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL
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1 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing
2 of First Lt. Timothy Ryan along with all who knew and loved
3 him and extend our sincere condolences to his family,
4 friends, and community; and be it further
5 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
6 presented to the family of First Lt. Timothy Ryan as an
7 expression of our deepest sympathy.