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| 1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, It is important to remember and honor those who | ||||||
| 3 | gave the ultimate sacrifice in
service to the State Of | ||||||
| 4 | Illinois; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Illinois State Police Trooper Marvin C. Archer, a | ||||||
| 6 | World War II veteran, was killed in a gunfight
on June 18, 1946 | ||||||
| 7 | while attempting to apprehend two vehicle thieves at the | ||||||
| 8 | intersection of Illinois Routes
6 and 9 near Paxton; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Trooper Archer and his partner, Vernon Harper, | ||||||
| 10 | spotted the
stolen vehicle and initiated a traffic stop; the | ||||||
| 11 | two suspects opened fire, and both officers
took cover and | ||||||
| 12 | returned fire; and | ||||||
| 13 | WHEREAS, Trooper Archer was shot and died on the scene; and | ||||||
| 14 | WHEREAS, One of the suspects re-entered a vehicle and led | ||||||
| 15 | Illinois and Indiana state police on a pursuit; he changed | ||||||
| 16 | vehicles two more times before Illinois troopers found him | ||||||
| 17 | approximately three hours later inside a
parked vehicle near | ||||||
| 18 | Champaign; three troopers opened fire and fatally shot the | ||||||
| 19 | suspect multiple times; and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Trooper Archer served two years with the Illinois | ||||||
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| 1 | State Police
and then two years as a combat engineer in the | ||||||
| 2 | Pacific during World War II; he returned to his state
police | ||||||
| 3 | duties six months before his death; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, The Illinois State Police have saved countless | ||||||
| 5 | lives by protecting the citizens of Illinois
though law | ||||||
| 6 | enforcement and patrolling the roadways of our State; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Trooper Archer is an example of the dedication and | ||||||
| 8 | sacrifice of
the Illinois State Police, and it is fitting we | ||||||
| 9 | remember his sacrifice; therefore, be it
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| 10 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 11 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
| 12 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the section of | ||||||
| 13 | Illinois
Route 9 between South Washington Street and High | ||||||
| 14 | Street in Paxton as the "Trooper Marvin C.
Archer Memorial | ||||||
| 15 | Road"; and be it further | ||||||
| 16 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation | ||||||
| 17 | is requested to erect at suitable locations,
consistent with | ||||||
| 18 | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | ||||||
| 19 | giving notice of the name
"Trooper Marvin C. Archer Memorial | ||||||
| 20 | Road"; and be it further
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| 21 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
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| 1 | presented to the family of Trooper Archer and the Secretary of | ||||||
| 2 | Transportation.
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