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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives wish to congratulate retired U.S. Air Force | ||||||
| 4 | Master Sgt. Edwin Eugene "Gene" Neeley on being awarded the
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| 5 | French Legion of Honor, the highest award bestowed by the | ||||||
| 6 | French government, on September 27,
2019 for his role in | ||||||
| 7 | liberating France during World War II; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Gene Neeley was raised in Mackinaw and pumped gas | ||||||
| 9 | before being drafted into the
United States Armed Forces after | ||||||
| 10 | the bombing of Pearl Harbor; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Gene Neeley began his service in 1943 as a member | ||||||
| 12 | of the 5th
Army, 2nd Replacement Depot; he took part in the | ||||||
| 13 | Naples-Foggia, Rome-Amo, Southern
France, Rhineland, and | ||||||
| 14 | Central Europe Campaigns; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, In addition to the Legion of Honor, Gene Neeley | ||||||
| 16 | has received the European-African Middle
Eastern Campaign | ||||||
| 17 | Ribbon with one Silver Battle Star, four Overseas Service Bars, | ||||||
| 18 | the Good
Conduct Medal, and the WWII Victory Medal; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, After ending his service in the Army Air Corps in | ||||||
| 20 | late 1945, Gene Neeley returned to
Mackinaw; in 1946, he helped | ||||||
| 21 | found the Illinois Air National Guard's 169th Fighter
Squadron, | ||||||
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| 1 | which was called up three times and is now known as the 182nd | ||||||
| 2 | Airlift Wing; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Gene Neeley rose to the rank of master sergeant in | ||||||
| 4 | the Air National Guard; he retired
from the Air Force in 1962 | ||||||
| 5 | with full benefits and remained in the reserve until 1984; and | ||||||
| 6 | WHEREAS, Since 2013, Gene Neeley has been actively involved | ||||||
| 7 | with the Greater Peoria Honor
Flight, which seeks to honor all | ||||||
| 8 | United States veterans with a free flight to Washington, D.C. | ||||||
| 9 | to
see war memorials and other attractions; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, Gene Neeley was happily married for 66 years to | ||||||
| 11 | Mary Cooper of Tremont prior to
her death in 2012, and they | ||||||
| 12 | raised one daughter together; therefore, be it
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| 13 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 14 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 15 | we congratulate retired U.S. Air
Force Master Sgt. Edwin Eugene | ||||||
| 16 | "Gene" Neeley on being awarded the French Legion of Honor
and | ||||||
| 17 | for his many years of service to both the United States and to | ||||||
| 18 | other veterans; and be it further
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| 19 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 20 | presented to Gene Neeley and the Illinois
Air National Guard.
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