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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of Illinois House of Representatives
3wish to congratulate Wilbert Vincent "Vince" Rolves on the
4occasion of his 100th birthday on February 23, 2024; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Vince Rolves, a resident of Carlyle, was born on
6February 23, 1924 to Frank and Anna (Smith) Rolves in Albers in
7Clinton County; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Vince Rolves was drafted into the United States
9Army in 1943 at age 18 during World War II; he served in
10Company C, 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division in
11the North African region of the European Theater and then near
12Naples, Italy, where he first saw combat and was promoted to
13sergeant while serving as a ground trooper, commonly referred
14to as a Ground Pounder; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Vince Rolves was shot and wounded on December 14,
161943 in Italy as his unit was captured by German forces; he
17survived harsh conditions as an American prisoner of war (POW)
18in the harsh East Prussian region; he was honored for his
19sacrifices with the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart,
20and the Prisoner of War Medal; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Vince Rolves returned from his World War II

 

 

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1service and married his late wife, Loretta Thouvenin, on
2October 24, 1946; he opened a trucking business and later
3worked for 30 years as an employee with Scott Air Force Base in
4southern Illinois; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Vince Rolves established an organization for POWs
6in the southern Illinois area, sharing his experiences with
7students; in 2017, he taped an audio interview for the
8Illinois Veterans History Project about his World War II
9service; he has supported all veterans and many community
10activities on behalf of our military service members,
11including the Veterans of Foreign Wars (V.F.W.) Post 3523 in
12Carlyle, the Marion County Soldiers' & Sailors' Reunion, and
13the Centralia Area Veterans Fourth of July Parade; therefore,
14be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
16HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
17on the occasion of his centennial birthday, we honor, and
18commend the exemplary service and sacrifice of Wilbert Vincent
19"Vince" Rolves to the United States of America, Illinois,
20Clinton County, and the southern Illinois region; and be it
21further
 
22    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
23presented to Vince Rolves as a symbol of our respect and

 

 

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1esteem.