Golden Plains Quilts of Valor recognized 12 veterans on Friday, Jan. 25, at American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Quilt tops were made by nine different women, including Sharon King, who made quilt tops for her husband, Ted King III, and her son, Ted King IV. All of the quilt backs were done by Amy Schartz Mellor.
1 Jason Laurin
United States Army veteran Jason Laurin was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Laurin served from 1990-2012, completing two tours in Iraq during Operation Enduring Freedom. He was a communication specialist in radio operation - base liaison. In 2007 he enlisted in the Kansas National Guard. The quilt top was made by LaWanna Krestine; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Boe Levingston, LaWanna Krestine, Jason Laurin, Amy Schartz Mellor, Juanita Dreiling.
2 Edgar Wetzel
United States Air Force veteran Edgar H. Wetzel was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Wetzel served from 1951-1955, stationed at Strategic Air Command Base in Wichita, after being trained in radar and electronics. He was a crew chief on B-47 planes and repaired bomb sites. The quilt top was made by Mary Lou Weiser; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Ralph Sunley, Mary Lou Weiser, Edgar Wetzel, Amy Schartz Mellor, David Krallman.
3 Norbert Urban
United States Army veteran Norbert Urban was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Urban served from 1955-1957, and was trained as a mechanic with the Third Corps Academy in Fort Polk, Louisiana, where he was stationed. The quilt top was made by Phyllis Manhart; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Roy Titsworth, Phyllis Manhart, Norbert Urban, Amy Schartz Mellor, Bob Jarmer.
4 Ken Atteberry
United States Navy veteran Ken Atteberry was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Atteberry served from 1962-1965 aboard the destroyer USS Greene #771 as a fire control technician. The quilt top was made by Lenora Keil; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Boe Levingston, Lenora Keil, Ken Atteberry, Amy Schartz Mellor, Bob Jarmer.
5 Ted King III
United States Air Force veteran Ted King III was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. King served from 1966-1970. He was stationed Minot, North Dakota, and Tin City, Alaska, monitoring radar screens. His post in Alaska was in a cable car at the top of a mountain where he could see Russia. The quilt top was made by Ted’s wife, Sharon King; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Larry Buczinski, Sharon King, Ted King III, Amy Schartz Mellor, David Crawford.
6 Leon Herrman
United States Army Vietnam veteran Leon Herrman was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Leon served from 1968-1990 in Vietnam, Germany, South Korea, the Netherlands, Fort Riley, and Fort Ord, California. The quilt top was made by Phyllis Manhart; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Ralph Sunley, Phyllis Manhart, Leon Herrman, Amy Schartz Mellor, Juanita Dreiling.
7 Dale Herrman
United States Air Force veteran Dale Herrman was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Dale served from 1972-1999, at 14 duty stations, including the Philippines, Germany, Italy and the Pentagon. During his assignment at the Pentagon, he worked for the Air Force Inspector General, inspecting Air Force medical facilities. The quilt top was made by Margaret Evers; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: David Krallman, Margaret Evers, Dale Herrman, Amy Schartz Mellor, David Crawford.
8 Christopher Grieb
United States Cost Guard veteran Christopher Grieb was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Grieb served from 1982-2005. His service includes terminal radar approach control, Cape May, New Jersey; Coast Guard Cutter Polar Sea, Seattle, Washington; Yeoman A School, Petaluma, California; Coast Guard Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Personnel Reporting Unit, Seattle, Washington; Coast Guard Pay and Personnel Center, Topeka, Kansas; Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut; Coast Guard Cutter Acushnet and Coast Guard ISC, both Ketchican, Alaska. The quilt top was made by Hilda Roberts; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Larry Buczinski, Hilda Roberts, Christopher Grieb, Amy Schartz Mellor, Roy Titsworth.
9 David LeRoy
United States Air Force veteran David LeRoy was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. LeRoy served from 1986 to 1992. He was stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, where he was involved in communications data recovery during Desert Storm. The quilt top was made by Millie Hill; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: David Crawford, Millie Hill, David LeRoy, Amy Schartz Mellor, Bob Jarmer.
10 Ted King IV
United States Navy veteran Ted King IV was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. King served from 1997-2001 aboard the USS Pensacola, an amphibious ship, until it was decommissioned and he was reassigned to the USS Cleveland. He was deployed to the Mediterranean and Arabian gulf areas where the USS Pensacola transported Marines and their equipment for amphibious assaults. The quilt top was made by Ted’s mother Sharon King; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Ralph Sunley, Sharon King, Ted King IV, Amy Schartz Mellor, David Krallman.
11 Michael Garrison
United States Army veteran Michael Garrison was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Garrison served from 2007-2011, stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, home of the 101st Airborne Division, known as the Screaming Eagles. Christopher served two tours in Afghanistan, and was part of the Currahec Support Brigade where he was a truck driver. The quilt top was made by Eileen Huslig; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Roy Titsworth, Eileen Huslig, Michael Garrison, Amy Schartz Mellor, David Crawford.
12 Donald Reed
United States Air Force Vietnam veteran Donald Reed was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilt of Valor on January 25, 2019, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Donald served from 1968-1971, stationed at Forbes Field in Topeka, where he was a mechanic on cargo tanker planes. He was also stationed in Vietnam in a security position. The quilt top was made by LaWanna Krestine; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. From left: Chris Krueger, LaWanna Krestine, Donald Reed, Amy Schartz Mellor, Roy Titsworth.
