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1 | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, It is with great humility that the Illinois | ||||||
3 | General Assembly has
the opportunity to pay respect and tribute | ||||||
4 | to great individuals who have served
our country; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Seven Witczak brothers served in the United States | ||||||
6 | Armed Forces; five served
during World War II and two in the | ||||||
7 | Korean War; and
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8 | WHEREAS, The Witczak brothers are Joseph "Joker",
Anthony | ||||||
9 | "Tony", John, Casimir Maurer, Francis "Boy", Thomas "Junior", | ||||||
10 | and Edward Sr.; and
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11 | WHEREAS, The Witczak brothers were lifelong residents of La | ||||||
12 | Salle County; they grew up during
the Great Depression and knew | ||||||
13 | the meaning of honor and
hard work; Anthony "Tony" Witczak, the | ||||||
14 | last surviving brother, began by
delivering newspapers for the | ||||||
15 | News Tribune out of La Salle; during World War II, he
drove | ||||||
16 | Higgins Boats in the Pacific Ocean despite having never driven | ||||||
17 | a car; and
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18 | WHEREAS, The Witczak brothers were separated up by branch, | ||||||
19 | job, and location
throughout World War II but kept in close | ||||||
20 | contact through letters; they had numerous opportunities to | ||||||
21 | meet up when their missions allowed; Anthony
Witczak recalls |
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1 | this happening mostly at Pearl Harbor; and
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2 | WHEREAS, The story of the Witczak brothers is an | ||||||
3 | astonishing and
humbling one of commitment to their country and | ||||||
4 | their family; most families
that had multiple members overseas | ||||||
5 | bravely serving
their country did not have them all return | ||||||
6 | safely to the United States as all of the Witczak brothers did; | ||||||
7 | therefore, be it
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8 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL | ||||||
9 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | ||||||
10 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate Route 251 as it travels | ||||||
11 | from Tonica to Mendota as the "Witczak Brothers Memorial | ||||||
12 | Highway"; and be it further | ||||||
13 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation | ||||||
14 | is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with | ||||||
15 | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | ||||||
16 | giving notice of the name "Witczak Brothers Memorial Highway"; | ||||||
17 | and be it further
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18 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
19 | presented to the Secretary of the Illinois Department of | ||||||
20 | Transportation and the family of the Witczak brothers.
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