Record #: R2016-890   
Type: Resolution Status: Adopted
Intro date: 11/9/2016 Current Controlling Legislative Body:
Final action: 11/9/2016
Title: Recognition extended to George Klein on military service in 46th Field Artillery Battalion of 5th Infantry Division
Sponsors: Burke, Edward M.
Attachments: 1. R2016-890.pdf

RESOLUTION

 

 

 

WHEREAS, George Klein served his country with valor and great distinction as a Platoon Leader in the 46th Field Artillery Battalion of the 5th Infantry Division during World War II; and

 

WHEREAS, George Klein joined the Illinois National Guard in 1938 at the age of seventeen; and;

WHEREAS, In March of 1941 George Klein was assigned to Camp Forest, Tennessee, and his unit was transferred from a horse-drawn unit to a mechanized unit; and

WHEREAS, In May 1942 George Klein enrolled in Officer's Candidate School Class 25 in Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and

WHEREAS, Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, George Klein joined the 80th Infantry Division, and volunteered for duty with the 2nd Ranger Battalion in April, 1943; and

 

WHEREAS, George Klein was posted as Company Commander of "Fox" Company of the 2nd Rangers; and

 

WHEREAS, In September 1943, during training, George Klein fell off a cliff and broke his ankle; and

WHEREAS, After recovering from his injury, George Klein volunteered for overseas duty and joined the 5th Infantry Division; and

WHEREAS, George Klein was on leave in London in February, 1944, and while walking down a city street he met Colonel James Rudder of the 2nd Rangers; and

WHEREAS, Colonel Rudder asked George Klein if he would like to rejoin the Rangers and Klein proudly accepted the invitation to serve in "F" Company; and

WHEREAS, George Klein crossed the English Channel with his Ranger Battalion as part of the June 6, 1944, Allied D-Day invasion of Western Europe; and

WHEREAS, George Klein scaled the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, along the Normandy coastline and encountered fierce German defense forces on the Pointe; and

WHEREAS, George Klein sustained a serious combat wound late on the afternoon of June 6th; and

WHEREAS, George Klein was one of only ninety men out of the 225 Army Rangers able to bear arms following the battle; and

WHEREAS, George Klein continued to fight through the Loir Valley and Metz campaigns until sustaining a second battlefield injury in November 1944; and

 

WHEREAS, George Klein was awarded the Purple Heat; and

 

WHEREAS, George Klein processed German prisoners of war through the remainder of the war; and

 

 

WHEREAS, George Klein is one of the last surviving members of the heroic 2nd Ranger Battalion; and

WHEREAS, George Klein is truly an example of what journalist Tom Brokaw called "Our Greatest Generation;" and

 

WHEREAS, George Klein is exceedingly worthy of our highest admiration and esteem; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the Chicago City Council, assembled this ninth day of November, 2016 do hereby express our sincere appreciation to George Klein for his military service; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to George Klein.