RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 1, 2017
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners honoring World War II Veterans on the 73rd Anniversary of D-Day
Body
WHEREAS, the Battle of Normandy was launched June 6, 1944 and has become commonly known as D-Day; and
WHEREAS, the Battle of Normandy resulted in the Allied Liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control; and
WHEREAS, to prepare for the storming of the beaches of Normandy, General Dwight Eisenhower, after bad weather delayed the operation by one day, told his troops “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you”; and
WHEREAS, on D-Day, an estimated 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50 mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region; and
WHEREAS, by the end of the first day, it is estimated that over 2,000 American Troops lost their lives and more than 4,000 Allied troops perished, with thousands more wounded or missing; and
WHEREAS, its success was due, in some part, to a large scale deceptive campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended target which included fake equipment, a phantom army command, double agents and fraudulent radio commissions; and
WHEREAS, by June 11, the beaches were fully secured and over 356,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles and over 100,000 tons of equipment had landed at Normandy; and
WHEREAS, in the weeks that followed, the Allies fought their way across the Normandy countryside and by August of 1944, Paris was liberated and the Germans had been removed from Northwestern France; and
WHEREAS, the brave men and women who were a part of the invasion of Normandy and subsequent battles are some of our nation’s greatest treasures; and
WHEREAS, their dedication to freedom and courage in the face of our enemies should never be forgotten; and
WHEREAS, Honor Flight Chicago pays tribute to these heroes by bringing them to Washington, D.C. for a day of honor and remembrance at no cost to them; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and staff, do hereby recognize the brave men and women of our military, particularly the Veterans of World War II and Honor Flight Chicago; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, and that a copy of same, suitably embossed, be presented to Honor Flight Chicago.
Dated: June 1, 2017
Approved: MARIYANA T. SPYROPOULOS, President; BARBARA J. MCGOWAN, Vice President; FRANK AVILA, Chairman, Committee on Finance; TIMOTHY BRADFORD; MARTIN J DURKAN; JOSINA MORITA; DEBRA SHORE; KARI K. STEELE; DAVID J. WALSH; Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Approved as to Form and Legality: Susan Morakalis, Acting General Counsel