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HR0673 |
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LRB094 14371 HSS 49300 r |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, Throughout most of World War II, the USS |
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| Indianapolis served as the Flagship of the Fifth Fleet in the |
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| Pacific under the command of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, U.S. |
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| Navy; during her career in the Pacific, she earned a total of |
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| 10 Battle Stars; and
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| WHEREAS, After safely delivering the world's first |
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| operational atom bombs to Tinian Island, she was sent to join |
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| the assembling invasion fleet at Leyte Gulf; halfway between |
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| Guam and Leyte, at 14 minutes past midnight on July 30, 1945, |
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| the Indianapolis was struck by two torpedoes of a spread of |
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| six, fired by the submarine I-58 of the Imperial Japanese Navy; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, The Indianapolis was mortally wounded, and |
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| everywhere men were killed, seriously burned, and maimed; |
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| within 12 minutes, while brave men struggled to hand out life |
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| vests, drag wounded shipmates, and scramble topside, the |
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| Indianapolis sank quietly beneath the surface of the Pacific; |
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| and
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| WHEREAS, Of the ship's company of 1,197 men and one |
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| passenger, the survivors estimate that about 800 made it into |
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| the water and relative safety, where the dangers were just |
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| beginning; fuel oil coated the sea and blood from the wounded |
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| attracted sharks; lack of water and food caused many to |
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| hallucinate, to fight among themselves, and to go mad; for five |
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| days, the men struggled until they were finally discovered, and |
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| only 318 remained to be rescued; and
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| WHEREAS, The sacrifice of the USS Indianapolis has been |
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| honored by our nation with a national memorial located in |
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| Indianapolis, Indiana, dedicated on August 2, 1995; and
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HR0673 |
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LRB094 14371 HSS 49300 r |
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| WHEREAS, Thirty-two citizens of Illinois survived the |
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| ordeal, including Maurice Bell, Russell L. Brandt, John K. |
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| Bullard, Curtis H. Burton, Norman S. Galbraith, Edgar A. |
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| Harrell, Harlan C. Havener, Joseph F. Hubeli, Gust C. Katsikas, |
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| Walter Kazmierski (Kay), Oliver W. Kenly, Michael N. Kuryla |
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| Jr., Ralph Lane, George E. Laws, Arthur L. Leenerman, Robert A. |
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| Lucas, Donald C. McCall, Robert M. McGuiggan, Anthony F. Maday, |
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| Chester J. Makaroff, Farrell J. Maxwell, Herbert J. Miner II, |
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| Troy A. Nunley, John Olijar, Richard A. Paroubek, Herbert A. |
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| Rehner, Earl Riggins, John A. Schmueck, William E. Simpson, |
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| Andre Sospizio, Daniel F. Spencer, and Charles M. Turner; and
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| WHEREAS, Today, just 14 men from Illinois remain that |
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| miraculously survived the sinking of the Indianapolis; ten |
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| reside in Illinois and four in other states; they include |
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| Maurice Bell (Alabama), Edgar A. Harrell (Tennessee), Troy A. |
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| Nunley (Florida), Richard A. Paroubek (Virginia), Gust C. |
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| Katsikas, Michael N. Kuryla Jr., George E. Laws, Arthur L. |
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| Leenerman, Robert A. Lucas, Donald C. McCall, Robert M. |
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| McGuiggan, Herbert J. Miner II, Earl Riggins, and Andre |
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| Sospizio; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that |
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| we honor the men that fought for our country during World War |
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| II and miraculously survived the sinking of the USS |
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| Indianapolis; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be |
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| presented to each of the remaining survivors as an expression |
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| of our esteem.
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