title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
HONORING THE LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF ALBERT LEON MAMPRE
WHEREAS, Albert Leon Mampre, the last living medic from World War II’s Easy Company has died at the age of 97. Easy Company was part of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division. It was made famous by the Stephen Ambrose book and HBO series, “Band of Brothers”; and
WHEREAS, Al Mampre was awarded a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts for his service. He survived two sniper bullets after venturing into an active battle scene to lie down next to a wounded Lieutenant. Dutch civilians came to their rescue and took them to the relative safety of a Dutch home where they were treated for their injuries; and
WHEREAS after his recovery, Mr. Mampre served at regiment headquarters during the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, France. Mr. Mampre became a medic because, as he put it, he was good at “pluggin’ holes, not makin’ holes.” He reflected that he had learned many of the skills required to be a medic in his training as a Boy Scout, except for giving shots, which he learned by practicing on oranges. The training was mostly common sense. “Guy’s got a hole in his chest? Put your hand over it so it doesn’t suck air. Basic stuff”; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mampre was among 35,000 paratroopers and glider troops who rained from the sky over Europe in Operation Market Garden. He recalled taking refuge in a doorway to evade German machine gun fire. While he waited, the door opened a crack and the woman inside handed him a spoonful of cherries. He never saw her face or knew who she was; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mampre was known among his fellow soldiers as funny, kind, humble, and an engaging storyteller. He never liked the word “hero” and never saw himself as one. He was genuinely selfless. Everyone loved being around him; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mampre grew up in Oak Park, the son of immigrants from the Armenian diaspora. His mother Viola came from Baghdad. His father Nishan came from Turkey. His father repaired rugs and farm equipment to support his family. Young Al “was always taking care of people.” At 4, he’d alert adults about the wanderings of a forgetful elderly neighbor who was a Civil War veteran. “The colonel’s running away!” he’d warn. Later, he had a paper route and sold the Saturday Evening Post and Ladies Home Journal. He attended Oak Park High School and pursued ministerial studies at Ohio Northern and Hardin-Simmons University in Texas before enlisting in the army; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Mampre married the former Virginia Joboulian a month after he came home from the war in 1945. They were childhood friends. She was only 7 when they first met at an Armenian picnic, but reportedly she told her parents that she was going to marry him one day. They were married for 63 years until her death in 2009.
WHEREAS, Mr. Mampre subsequently studied psychology at Pepperdine University in California and later added anthropology to his studies at UCLA and the University of Chicago. He spent his career in management working for International Harvester and operating a family psychology practice in Evanston where the Mampres raised their daughters Virginia and Susan Mampre and Elizabeth Celebucke, who died in 2011; and
WHEREAS, in his later years, Mr. Mampre did public speaking and raised money for veterans and police and fire departments. He traveled for pleasure and wartime anniversaries in Belgium, England, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. He has twice been called upon to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, for the White Sox in 2013, and more recently before a game between the Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, on behalf of the 5.2 million residents of Cook County commemorates the life of ALBERT LEON MAMPRE, and herewith expresses its sincere gratitude for the years of service he gave to this country and to the Citizens of Cook County, Illinois; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a suitable copy of this Resolution be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body and that an official copy of the same be tendered to the family of ALBERT LEON MAMPRE.
end