Rep. Jerry Long (R-Streator) politely demanded silence from the House floor when honoring a Vietnam veteran.
Calling Michael Ragusa a good friend on the House floor in April when discussing HJR105, which would dedicate the Route 23 bridge in Streator over the Vermilion River as the Vietnam Veteran Michael W. Ragusa Memorial Bridge, Long said he only wished he met Ragusa sooner before he died in 2016 due to throat cancer caused by Agent Orange at war.
Long acknowledged the Ragusa family, who were in the speaker’s gallery, saying loved ones of veterans suffer as much as the war hero themselves.
Rep. Jerry Long (R-Streator)
“Michael Ragusa was a humble man who did not truly see how special he was; he always had a kind word to say, was a great giver of advice, and was an inspiration for all who him,” the bill text reads.
HJR105 passed unanimously 112-0.
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