HR0997 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0997 LRB093 22340 KEF 51497 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate and thank retired Navy Captain Robert W. Duncan on serving as grandmaster of this year's Marion Main Street Armed Forces Day Patriotic Parade; and

WHEREAS, Robert Duncan and his wife Evelyn, both of Marion, have been married 61 years and have two children, Steven Duncan and Janice Magruder; and two grandchildren, David and Heather Magruder; and

WHEREAS, Robert Duncan was a Captain in the United States Navy serving as one of the original members of the "Fighting Five" of the USS Yorktown CV-10 during World War II; he first started serving his country in 1942 with the U.S. Navy; and

WHEREAS, Captain Duncan was the first pilot from the Yorktown to become an Ace and the first U.S. Navy fighter pilot to destroy an enemy aircraft with the new F6F Grumman Hellcat fighter plane; and

WHEREAS, Captain Duncan was recommended to receive the Navy Cross, the Navy's highest honor, by famed Navy Admiral C.W. Nimitz for valor in combat on February 16, 1944, against Japanese forces at Truk in the South Pacific; and

WHEREAS, As Admiral Nimitz's recommendation was overlooked for many years, Captain Duncan was finally honored for his bravery in combat in February of 2003, when U.S. Representative Jerry Costello presented Captain Duncan with his Navy Cross; and

WHEREAS, In addition to the Navy Cross, Captain Duncan received numerous military honors, including two Distinguished Flying Crosses, eight air medals, and a presidential unit citation with five stars, among others; and

WHEREAS, His post World War II duties include service from the USS Boxer CV-21 during the conflict in Korea and Commander of the Eighth Navy Recruiting Area in San Francisco; he retired in 1966; and

WHEREAS, Captain Duncan also served as Chairman of the Williamson County Airport Board for more than 21 years and as a past president of the Illinois Airports Association; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois and the United States of America is a better place, enjoying the rights and liberties defended by the heroic efforts of Captain Duncan; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Captain Robert W. Duncan on serving as the 2004 Marion Main Street Armed Forces Day Patriotic Parade grandmaster and on receiving his long overdue Navy Cross for his bravery in combat; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Captain Duncan, as well as the Military Aviation Hall of Fame of Illinois, as a token of our deepest and most sincere thanks to a man who has bravely and selflessly served his country and community.