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92_HR0816
LRB9216590BHbh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are proud to recognize those war veterans who
4 fought so bravely to protect the interests of their fellow
5 Americans; and
6 WHEREAS, It has come to our attention that the group of
7 Navy and Marine veterans who served on the U.S.S. Lexington
8 CV-2 will celebrate their 49th annual reunion, sponsored by
9 the U.S.S. Lexington CV-2 Club, in Decatur from May 29
10 through June 2, 2002; and
11 WHEREAS, The U.S.S. Lexington CV-2 was launched on
12 October 3, 1925, by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation,
13 Ltd., at the Fore River Plant in Quincy, Massachusetts, and
14 commissioned on December 14, 1927; and
15 WHEREAS, During peacetime years, the Lexington was a
16 pioneer in the development of naval aviation combat tactics
17 and personnel training; she was the first ship to average
18 more than 30 knots on an ocean voyage from California to
19 Hawaii in June 1928, and, incredibly, supplied power to the
20 city of Tacoma, Washington in December 1929 and January 1930;
21 the Lexington led the search for the downed airplane of
22 Amelia Earhart in the Pacific in July 1937; and
23 WHEREAS, On February 20, 1942, one of the Lexington
24 fighter pilots, Lt. Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare, shot down five
25 Japanese bombers in aerial combat near Bougainville, Solomon
26 Islands; Lt. O'Hare became the first Navy Ace of World War II
27 and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor; his
28 namesake is O'Hare International Airport in Chicago; and
29 WHEREAS, On May 4-8, 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea
30 was fought in the South Pacific; Lexington pilots
31 participated in sinking the first Japanese aircraft carrier
-2- LRB9216590BHbh
1 on May 7, 1942; the Battle is considered a strategic victory
2 for the Allied Naval Task Force 17 in thwarting Japanese
3 plans from invading Port Moresby, New Guinea, and preserving
4 the safety of Northern Australia; this was the first major
5 sea battle in naval history where the surface ships involved
6 did not exchange a single shot; the Lexington was sunk on May
7 8, 1942, after suffering two torpedo hits and three bomb hits
8 followed by uncontrollable fires; and
9 WHEREAS, Many of the veterans attending the reunion are
10 survivors from the Lexington's sinking; therefore, be it
11 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
12 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
13 we salute the veterans of the U.S.S. Lexington CV-2, and wish
14 them a joyous 49th annual reunion in Decatur from May 29
15 through June 2, 2002; and be it further
16 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
17 presented to the U.S.S. Lexington CV-2 Club as an expression
18 of our esteem.