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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The POW-MIA National Chair of Honor "One Empty 
3Seat" is an initiative that was created to help recognize and 
4honor more than 92,000 American soldiers who have been 
5unaccounted for since World War I; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, These unoccupied seats are dedicated to the memory 
7of the brave men and women and to the sacrifices each of them 
8made serving our country; and
  
 
9    WHEREAS, The Chair of Honor will remain perpetually empty, 
10symbolizing those American prisoners of war and those missing 
11in action who may never return; and
  
 
12    WHEREAS, The Chair of Honor serves as a reminder to all of 
13the sacrifices that the men and women serving in the Armed 
14Forces have made to ensure our continued freedom and way of 
15life; and
  
 
16    WHEREAS, The first Chair of Honor was installed and 
17dedicated at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts on 
18Veterans Day in 2012; and
  
 
19    WHEREAS, Sponsored by the Rolling Thunder organization and 
20Hussey Seating, the program has expanded rapidly, with chairs 
 
 
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1now dedicated in municipal buildings, county courthouses, 
2state capitals, public facilities, professional and college 
3sports stadiums, and even the USS Constitution; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The object is to place a black chair in a 
5prominent location to enhance Rolling Thunder's mission of 
6keeping the memories of imprisoned and missing soldiers alive; 
7and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, Over 91,000 service personnel who never came home, 
9whether they were prisoners of war or missing in action, were 
10honored with the unveiling of a Chair of Honor in Newton; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, Frank Hull, the founder of Olney Rolling Thunder 
12Chapter 3, says the Newton chair is the 13th structure his 
13group has placed in downstate Illinois; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Formed in April of 2011, Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 
15Illinois is a class 501 (c)(4) nonprofit organization serving a 
1613-county area in southeastern Illinois; and
  
 
17    WHEREAS, On September 3, 2013, the group received their 
18Rolling Thunder, Inc. charter and became one of over 90 
19chartered chapters throughout the United States; and
  
 
20    WHEREAS, By educating the public that many prisoners of war 
 
 
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1and missing in action soldiers were left behind,  the past will 
2be preserved and the future generations of servicemen and women 
3will be protected; therefore, be it
  
 
4    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
5NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
6honor Olney Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 for publicizing the 
7POW-MIA issue, for educating the public that many prisoners of 
8war and missing in action soldiers are left behind, and their 
9continued commitment to helping American veterans from all 
10wars; and be it further
  
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
12presented to Olney Rolling Thunder Chapter 3 as a symbol of our 
13esteem and respect.