HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 91-4640, by Representatives R.Meyers, Ferguson, Van Luven, Pruitt, Anderson, Appelwick, Ballard, Basich, Beck, Belcher, Betrozoff, Bowman, Braddock, Bray, Brekke, Broback, Brough, Brumsickle, Cantwell, Casada, Chandler, Cole, Cooper, Day, Dellwo, Dorn, Ebersole, Edmondson, 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, McLean, Mielke, Miller, Mitchell, Morris, Morton, Moyer, H. Myers, Nealey, Neher, Nelson, O'Brien, Ogden, Orr, Padden, Paris, Peery, Phillips, Prentice, Prince, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Riley, Roland, Rust, Schmidt, Scott, Sheldon, Silver, D. Sommers, H. Sommers, Spanel, Sprenkle, Tate, Valle, Vance, Wang, Wilson, Wineberry, Winsley, Wood, Wynne and Zellinsky

   WHEREAS, Five hundred thirty-nine thousand American men and women bravely took part in the successful effort by Allied forces to halt Iraq's unprovoked aggression against Kuwait; and

   WHEREAS, United States Army Sergeant Lee Belas of Port Orchard and Army Warrant Officer John K. Morgan of Bellevue were among the eight thousand five hundred men and women from Washington state who served in the Persian Gulf; and

   WHEREAS, Twenty-two year-old Sergeant Belas served as a linguist and communications jammer in a military intelligence unit from Fort Riley, Kansas; and

   WHEREAS, Twenty-eight year-old Warrant Officer Morgan was a helicopter pilot attached to that unit from Fort Riley; and

   WHEREAS, Sergeant Belas and Warrant Officer Morgan were killed along with seven other soldiers when their Army helicopter was shot down February 27, 1991, the last day of the war; and

   WHEREAS, Sergeant Belas and Warrant Officer Morgan will be remembered as two of the American service men and women who gave their lives to uphold international law and the right of self-determination for all sovereign nations on Earth; and

   WHEREAS, Lee Belas was a gifted linguist and a 1986 graduate of South Kitsap High School; and

   WHEREAS, John Morgan was an avid pilot and a 1981 graduate of Interlake High School; and

   WHEREAS, Lee Belas leaves behind his parents, Peter and Carol Belas, and his sister Amy Belas, of Port Orchard; and

   WHEREAS, John Morgan leaves behind his mother, Shirley Lansing and his stepfather Glenn Lansing of Bellevue, his father Don Morgan of Portola, California, his sister Catherine Morgan of Bellevue, and his stepsister Elizabeth Lansing Thomas and her husband Steven Thomas of Seattle;

   NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives expresses its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Sergeant Lee Belas and Warrant Officer John Morgan and acknowledges their bravery, dedication, and sacrifice in the Persian Gulf War; and

   BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to Peter and Carol Belas of Port Orchard, to Shirley and Glenn Lansing of Bellevue, and to the commanding officer at Fort Riley, Kansas.

I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of Resolution 4640 adopted by the House of Representatives March 7, 1991.

                         ________________________________

               Alan Thompson, Chief Clerk, House of Representatives