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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Wilbert Vincent "Vince" Rolves, born to Frank and | ||||||
| 3 | Anna (Smith) Rolves on February 23,
1924 in Albers and recently | ||||||
| 4 | of Carlyle, is a United States Army veteran and Illinois native | ||||||
| 5 | who
has dedicated his life to the service of Illinoisans, first | ||||||
| 6 | abroad, within the North African region of the
European Theater | ||||||
| 7 | of World War II, and then throughout Southern Illinois; and
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| 8 | WHEREAS, Vince Rolves enlisted in the 45th Infantry | ||||||
| 9 | Division of the United States Army during World War
II before | ||||||
| 10 | returning to Illinois, opening a trucking business, and later | ||||||
| 11 | transitioning to a position that he
held for 30 years as a | ||||||
| 12 | government employee within Scott Air Force Base; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Soon after he deployed across the Atlantic while | ||||||
| 14 | serving as a ground trooper or
"Ground Pounder", Vince Rolves | ||||||
| 15 | was appointed as a sergeant; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, Vince Rolves' decorated military career is marked | ||||||
| 17 | by a passionate perseverance
through dire circumstances; in | ||||||
| 18 | December of 1943, only half a year after he was deployed, he | ||||||
| 19 | was shot
and wounded in Italy as his unit was captured by | ||||||
| 20 | German forces; for 18 months, he endured
the harsh East | ||||||
| 21 | Prussian environment as an American prisoner of war within the | ||||||
| 22 | European Theater of
World War II; and
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| 1 | WHEREAS, Vince Rolves was forced to work hard labor within | ||||||
| 2 | a prison camp and was under
threat of death and subjected to a | ||||||
| 3 | bitter and icy environment and extreme malnutrition; he was | ||||||
| 4 | honored
for his sacrifices with a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a | ||||||
| 5 | Purple Heart, and a Prisoner of War Medal; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Upon returning to Southern Illinois from Europe, | ||||||
| 7 | Vince Rolves married his late wife, Loretta
Thouvenin, on | ||||||
| 8 | October 24, 1946 and has since bestowed upon the region a | ||||||
| 9 | lasting impression; he has
established an organization for | ||||||
| 10 | former POWs in the area, and he has shared his experiences with | ||||||
| 11 | local
students in the hope of offering to such individuals an | ||||||
| 12 | appreciation for the services and sacrifices of
American | ||||||
| 13 | servicemen and servicewomen; therefore, be it
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| 14 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 15 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 16 | we commend, honor, and thank Wilbert Vincent "Vince" Rolves
for | ||||||
| 17 | his passionate and dedicated service to Illinois and his | ||||||
| 18 | exemplary leadership during the Second
World War and as a | ||||||
| 19 | private citizen within the State of Illinois; and be it further
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| 20 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
| 21 | presented to Vince Rolves as a symbol of our respect and | ||||||
| 22 | esteem.
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