SR0341 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0341 LRB096 13350 KXB 28051 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of United States Army Sergeant Paul G. Smith of East Peoria, who was killed in the line of duty while serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on June 19, 2009; and

WHEREAS, He was born July 9, 1965, in Peoria, to Joseph A. and Muriel Jeanette Evans Smith; he married Kim L. Day in Kewanee, on May 13, 1988; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Smith served as a cavalry scout with the United States Army; he joined the Army in April of 1993 and was stationed in Fort Hood until 1996, when he was deployed to Kuwait; in 1996, he and his family were then stationed in Vilseck, Germany where they stayed until August of 1999; his next station was Fort Riley, Kansas, where he was deployed again from 2001 to 2002 in Iraq and again from 2003 to 2004 and 2005 to 2006; in June of 2006, he went inactive and returned to East Peoria; and

WHEREAS, He joined the National Guard out of Kewanee in August of 2006; while doing his drills, he was employed by G & D Integrated; in December of 2008, he was called to go to Afghanistan with his Kewanee Guard; he was able to return home on his R & R from April 29, 2009, to May 12, 2009, when he and his wife celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary; and

WHEREAS, He loved his homemade pond and fish tanks and just relaxing on his break with his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Sr.; and

WHEREAS, United States Army Sergeant Paul G. Smith is survived by his wife, Kim; his mother; his daughters, Jamie Smith and Sarah Appenheimer; his son, Benjiman Smith; and his brothers, Joseph A. Jr., William C., and Merle F.; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with his family, friends, and a grateful nation, the passing of United States Army Sergeant Paul G. Smith; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of United States Army Sergeant Paul G. Smith as a symbol of our sincere sympathy.