Full Text of SR0480 101st General Assembly
SR0480 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to | 3 | | learn of the death of Xenophon "Fonda" Doudalis of Des Plaines, | 4 | | who passed away on May 27, 2019; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Xenophon Doudalis was born on May 24, 1924; a | 6 | | resident of Des Plaines since 1962, he served as a sergeant in | 7 | | the United States Army during World War II; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Xenophon Doudalis was chosen as a Legion of Honor | 9 | | recipient for helping to liberate French cities and villages as | 10 | | he and his army unit, the 281st Engineer Battalion serving | 11 | | under General George Patton, made their way through France on | 12 | | the way to Germany; the French Legion of Honor is the highest | 13 | | French government order recognizing military and civilian | 14 | | merit; the honor was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802; | 15 | | and
| 16 | | WHEREAS, Xenophon Doudalis and his unit arrived in Normandy | 17 | | on December 29, 1944; as they advanced through the country, the | 18 | | troops often came under heavy enemy fire, forcing them to | 19 | | scatter; at one point, he took shelter in an abandoned bicycle | 20 | | factory and then used one of the bicycles to help search for | 21 | | the rest of his unit; at the end of April 1945, he discovered | 22 | | the horrors of the Dachau concentration camp, where 32,000 men, |
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| 1 | | women, and children were held prisoners; he was among the first | 2 | | U.S. soldiers to liberate the camp; his assignment was to | 3 | | photograph the area and then help rescue the camp's prisoners; | 4 | | and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Xenophon Doudalis participated in an Honor Flight | 6 | | to Washington, D.C.; he was a humble man who put everyone else | 7 | | before himself; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Xenophon Doudalis was the beloved husband of the | 9 | | late Maria (Baltas) Doudalis for 62 years, the loving father of | 10 | | Valerie (John) Magg, the loving grandfather of Matthew (Lisa) | 11 | | Doudalis and Marisa (Sean) Wilhelm, and the loving | 12 | | great-grandfather of Maria Angela, Isabella, Alexis, and Adam; | 13 | | therefore, be it
| 14 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | 15 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of | 16 | | Xenophon "Fonda" Doudalis and extend our sincere condolences to | 17 | | his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it | 18 | | further
| 19 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 20 | | presented to the family of Xenophon Doudalis as an expression | 21 | | of our deepest sympathy.
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