The Golden Plains Quilts of Valor group awarded 21 quilts to veterans on Friday, May 31. Group leader Amy Schartz Mellor said Stacie McMullen was awarded the 600th Quilt of Valor that the group has made and awarded to area veterans.

McMullen served from 1993 to 1995. After completing basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., she was sent to Fort Campbell, Ky., where she was trained as a welder. McMullen did both mig and tig welding on tanks and artillery. 

Additional photo cutlines/awards:

2 Joshua Helm

United States Army Iraq veteran Joshua Helm was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Helm served from 1998 to 2006. After basic training at San Angelo, Texas, Helm was sent to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 482nd Division. The quilt top was made by Margaret Evers, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: David Krallman, Amy Schartz Mellor, Ralph Sunley, Joshua Helm.

3 William (Bill) Achatz

United States Navy veteran William (Bill) Achatz was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Achatz served from 1948 to 1953. He completed basic training at San Diego, CA, and was trained as an electrician. Achatz was stationed in the Philippines for six months and then served aboard the USS President Jackson, stationed in Pearl Harbor. When the Korean conflict began, his ship was sent to the last Japanese Island where U.S. troops were stationed. The USS President Jackson was sent to pick up those troops and take them to Korea; this was the first ship into Korea. The ship transported troops to and casualties from Korea, until is was later converted to a hospital ship. Countless wounded were treated aboard the ship. The quilt top was made by Linda Bittel, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Donnie Lang, Amy Schartz Mellor, William Achatz, Leland Terry, Linda Bittel.

4 James Romine

United States Air Force veteran James Romine was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Romine served from 1953 to 1957. After completing basic training, Romine was sent to Denver, and also stationed in Salina. He also served six months in England. He was an electronics technician on B52 planes. The quilt top was made by Tina Duryee, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Chris Krueger, Amy Schartz Mellor, James Romine, Buck Causey, Tina Duryee.

5 Clifford (Babe) Gilbert

United States Army veteran Clifford (Babe) Gilbert was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Gilbert served from 1955 to 1961, was trained to use D44 field guns in the artillery division, and was stationed at Fort Sill, OK. Gilbert was not sent overseas because he had two older brothers who were stationed overseas. He was the truck driver for his commanding officer because no other soldier in his unit could drive a manual transmission vehicle. Gilbert was sent to Arizona and New Mexico on maneuvers. The quilt top was made by Linda Bittel, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Roy Titsworth, Amy Schartz Mellor, Clifford Gilbert, Linda Bittel, Juanita Dreiling.

6 Wilford (Bill) Mastin

United States Army Vietnam veteran Wilford (Bill) Mastin was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Mastin served from 1958 to 1970. He was trained as a heavy equipment operator with the infantry in Fort Carson, CO, and served in Vietnam. The quilt top was made by Mary Lou Weiser, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Larry Buczinski, Amy Schartz Mellor, Wilford Mastin, Rick Munsch, Mary Lou Weiser.

7 Leroy McMullen

United States Navy veteran Leroy McMullen was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. McMullen served from 1960 to 1966, being trained as an aviation electronics technician. He served at Moffat Field Naval Air Station in Mountain View, Calif. He was part of Air Transport Squadron 7, transporting enlisted men and their families overseas and back home. Following active duty, McMullen served two additional years in the Naval Reserve. The quilt top was made by Judy Burnette, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Chris Krueger, Judy Burnette, Leroy McMullen, Amy Schartz Mellor, Donnie Lang.

8 Harold (Poncho) Hitschmann

United States Army veteran Harold (Poncho) Hitschmann was awarded a Quilt of Valor from the Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Hitchmann served from 1962 to 1970. After basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., he continued there as a combat engineer until 1965. Hitschmann then served in the Army Reserve. The quilt top was made by Sheila DeWald, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Roy Titsworth, Amy Schartz Mellor, Boe Levingston, Poncho Hitschmann, Sheila DeWald.

9 Robert Meckfessel

United States Army Vietnam veteran Robert Meckfessel was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Meckfessel served from 1965 to 1968.  After completing basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., he was sent to Fort Rucker, Ala., and Fort Hood, Texas, before being stationed in Vietnam. Meckfessel was a helicopter crew chief and was sent to the Plantation Area, traveling over large areas of Vietnam. He later served with the 101st Airborne in northeast Vietnam. The quilt top was made by Earlene Arnold, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Dennis Wolf, Amy Schartz Mellor, Robert Meckfessel, Earlene Arnold, Leland Terry.

10 Ned Brack

United States Navy Vietnam veteran Ned Brack was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Brack served from 1966 to 1970, completing boot camp in San Diego, Calif., and advanced insurgency training at Coronado, Calif., and Whidbey Island, Wash. Brack was then sent to Camp Tinisha, Vietnam, where he kept orders and records for outlying camps and river boats. He was then in the commissioning crew of the USS Concord at Long Beach, Calif., and sent to the Mediterranean Sea aboard this ship. The quilt top was made by Margaret Evers, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Chris Krueger, Amy Schartz Mellor, Ned Brack, Buck Causey.

11 Dana Wilfong

United States Coast Guard Vietnam veteran Dana Wilfong was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Wilfong served from 1967 to 1971, and was trained in damage control, as a scuba diver, a small boat engineer, and machine gunner with Task Force 115. He served in Hawaii and in Vietnam for 13 months, and in Brunswick, Mo. The quilt top was made by Millie Hill, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Larry Buczinski, Amy Schartz Mellor, Juanita Dreiling, Dana Wilfong, Millie Hill.

12 Richard Boeckman

United States Marine Corps Vietnam veteran Richard Boeckman was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Boeckman served from 1971 to 1996. He participated in the evacuations of Phenom Penh, Cambodia and in Saigon, Vietnam. Upon his return from southeast Asia, Boeckman attended law school at Washburn University School of Law. He was then stationed on the east coast, where he served in a variety of Judge Advocate positions with the 24th Marine Division. He continued to receive promotions and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. The quilt top was made by Linda Bittel, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Donnie Lang, Amy Schartz Mellor, Richard Boeckman, Linda Bittel, Rick Munsch.

13 Rick Erdman

United States Army veteran Rick Erdman was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Erdman served from 1975 to 1979. He was trained as a cannon crewman and stationed in Baumholder, Germany. The quilt top was made by Marcia Toennessen, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Poncho Hitschmann, Amy Schartz Mellor, Rick Erdman, Roy Titsworth.

14 Mike Sharkey

United States Marine Corps veteran Mike Sharkey was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Sharkey served from 1983 to 1989. After Sharkey completed basic training at San Diego, Calif., he served at Fort Pendleton, Calif., Camp Lejeune, N.C., El Toro, Calif., Twenty-nine Palms, Calif., and Camp Ripley, Minn. He was an ammunition technician. The quilt top was made by Tina Duryee, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Amy Schart Mellor, Mike Sharkey, Juanita Dreiling, Tina Duryee.

15 Ward Corsair

United States Air Force Desert Storm veteran Ward Corsair was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Corsair completed basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He was trained as a military police officer and deployed to Saudi Arabia for Desert Storm. He also served at Lajes Field in the Azores, and at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The quilt top was made by Phyllis Manhart, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Donnie Lang, Amy Schartz Mellor, Ward Corsair, Boe Levingston, Phyllis Manhart.

16 Mark Mayhugh

Unites States Marine Corps veteran Mark Mayhugh was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Mayhugh served from 1991 to 1995. He completed boot camp in San Diego and was sent to Camp Pendleton, Calif., for combat training as an infantry machine gunner. He also trained in anti-terrorism at Mare Island, Calif. Mayhugh was then sent to Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, as a guard, then to Kings Bay, Ga., where he provided security during weapons moves to and from submarines. He was then sent to the Fleet Marine Force with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine as a machine gunner, and assigned to the USS Belleau Wood in the Pacific, and toured Thailand, Singapore, and Okinawa. The quilt top was made by Sharon King, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Roy Titsworth, Amy Schartz Mellor, Mark Mayhugh, Sharon King, Buck Causey.

17 Jeremy Elliott

United States Army veteran Jeremy Elliott was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Jeremy served from 1995 to 1998. After completing basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., we was sent to Fort Lee, Va., for advanced training. Elliott was a food service specialist and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash. The quilt top was made by Lenora Keil, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Donnie Lang, Amy Schartz Mellor, Jeremy Elliott, Lenora Keil, Boe Levingston.

18 Christopher Rowland

United States Army Iraq veteran Christopher Chris Rowland was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Rowland served from 2001 to 2008, as a wheeled vehicle mechanic, a combat life saver, in Hazmat, and the warrior leader course at Fort Campbell, Ky. Rowland served in Iraq where a roadside bomb took out their convoy. Eight soldiers were killed, including Rowland’s best friend, as they cleared a road of explosives south of Baghdad, when a driver in a station wagon neared the team and then detonated an explosive device. Rowland was one of four injured. Rowland spent several months in a combat wounded hospital, and received a purple heart. He wanted to return to service, but was not able to do so. The quilt top was made and quilted by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Rick Munsch, Christopher Rowland, Amy Schartz Mellor, Buck Causey.

19 Chancy Schmidt

United States Army Operation Enduring Freedom veteran Chancy Schmidt was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Schmidt served from 2007 and is still serving at this time in the Army National Guard. He participated in Junior ROTC, and completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Schmidt was trained as an 88Mike truck driver and as a black hat drill instructor. He was deployed to Africa during Operation Enduring Freedom. The quilt top was made by Eileen Huslig, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Dennis Wolf, Amy Schartz Mellor, Chancy Schmidt, Chris Krueger.

20 Chance Corsair

United States Army veteran Chance Corsair was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Corsair served from 2015 to 2018. After he completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., he received advanced training at Fort Sill, Okla., as a forward observer. Corsair’s duty station was Fort Riley, Kan., and he was deployed to Kuwait, Jordan, and Germany. The quilt top was made by Phyllis Manhart, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Poncho Hitschmann, Amy Schartz Mellor, Chance Corsair, Rick Munsch, Phyllis Manhart.

21 Brian Jayne

United States Navy Operation Desert Storm and Operation Southern Watch veteran Brian Jayne was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on May 31, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Jayne served from 1990 to 1994, completing basic training at Great Lakes, IL and advanced training at Meridian, Miss. He served aboard the USS Nimitz as an aviation storekeeper and rescue swimmer, and served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Southern Watch. The quilt top was made by LaWanna Krestine, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Rick Munsch, Amy Schartz Mellor, Brian Jayne, Chris Krueger, LaWanna Krestine.