Newark Korean War veteran delivers invocation for Illinois House of Representatives

State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, chair of Veterans Affairs and a USMC Veteran, was honored to host Willard Fruits, a Korean War veteran and current Newark resident, formerly of Montgomery, to deliver the invocation at the beginning of official business during the last week of the spring session for the Illinois House of Representatives in Springfield.

Fruits was given a roaring round of applause from the members of the House. Following his invocation, 90 year-old Fruits was invited to stay and be honored as the House conducted its annual Memorial Ceremony to honor those who have given so much.

”I have lost many good friends in Korea and I’ll never forget them”, Fruits recalled before he offered George Washington’s prayer as the invocation before the body.

“It was an honor to host Mr. Fruits, an individual that I am proud to call a dear friend, to deliver the invocation for the Illinois House of Representatives,” Kifowit said in a news release. “We honored the fallen service members that day, and Willard was on the front lines and saw a lot of sacrifice, and we honored him that day too,” Kifowit said. “Willard is a local and national treasure for his service in the Korean War. His thoughtful words, his recount of his experience in the Korean War, his genuine appreciation for Illinois and his infectious positivity showed the members of the IL House of Representatives true patriotism.”

U.S. Army Sergeant Fruits was a demolition expert and served on the USS Massey, a destroyer used for blockade and bombardment support. He also saw intense combat just south of the 38th Parallel on the Korean mainland. As for his length of service, “14 months, 21 days and 22 minutes,” Fruits said. When asked by his captain how soon he could be ready to leave for home he added, “2 seconds!”

Major General Neely and Brigadier General Boyd of the Illinois National Guard were present to thank Fruits for his service before the annual Memorial Ceremony.

Kifowit joined Senator Munoz in the Illinois General Assembly in passing Senate Joint Resolution 34 that urges Congress to authorize President Biden to present Congressional Gold Medals to Korean War veterans in recognition of their service and sacrifice.

Kifowit invited Fruits to accompany her when the official copy of Senate Joint Resolution 34 was presented to Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) and U.S. Congressman Bill Foster (D-Illinois) with hopes of passage of legislation in the U.S. Congress this calendar year.