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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Senate of the State of Illinois
3 learned with regret of the death of Guy H. Bodor of Aurora on
4 December 20, 2004; and
 
5     WHEREAS, He was born on February 18, 1922, to Louis and
6 Hedwig (Reginnitter) Bodor; he married Bobbi Collatz in 1949;
7 and
 
8     WHEREAS, Mr. Bodor valiantly served his country in the
9 United States Navy, enlisting in 1940; he attended boot camp at
10 Great Lakes Naval Training Station followed by Aviation Radio
11 School in San Diego, California; he survived the attack on
12 Pearl Harbor while serving aboard the USS San Francisco; and
 
13     WHEREAS, He spent 56 months in the Pacific theatre
14 participating in the Wake Island relief expedition, the attack
15 on the Marshall and Gilbert Islands, air action off
16 Bougainville, the SALAMAAU-LAE Raid, the Battle of Cape
17 Esperance, and the Battle of Guadalcanal; in 1943 he was
18 assigned to bombing squadron VB-140 based at the Russell
19 Islands for the new Georgia-Bougainville-New Ireland
20 campaigns; and
 
21     WHEREAS, In 1944 he was assigned to patrol bombing squadron
22 VPB-123 and participated in the Okinawa invasion to end the
23 war; he was decorated many times, including earning a Purple
24 Heart for injuries sustained in the Battle of Guadalcanal; his
25 unit received the first Presidential Unit Citation for that
26 action; he was also awarded the Naval Air medal, the Navy Good
27 Conduct medal, the WWII Victory medal, the American Defense
28 medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal, the American
29 Campaign - Pacific Operations medal, and the Naval Reserve
30 Faithful Service medal; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Mr. Bodor continued his service after World War II
2 in the Naval Reserves and was called to active duty in 1961;
3 while in the reserves, he received a commission and attained
4 the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4, serving a total of 40
5 years until his retirement in 1982; and
 
6     WHEREAS, In 1946, Guy joined IBM and spent the next 41
7 years working as a customer products service manager; during
8 retirement, he was active in the community at SciTech, Golden
9 Kiwanis, and New England Congregational Church; he was a member
10 of the Illinois Commandery of the Naval Order of the United
11 States and served as president of the Aurora Navy League; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Mr. Bodor was honored at the Annual Pearl Harbor
13 Day Luncheon sponsored by the Aurora Navy League Council on
14 December 6, 2004, and at the Annual Meeting/Program of the
15 Illinois Commandery, Naval Order of the United States on
16 December 7, 2004; he was featured in George Rawlinson's book
17 "Fox Valley Veterans"; and
 
18     WHEREAS, The passing of Guy H. Bodor has been deeply felt
19 by many, especially his wife of 55 years, Bobbi (Collatz)
20 Bodor; his children, Suzanne (Bruce) Saunders, Aaron (Tash
21 Robb) Bodor, and Jeanne (Andrew) Larson; his grandchildren,
22 Logan Saunders, Seth and Marete Larson, and Rowan Bodor; his
23 brother-in-law, Fred Collatz, and wife, Anna; and his many
24 nieces and nephews; he was preceded in death by his parents;
25 three brothers, Richard, Robert, and James; and his sister
26 Margaret, in infancy; therefore, be it
 
27     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
28 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of
29 Guy H. Bodor, and we extend our deepest sympathy to his family,
30 friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further
 
31     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be

 

 

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1 presented to the family of Mr. Bodor as an expression of our
2 sincerest condolences.