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Seven veterans received Quilts of Valor at the Pipestone American Legion on Saturday morning, Nov. 8. Pictured (l-to-r) with their quilts are Bob Buffington, Verdeen Colbeck, Myron Koets, Randy Hartquist, Jeff Douty, Brian Douty and Jim O’Neill. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
About 60 people gathered at the Pipestone American Legion on Saturday, Nov. 8 to watch seven local veterans receive Quilts of Valor. Two other veterans received quilts later in the day at other locations.
Paula Domena, group leader of the new Quilts of Valor group in Pipestone called the Patriotic Piecers, said the quilts presented on Nov. 8 were made by Quilts of Valor’s Marshall chapter, Pieces for Heroes. Below are the recipients of the quilts and a short summary of their service, as provided by Domena.
•Bob Buffington served in the U.S. Navy from 1967 to 1973 with four years active duty and two years in the reserve. He was a petty officer and received the following medals: National Defense Service Medal, Navy Unit Commendation Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
•Verdeen Colbeck served in the U.S. Navy from 1969 to 1973. He was a petty officer third class and was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and the National Defense Medal.
•Myron Koets served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1973 and then joined the National Guard reserve for a total of 27 years of service. He was a lieutenant colonel and was awarded the Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam National Service Medal and the Joint Service Commendation Medal.
•Randy Hartquist served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972. He was a corporal and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Star, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60/Device, two Overseas Ribbons and MKM Qualification on the M-16 Rifle Bar.
•Jeff Douty served in the Minnesota Army National Guard from 1992 to 2009 when he transferred to the North Dakota National Guard where he served until his retirement in 2013. He was a master sergeant and received the following medals and awards: Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal times three, Army Achievement Award times three; Army Good Conduct Medal; Army Commendation Medal times six, National Defense Service Medal times two, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon times two, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon times two, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (Iraq Campaign), and the NCO Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral 6.
•Colonel Brian Douty has served in the U.S. Army and National Guard since 1998 and remains an active National Guard member. He has received multiple awards, including the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Combat Action Badge, and Air Assault Badge.
Paul Ward received a Quilt of Valor at the Edgerton American Legion on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Contributed photo
•Jim O’Neill served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1969 on active duty and the was on inactive reserve until 1976. He was a first lieutenant and received the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Commendation Medal, two Overseas Bars, the Bronze Star Medal and the Parachute Badge.
•Mike Agresto received his quilt in a private ceremony in his home. He served 38 years in the Army and Army National Guard from 1969 to 2007. He was a staff sergeant and received the following awards and medals for his service: Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 device, Marksman – M-14, Expert Rifle – M-16, Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, two National Defense Service Medals with one overseas bar, Army Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, Army Reserves Component Overseas Training Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Minnesota National Guard Service Medal and two Minnesota Good Conduct Medals.
•Paul Ward received his quilt during the Edgerton American Legion meeting on Nov. 8. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War as a Communications Center Specialist from 1956 to 1960. He was a private first class and received Airman of the month two different times, and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and the Air Force Longevity Award.
Mike Agresto received a Quilt of Valor at his home on Saturday, Nov. 8. Contributed photo
Domena ended the ceremony at the Pipestone American Legion with the following words from O’Neill about his service: “I understand that my service was during an unpopular war, however, I believe that much of the criticism of that was directed at the wrong people. I knew and worked with many dedicated and competent people and feel bad that their efforts were never recognized. I was not fully aware of what was happening back home until my return, but I soon found out. My return from Vietnam was a surreal experience, starting with being told at our arrival point at Oakland, Calif. not to wear our uniforms and to leave by the back gate. Not everyone has experienced this war in the same way, but it always bothered me that the Vietnam veteran was basically invisible. More than once I was surprised to learn after several years that a coworker or business associate was also a Vietnam veteran. However, I believe that through the efforts of the American Legion and other veterans organizations all veterans, including the ones I knew who did not return from Vietnam, are receiving the recognition they deserve. I deeply appreciate the work that is being done by these organizations to not only provide support and guidance to all veterans, but to make sure that no veteran is ever forgotten.”
Quilts of Valor is a national organization based in Iowa that began in 2003. The group’s founder, Catherine Roberts, had a son deployed in Iraq at the time and had a nightmare in which she saw a young soldier sitting on his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over in despair due to his war experience. She then saw him wrapped in a quilt and his demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well being. Since it started in 2003, Quilts of Valor has presented over 227,000 quilts to veterans, according to Domena. The quilts are all made by volunteers and Domena said the organization has over 10,000 volunteers nationwide.
Anyone can nominate a veteran for a quilt by going to www.QOVF.org/nominations-awards.