1 HR244
2 213803-1
3 By Representative Moore (P)
4 RFD:
5 First Read: 27-APR-21
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1 213803-1:n:04/27/2021:SM/sm LSA2021-1249
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8 HONORING SERGEANT GEORGE F. MILLS ON HIS 100TH
9 BIRTHDAY.
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11 WHEREAS, with great pride and special pleasure, we
12 highly honor Sergeant George F. Mills on the occasion of his
13 milestone 100th Birthday on May 23, 2021; and
14 WHEREAS, Sergeant Mills was born on May 23, 1921, in
15 Spencer, Tennessee, to James Robert Mills and Eolautile Coots
16 Mills; and
17 WHEREAS, upon graduating from Decatur High School in
18 1939, Sergeant Mills began working for the Forbes Piano
19 Company; in May 1942, he enlisted in the Army at the age of 21
20 and was assigned to Company E, 109th Infantry, 28th Division,
21 under General Omar Bradley, making him a member of one of the
22 best trained divisions that ever fought in World War II; after
23 training for 26 months, he arrived on Omaha Beach 25 days
24 after D-Day; during his seven months in combat, he engaged in
25 four major battles, including the Battle of Normandy, the
26 Battle of the Bulge, and the Battle at the Hurtgen Forest; and
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1 WHEREAS, after the Battle at the Hurtgen Forest in
2 October and November 1944, Sergeant Mills and his company were
3 sent to the Germany-Luxembourg border; despite fighting
4 intense battles, they were captured and became prisoners of
5 war; earlier in the war, his mother had sent him a Bible with
6 a metal cover, and during his imprisonment, he and his fellow
7 soldiers passed his Bible around and took turns reading
8 passages as a way to distract themselves from their severe
9 hunger pangs; to this day, Sergeant Mills views his Bible as a
10 treasure, as it symbolizes his mother's love as he faced many
11 hardships of war; and
12 WHEREAS, freed on April 13, 1945, Sergeant Mills was
13 sent to Miami Beach, Florida, for rehabilitation; thereafter,
14 he went to Anniston, Alabama, and joined a training cadre that
15 prepared soldiers for battle in the South Pacific; in October
16 1945, he was fully discharged while in Miles Standish,
17 Massachusetts, and he finally returned home; and
18 WHEREAS, the many medals and commendations that he
19 received while in the Army include the Bronze Star, the Purple
20 Heart, the Prisoner of War Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the
21 American Campaign Medal, the European-African Middle Eastern
22 Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Army
23 Occupation Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal,
24 the Combat Infantry Medal, the D-Day Commemorative Medal, the
25 Presidential Unit Citation World War II, and the Meritorious
26 Unit Citation World War II; and
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1 WHEREAS, four years after Sergeant Mills's return
2 home, he married his wife, Charlie, whom he had met on a blind
3 date; he worked for the Sherwin-Williams Paint Company and
4 then returned to selling pianos with the Forbes Piano Company
5 in Decatur, where he worked for 23 years; in 1983, he and his
6 wife retired, and they traveled the United States, Canada, and
7 Europe, logging over 250,000 miles in their recreational
8 vehicle; they enjoyed 66 years of marriage before the passing
9 of Mrs. Mills on December 1, 2015; and
10 WHEREAS, on November 16, 2006, the President of the
11 French Republic named Sergeant Mills a Chevalier for his
12 service during the liberation of France; Philippe Ardanaz, the
13 Consul General of France in Atlanta, pinned the Order of the
14 Legion of Honor, an award created by Napoleon, on Sergeant
15 Mills during a special ceremony; in June 2019, Sergeant Mills
16 visited Normandy, France, for the 75th Anniversary of D-Day;
17 in September 2019, he visited Belgium for the 75th Anniversary
18 of the Battle of the Bulge; furthermore, he is active in his
19 community, serving with the Masonic Lodge, the Kiwanis Club,
20 and other veteran service organizations; and
21 WHEREAS, an inspirational hero, leader, and friend,
22 Sergeant Mills is a blessing to many; now therefore,
23 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF
24 THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, That we highly honor Sergeant
25 George F. Mills on his 100th Birthday, and we hereby dedicate
26 this resolution to the incredible centenarian with heartiest
27 gratitude, admiration, and regard.
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