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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The Medal of Honor is our nation's highest award
3for valor and is presented to veterans of the Armed Forces of
4the United States for "acting with conspicuous gallantry and
5intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at the risk of
6one's life during combat with an enemy of the United States";
7and
 
8    WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation into
9law in 1861 and 1862 creating the Medal of Honor and was laid
10to rest in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois in 1865; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The Medal of Honor is widely respected by the
12military and public alike; and
 
13    WHEREAS, 108 Medal of Honor recipients were born in
14Illinois, 209 recipients entered service from Illinois, and
15110 recipients were laid to rest in Illinois; and
 
16    WHEREAS, The Medal of Honor recipients with connections to
17Illinois served during 11 wars, from the Civil War to the
18Vietnam War, over a period of 114 years; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Two Medal of Honor recipients who were born in or
20who entered service from Illinois, received their Medal of

 

 

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1Honor awards for valor in Vietnam and are included in the 71
2recipients of all wars living in our nation today; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Two of the Illinois Medal of Honor recipients who
4earned their Medal of Honor awards in Vietnam either entered
5service from Chicago or were born in Chicago, which is located
6on U.S. Highway 20; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The nonprofit Bend Heroes Foundation and the
8Oregon Legislature created a law designating all 451 miles of
9the border to border U.S. Highway 20 in Oregon as the Oregon
10Medal of Honor Highway, a first in our nation to honor all of a
11state's Medal of Honor recipients; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The Oregon law envisioned that a first ever
13national Medal of Honor Highway would be created on the 3,365
14mile U.S. Highway 20, the longest highway in the United
15States, if all 11 states east of Oregon and through which U.S.
16Highway 20 traverses designate border to border Medal of Honor
17highways in their states; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Illinois has not dedicated a border to border
19highway to honor all of its Medal of Honor recipients; and
 
20    WHEREAS, A 234 mile border to border Illinois Medal of
21Honor highway on U.S. Highway 20 would honor current and

 

 

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1future Medal of Honor recipients from Illinois and would also
2facilitate the 3,365 mile National Medal of Honor Highway
3across America; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Illinois deeply appreciates the service and
5sacrifice of its Medal of Honor recipients and the positive
6roles they have played in their communities for over 110
7years; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Illinois veterans have offered to pay the cost to
9create and install the Illinois Medal of Honor Highway signs;
10therefore, be it
 
11    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL
12ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF
13REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the
14entire portion of U.S. Highway 20 in Illinois beginning at the
15Illinois/Iowa border and ending at the Illinois/Indiana border
16as the "Illinois Medal of Honor Highway", honoring current and
17future Medal of Honor recipients from Illinois; and be it
18further
 
19    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation
20is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with
21State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs
22giving notice of the name "Illinois Medal of Honor Highway";

 

 

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1if appropriate and possible, the signs will include the three
2versions of the logos displaying a Medal of Honor; and be it
3further
 
4    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
5presented to the Director of the Illinois Department of
6Veterans' Affairs and the President of the Illinois Council of
7Chapters of the Military Officers Association of America.