A LEGISLATIVE COMMEMORATION, To honor and remember the life of William "Bill" P. Huntimer for his lifetime of service to his country.

WHEREAS, William "Bill" P. Huntimer of Dell Rapids passed away on December 31, 2020, at the age of eighty-nine. Over the course of his life, he spent thirty years serving in the military, gaining seventeen decorations for service in Korea and Vietnam; and

WHEREAS, Bill enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1950 and served nine years. He spent time in Korea where he participated in four major engagements during the war. He left the Marine Corps in 1959 and joined the Navy Seabee Reserves in 1965 in Sioux Falls. He was activated in 1968 and served in many locations, including Vietnam, before joining the Fleet Reserves in 1979; and

WHEREAS, Bill continued to serve his country after his retirement from the military. He was an operator of the SHARES National Radio Emergency Network, a position which saw him assisting with the response to the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. He also "passed traffic" following Hurricane Katrina for nearly a week in 2005:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT COMMEMORATED, by the Ninety-Sixth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, that the Legislature extends its gratitude and condolences to his family and honors and remembers the life of William "Bill" P. Huntimer for his thirty years of military service to his country and his eighty-nine years of life.