Full Text of HR0997 93rd General Assembly
HR0997 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 |
| Representatives wish to congratulate and thank retired Navy | 4 |
| Captain Robert W. Duncan on serving as grandmaster of this | 5 |
| year's Marion Main Street Armed Forces Day Patriotic Parade; | 6 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, Robert Duncan and his wife Evelyn, both of Marion, | 8 |
| have been married 61 years and have two children, Steven Duncan | 9 |
| and Janice Magruder; and two grandchildren, David and Heather | 10 |
| Magruder; and
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| WHEREAS, Robert Duncan was a Captain in the United States | 12 |
| Navy serving as one of the original members of the "Fighting | 13 |
| Five" of the USS Yorktown CV-10 during World War II; he first | 14 |
| started serving his country in 1942 with the U.S. Navy; and
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| WHEREAS, Captain Duncan was the first pilot from the | 16 |
| Yorktown to become an Ace and the first U.S. Navy fighter pilot | 17 |
| to destroy an enemy aircraft with the new F6F Grumman Hellcat | 18 |
| fighter plane; and
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| WHEREAS, Captain Duncan was recommended to receive the Navy | 20 |
| Cross, the Navy's highest honor, by famed Navy Admiral C.W. | 21 |
| Nimitz for valor in combat on February 16, 1944, against | 22 |
| Japanese forces at Truk in the South Pacific; and
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| WHEREAS, As Admiral Nimitz's recommendation was overlooked | 24 |
| for many years, Captain Duncan was finally honored for his | 25 |
| bravery in combat in February of 2003, when U.S. Representative | 26 |
| Jerry Costello presented Captain Duncan with his Navy Cross; | 27 |
| and
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| WHEREAS, In addition to the Navy Cross, Captain Duncan | 29 |
| received numerous military honors, including two Distinguished |
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| Flying Crosses, eight air medals, and a presidential unit | 2 |
| citation with five stars, among others; and
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| WHEREAS, His post World War II duties include service from | 4 |
| the USS Boxer CV-21 during the conflict in Korea and Commander | 5 |
| of the Eighth Navy Recruiting Area in San Francisco; he retired | 6 |
| in 1966; and
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| WHEREAS, Captain Duncan also served as Chairman of the | 8 |
| Williamson County Airport Board for more than 21 years and as a | 9 |
| past president of the Illinois Airports Association; and
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| WHEREAS, The State of Illinois and the United States of | 11 |
| America is a better place, enjoying the rights and liberties | 12 |
| defended by the heroic efforts of Captain Duncan; therefore, be | 13 |
| it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 15 |
| NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 16 |
| congratulate Captain Robert W. Duncan on serving as the 2004 | 17 |
| Marion Main Street Armed Forces Day Patriotic Parade | 18 |
| grandmaster and on receiving his long overdue Navy Cross for | 19 |
| his bravery in combat; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 21 |
| presented to Captain Duncan, as well as the Military Aviation | 22 |
| Hall of Fame of Illinois, as a token of our deepest and most | 23 |
| sincere thanks to a man who has bravely and selflessly served | 24 |
| his country and community.
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