Eleven area veterans were honored with Quilts of Valor on Dec. 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. At least four of these veterans received Purple Heart Medals for being injured during their time of service. Quilts were presented by Golden Plains Quilts of Valor.
Beau Brough
United States National Guard and Army Reserve veteran Beau Brough was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Beau served from 2002 to 2012, receiving advanced individual training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he was trained as a field artillery fire finder radar operator. He was deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom where he was a radar operator and convoy gunner. He was deployed to Iraq a second time, where he was trained to conduct private security for the Battalion Commander, which he did until he was injured and medivacked to Langstuhl, Germany. He was then transported back to Fort Riley, Kansas, for recovery. He served in the National Guard until 2010, and then joined the Army Reserve where he training outgoing soldiers who were deploying abroad. The quilt top was made by Sheila DeWald, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Boe Levingston, Sheila DeWald, Beau Brough, Amy Schartz Mellor, Ralph Sunley.
Jeremy Ehart
United States Marine Corps veteran Jeremy Ehart was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Jeremy served from 2002 to 2006, where he was trained as part of an antiterrorism unit. In October, 2004, he was sent to northern California to help train Department of Energy Security personnel. His role was to put on a camouflage ghillie suit made mostly of flammable burlap and play the “bad guy,” using a weapon that fired blank cartridges. Something went terribly wrong with his weapon when gas backed up in the barrel and ignited, unleashing flames back on him. Jeremy was burned over 64 percent of his body. He was hospitalized for six months at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and underwent 36 surgeries in the following months and years. The quilt top was made by Linda Shull, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Beau Brough, Bob Jarmer, Terry Harris, David Krallman, Linda Shull, Jeremy Ehart, Amy Schartz Mellor, Kat Smades, Chris Krueger, Roy Titsworth, Boe Levingston.
Joshua Blake
United States Marine Corps Iraq veteran Joshua Blake was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Joshua served from 2001 to 2005. He was sent to Iraq for two tours, where his unit was the first Marine unit in. His helicopter was shot down and he was wounded, receiving a Purple Heart. The quilt top was made by Eileen Huslig, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Robert Zahn, Eileen Huslig, Joshua Blake, Amy Schartz Mellor, Larry Buczinski.
Kat Smades
United States Army Desert Shield and Desert Storm veteran Kat Smades was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018 at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Kat was trained as a combat medic and attained the rank of Drill Sergeant. The quilt top was made by Karen Maier, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Ralph Sunley, Karen Maier, Kat Smades, Amy Schartz Mellor, Chris Krueger.
Jerry Mead
United States Army veteran Jerry Mead was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Jerry served from 1989 to 1997 on active duty, and has been a member of the National Guard from 2004 to the present. He received cannon crewmember, primary leadership, fire finder radar operator, and advanced leadership training. He served in Hanau, German, Operation Desert Storm, Fort Lewis, Washington, and Fort Hood, Texas. He served three tours in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; WonJu, South Korea for war fighter exercise; and Camp Lemonnier, Djibouiti in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The quilt top was made by Phyllis Manhart; quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Bob Jarmer, Jerry Mead, Amy Schartz Mellor, Roy Titsworth.
Gary Pelton
United States Army Vietnam veteran Gary Pelton was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Gary served from 1970 to 1971; six months of that time was in Vietnam as a combat infantryman where he was wounded by shrapnel from a booby trap. He was also stationed in Guam and Fort Carson, Colorado. The quilt top was made by LaWanna Krestine, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Chris Krueger, LaWanna Krestine, Gary Pelton, Amy Schartz Mellor, Robert Zahn.
Walter Pennington
United States Air Force Vietnam veteran Walter Pennington was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Walter served from 1967 to 1971 in Vietnam as a computer programmer. The quilt top was made by Sharon King, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: David Krallman, Sharon King, Walter Pennington, Amy Schartz Mellor, Chris Krueger.
Tom Dinges
United States Navy Vietnam veteran Tom Dinges was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Tom served from 1967 to 1970. He was a Seabee and spent 13 months in Vietnam building bridges, constructing roads, clearing areas of jungle for combat troops, and unloading barges. The quilt top was made by Margaret Evers, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Bob Jarmer,Margaret Evers, Tom Dinges, Amy Schartz Mellor, Jeannie Munsch.
Joseph Griffee
United States Navy Vietnam veteran Joseph Griffee was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Joseph served from 1966 to 1969. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam, aboard the Harry E. Hubbard, a destroyer, and aboard the battleship New Jersey BB-62, where he served as a gunner’s mate. The quilt top was made by Millie Hill, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Larry Buczinski, Millie Hill, Joseph Griffee, Amy Schartz Mellor, Roy Titsworth.
Ronald McCrary
United States Navy Vietnam veteran Ronald McCrary was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Ron served from 1965 to 1969, receiving additional training as an Electronic Counter Measures Operator in California after completing basic training. He served aboard the USS Princeton off the shore of Vietnam where he was a radar operator. The quilt top was made by Alice Stoskopf, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Ralph Sunley, Alice Stoskopf, Ronald McCrary, Amy Schartz Mellor, David Krallman.
Carl Henkle
United States Navy veteran Carl Henkle was awarded a Quilt of Valor from Golden Plains Quilts of Valor on December 28, 2018, at the American Legion Post 180 in Great Bend. Carl’s military service began in 1946. After basic training, he was shipped to Hawaii for cleanup after the Pearl Harbor bombing in World War II. He was released early after his mother’s neighbor noticed the hardship she was enduring tending to the farm by herself. The quilt top was made by Lenora Keil, quilting by Amy Schartz Mellor. Pictured, from left: Bob Jarmer, Lenora Keil, Carl Henkle, Amy Schartz Mellor, Boe Levingston.
