Full Text of HR0369 96th General Assembly
HR0369 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HR0369 |
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 |
| Representatives are pleased to congratulate William Wurster on | 4 |
| the occasion of his 90th birthday on May 8, 2009; and
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| WHEREAS, William Wurster served his country with pride and | 6 |
| distinction as a member of the United State Army Air Force | 7 |
| during World War II; during the war, he served as a C-47 pilot | 8 |
| delivering ammunition and other supplies to the front lines and | 9 |
| ferrying wounded soldiers away from combat zones; by the war's | 10 |
| end, he had flown 35 combat missions and served in New Guinea, | 11 |
| the southern Philippines, Luzon, the northern Solomon Islands, | 12 |
| and the Bismarck Archipelago; and
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| WHEREAS, William Wurster also flew logistical operations | 14 |
| during heavy combat at Peleliu, Okinawa, and Lingayen Gulf; in | 15 |
| September of 1944, while ferrying out 30 wounded soldiers | 16 |
| during the Battle of Peleliu, his plane was damaged by Japanese | 17 |
| ground fire; despite his plane losing an engine, he managed to | 18 |
| fly the soldiers 600 miles to Biak to receive treatment; during | 19 |
| the same battle, he helped several fighter aircraft that lost | 20 |
| track of their objective during a storm to return to an | 21 |
| American air base on the island; and
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| WHEREAS, William Wurster was present when General Douglas |
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HR0369 |
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| MacArthur returned to the Philippines; he also flew over the | 2 |
| USS Missouri during the Japanese surrender ceremony; during his | 3 |
| service, Mr. Wurster received the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, | 4 |
| two Service Bars, the Victory Medal, and an Air Medal, among | 5 |
| many others; he was also retroactively awarded the Philippine | 6 |
| Liberation Medal by the Filipino government in 1999; and
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| WHEREAS, William Wurster was employed at Pontiac, working | 8 |
| there until his retirement; and
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| WHEREAS, During the 1960s, William Wurster enjoyed racing | 10 |
| speedboats, a hobby that earned him numerous trophies; and | 11 |
| WHEREAS, William Wurster is a member of St. John's Lutheran | 12 |
| Evangelical Church; and | 13 |
| WHEREAS, William Wurster is married to his loving wife, | 14 |
| Betty; he has three children, Beverly, Bob, and John, as well | 15 |
| as 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; therefore, | 16 |
| be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 18 |
| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 19 |
| congratulate William Wurster on the occasion of his 90th | 20 |
| birthday and wish him many happy and healthy years to come; and | 21 |
| be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 2 |
| presented to William Wurster as a symbol of our esteem and | 3 |
| respect.
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