HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 91-4618, by Representatives Ballard, McLean, Anderson, Appelwick, Basich, Beck, Belcher, Betrozoff, Bowman, Braddock, Bray, Brekke, Broback, Brough, Brumsickle, Cantwell, Casada, Chandler, Cole, Cooper, Day, Dellwo, Dorn, Ebersole, Edmondson, Ferguson, G. Fisher, R. Fisher, Forner, Franklin, Fraser, Fuhrman, Grant, Hargrove, Haugen, Heavey, Hine, Hochstatter, Holland, Horn, Inslee, Jacobsen,  P. Johnson, R. Johnson, Jones, J. King, R. King, Kremen, Leonard, Lisk, Locke, Ludwig, May, R. Meyers, Mielke, Miller, Mitchell, Morris, Morton, Moyer, H. Myers, Nealey, Neher, Nelson, O'Brien, Ogden, Orr, Padden, Paris, Peery, Phillips, Prentice, Prince, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Riley, Roland, Rust, Schmidt, Scott, Sheldon, Silver, D. Sommers, H. Sommers, Spanel, Sprenkle, Tate, Valle, Vance, Van Luven, Wang, Wilson, Wineberry, Winsley, Wood, Wynne and Zellinsky

   WHEREAS, Eric Douglas Hedeen gave his life in the service of his country, the United States of America, to keep the reality of freedom alive; and

   WHEREAS, On February 2, 1991, he flew his final raid in a series of bombing attacks over Iraq directed against Republican Guard troop concentrations; and

   WHEREAS, The B-52 on which he was the Electronic Warfare Officer had to be abandoned over the Indian Ocean because it lost more than one of its engines and its hydraulics, and the electrical system failed; and

   WHEREAS, Born on December 1, 1963, Eric graduated from Wenatchee High School in 1982, entered Washington State University on an Air Force ROTC scholarship, and graduated in 1987 with a degree in architecture; and

   WHEREAS Immediately following college Eric made a substantial contribution to his past and future hometown of Wenatchee by working on the Wenatchee Streetscape project; and

   WHEREAS, Eric had to give up his long time ambition to be a pilot like his father because of the Air Force major requirements to retain his scholarship; and

   WHEREAS, He nevertheless wanted to fly and entered the Air Force in 1988, and earned his navigator's wings at Mayther Air Force Base near Sacramento, California; and

   WHEREAS, Eric was married to Susan on June 24, 1989, who now resides in Memphis, Tennessee; and

   WHEREAS, Eric was next assigned to Eakre Air Force Base and then two days before the war he was sent to Diego Garcia Air Force Base on a small island in the Indian Ocean; and

   WHEREAS, On the night of February 2, the captain of the crew of the bomber on which Eric flew had to choose to ditch in the dark, a dangerous procedure, or have the crew eject, slightly less risky, and he chose ejection; and

   WHEREAS, Eric and another crew member checked each other out and told each other that they would meet on the ground; and

   WHEREAS, Eric managed to land, inflate a life raft, and get in before he died; and

   WHEREAS, The search and rescue mission picked up three of the crew right away; two, including Eric's crew partner, are still missing, and the search team found Eric the following day, Sunday; and

   WHEREAS, Next week Eric will be buried at a Mass at Holy Apostle's Catholic Church, with a full military ceremony at the graveside;

   NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives honor and commend Eric Douglas Hedeen for his devotion to duty, his unflinching service to his country in time of war, his patriotism, and his pride in the Air Force, and offer sympathy and condolences to his wife and to his family, and thanks to him for protecting us; and

   BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to his parents, Gerald and Dee Hedeen, and his wife, Susan Hedeen.

I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of Resolution 4618 adopted by the Rules Committee of the House of Representatives February 7, 1991.

                         ________________________________

               Alan Thompson, Chief Clerk, House of Representatives