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| 1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois General
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| 3 | Assembly pays honor and respect to the truly great individuals
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| 4 | who have served our country and, in doing so, have made the
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| 5 | ultimate sacrifice for our nation; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, United States Army
Sergeant Blake W. Evans of | ||||||
| 7 | Rockford was killed on May 25, 2008 while
serving his second | ||||||
| 8 | tour of duty in Iraq; and
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| 9 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Evans graduated from Guilford High School in | ||||||
| 10 | Rockford; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Evans joined the U.S. Army in October of 2003 | ||||||
| 12 | and
arrived at Fort Campbell, Kentucky in January of 2004; he | ||||||
| 13 | was an
expert with the M4 assault rifle and was assigned as an
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| 14 | infantryman to Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry
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| 15 | Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team; and
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| 16 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Evans was decorated with three Army | ||||||
| 17 | Achievement
Medals, an Army Good Conduct Medal, a National | ||||||
| 18 | Defense Service
Medal, and numerous other medals and badges; | ||||||
| 19 | and
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| 20 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Evans is remembered as a man who
loved | ||||||
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| 1 | serving his country and enjoyed sharing stories of handing
out | ||||||
| 2 | candy to Iraqi children to watch their faces light up; and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Evans was a soldier, husband, and
father; he | ||||||
| 4 | left behind his mother, Judy Ann Belk; his
stepfather, Craig | ||||||
| 5 | Belk; his father, Kenneth Evans; his wife,
Shannon; and his | ||||||
| 6 | daughters, Kylee and Adriana; therefore, be it
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| 7 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 8 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE | ||||||
| 9 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate Illinois Route 251 as it | ||||||
| 10 | travels between
Spring Creek Road and Bauer Parkway as the | ||||||
| 11 | "Sergeant Blake W. Evans Memorial Highway"; and be it further
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| 12 | RESOLVED, That the
Illinois Department of Transportation | ||||||
| 13 | is requested to erect at
suitable locations, consistent with | ||||||
| 14 | State and federal
regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | ||||||
| 15 | giving notice of the
name "Sergeant Blake W. Evans Memorial | ||||||
| 16 | Highway"; and be it further
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| 17 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be sent
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| 18 | to the family of Sgt. Evans and the Secretary of the Department | ||||||
| 19 | of Transportation.
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