HR0719 LRB096 15381 KXB 30534 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Staff
4 Sergeant Christopher Michael Rudzinski of Rantoul, who passed
5 away on October 16, 2009 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds
6 suffered while conducting military operations in support of
7 Operation Enduring Freedom; he was a staff sergeant in the
8 United States Army Military Police Corps; and
 
9     WHEREAS, Christopher was born in Augsburg, Germany, on
10 August 29, 1981, a son of Michael Charles Rudzinski and Bonita
11 Kay (Jackson) Rudzinski; Christopher was a 1999 graduate of
12 Rantoul Township High School, where he was active in the
13 marching band, madrigal, and Help Peers; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Prior to coming to Rantoul, he lived in Germany,
15 Arizona, and Washington; growing up a military brat and being
16 part of a family with a tradition of military service in the
17 United States armed forces dating back to the Second World War,
18 he enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 17 and was
19 sworn into service by his father, Michael; and
 
20     WHEREAS, He was an M1 Abrams tank armor crewman and
21 attended basic training and the armor school at Fort Knox,
22 Kentucky, where he was subsequently assigned to Germany and

 

 

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1 deployed on his first tour to support the peacekeeping
2 operations in Kosovo; he was later transferred to Fort Hood,
3 Texas, and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division and
4 subsequently deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom in
5 2003; toward the end of this deployment, he became ill with
6 leishmaniasis and was medically evacuated to Walter Reed Army
7 Hospital for treatment; and
 
8     WHEREAS, He re-enlisted for service as a military police
9 officer and graduated from MP training at Fort Leonard Wood,
10 Missouri, in 2004; he was again assigned to Germany where he
11 met his future wife, Caroline, and later deployed to Iraq on
12 his third tour, this time training and mentoring Iraqi
13 policemen; and
 
14     WHEREAS, While home on leave during the tour, he married
15 the love of his life, Caroline; upon returning to Germany,
16 Christopher resumed his police duties and later became an
17 investigator and MP desk sergeant; and
 
18     WHEREAS, In September of 2008, his wife, Caroline, gave
19 birth to their son, Ryan, and Christopher added "devoted dad"
20 to his responsibilities; and
 
21     WHEREAS, His last military assignment was to Fort Stewart,
22 Georgia, where he deployed to Afghanistan with the 293rd MP

 

 

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1 Company on his last tour; and
 
2     WHEREAS, His military awards included the Bronze Star
3 Medal, the Purple Heart, four Army Commendation Medals, four
4 Army Achievement Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, the
5 National Defense Service Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal, the
6 Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the
7 Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on
8 Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer
9 Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the
10 Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Action
11 Badge, the Driver's Badge, and the German Schutzenschnur Badge
12 in Gold; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Christopher had a love of cars, fishing, video
14 games, friends, family, and Walt Disney World; and
 
15     WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his mother, Bonita,
16 and his beloved sister, Jacqueline Rudzinski; and
 
17     WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Christopher Michael Rudzinski is
18 survived by his wife Caroline and son Ryan; his parents,
19 Michael and Natalie Rudzinski; his sister, Annette Dalton; his
20 brothers, Private First Class Jordan Rudzinski, Christian, and
21 Alexander Rudzinski; his nephews, Ian and Sean Dalton; his
22 paternal grandmother, Janet Rudzinski; his maternal

 

 

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1 grandparents, David and Valerie Grindley; his
2 great-grandmother, Nadine Legue; and his aunts and uncles and
3 their families, Eric and Judy Rudzinski, David and Gwen
4 Rudzinski, Oliver and Martina Hemming, Erick and Sonya
5 Grindley, and James and Martha Jackson; therefore, be it
 
6     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7 NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
8 mourn, along with his family, friends, and a grateful nation,
9 the passing of Staff Sergeant Christopher Michael Rudzinski;
10 and be it further
 
11     RESOLVED, That we honor the memory of Staff Sergeant
12 Christopher Michael Rudzinski and his willingness to serve his
13 country, which led to him making the ultimate sacrifice; and be
14 it further
 
15     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16 presented to the family of Staff Sergeant Christopher Michael
17 Rudzinski as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.