Photo by Samantha Davis Tom Hill, an Army veteran, is presented with a Quilt of Valor Saturday morning at the Adult Community Center in Marshall.

MARSHALL — Recognizing the sacrifices made and time spent away, nine area veterans were presented with a Quilt of Valor Saturday morning at the Adult Community Center in Marshall.

“We do it all for these veterans that are sitting up here, and the ones (quilts) that we presented in the past, and hopefully more of the future,” Bruce Fuhrmann of Marshall’s Quilts of Valor group said. “We enjoy doing this, because the highlight, I think, is when we look at the expression on their face when their quilts are wrapped around them.”

Quilts of Valor (QOV) are handmade quilts presented to military service veterans.

The receiving veterans were Ken Bollig, Dale Peterson, Paul Buchholz, Chelsea Self, Ralph Schroeder, Tom Hill, Raymond Fox, Bruce Berg and Debra Huber.

According to Eileen Fuhrmann of Pieces for Heroes, Marshall’s chapter of QOV, the group awarded its first quilt in 2019 and has already surpassed 450 quilts presented. The QOV Foundation collectively has given out over 413,000 quilts.

“As you wrap yourself in the quilt, know that you’re also wrapped in the thanks of a grateful nation,” Eileen said to the group of veterans. “Your bravery has helped secure the freedoms we enjoy every day.”

One by one, the veterans were presented and wrapped with a unique quilt, as the community center room filled with emotions of excitement and applause for each recipient.

“It’s a big honor,” Bollig said of the moment. “I normally don’t like to be in the limelight, so it’s really fun, and very nice and such a big honor.”

“This means the world. It’s so special,” Huber added. “I’ve said that I could have never done my 20 years without the support of the community and my family. It’s just been wonderful.”

A few of the recipients found shock upon being notified they were receiving a QOV, which also came with a sense of gratitude.

“Bruce (Fuhrmann) called me and we were vacationing in London. I got a call at about two in the morning,” Berg said, laughing. “It was just a real surprise, and it’s a tremendous honor.”

“I met Bruce and Eileen on a bus trip, and that’s how I got (to know them). I’m from Clear Lake, South Dakota,” Huber said. “I was surprised … I’m just so happy and so thankful.”

Upon reflecting on their careers serving in the military, a few veterans felt graciously overwhelmed with the packed community center in attendance to pay their respects.

“(I’ve given) one of many thank-you’s,” Berg said. “It was just a job, but when people thank you, you do realize it was way more than just a job.”

“I don’t feel like I gave up to serve my country. It was a job, but I think my son, who is here, gave up more than I did with traveling, being all over, and not being with me at times,” Huber said. “But, I’m very thankful for everything, the community, and the way they acknowledged us.”

Eight of the receiving veterans served time with the Army, while Berg comes from the Navy.

“A little brief history about the Quilts of Valor Foundation and how it started; There was a (mother), Catherine Roberts, and she began a foundation in 2003 in her sewing room in Seaford, Delaware,” Eileen said. “Her son, Nathaniel, on deployment to Iraq, provided her initial inspiration, and her desire to see returning troops that were welcomed home with love and gratitude.”

According to the Foundation, the first QOV was awarded in November 2003 to a Minnesota soldier who fought in Iraq.

Following the ceremony and presentation of the quilts, family and those in attendance lined up to personally shake the hands and thank the veterans individually.

“We want to recognize our veterans for their bravery and sacrifice,” Eileen said. “This quilt will represent our nation’s gratitude. Made with care, stitched with respect and presented with deep appreciation.”

Receiving veterans

• Ken Bollig was deployed to Vietnam in October 1966, and worked in an aid station with the 24th Evacuation Hospital at Long Binh. He helped to treat locals as needed, and also passed out malaria tablets to the troops. He was discharged in October 1967, and initially did his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and Fort Sam Houston for medical training.

• Dale Peterson served at the 24th Evacuation Hospital at Long Binh in Vietnam from June 1966 to July 1967. He flew into Saigon as the hospital was being built, and started as a clerk, moving up to chief clerk. He was discharged in 1967, and also did basic training between Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and Fort Sam Houston.

• Paul Buchholz served in the Army from 1969 to 1971 in Vietnam managing ammunition, and moved around several locations. Upon being deployed, his records got changed and he was listed as a Fire Directional Control for artillery, to which he was not trained for, which moved him to the ammunition position. He did his basic training at Fort Lewis in Washington and Fort Hood.

• Chelsea Self was trained as a cook and served with the Army National Guard for two deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2006 to 2010 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She did basic training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina and Fort Lee, Virginia.

• Ralph Schroeder was trained as a teletype repairman, and served from 1968 to 1970 in Vietnam, where he was stationed at Cu Chi. He did his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Gordon in Georgia.

• Tom Hill served from 1954 to 1962, and started in Nuremburg, Germany, for 18 months after his training. Following his discharge, he served four years of active reserve in a military police unit and two years on inactive reserve. He did his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Eustis, Virginia, for Advance Infantry and Vehicle Driver training.

• Raymond Fox was sent to Vietnam in June of 1968 and served as a radio operator at Chu Lai in the infantry. He then was sent to Fort Hood, Texas, in 1969 to serve as a court reporter. He initially did his basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and Fort Polk, Louisiana.

• Bruce Berg served in several locations with the Navy between 1977 to 2006, including on the USS George Washington and USS Enterprise. Prior to retirement, he held a naval recruiting role in Minneapolis. He did his basic training at the Orlando Naval Training Center in Florida and in Memphis, Tennessee.

• Debra Huber served in the Army for 20 years before retiring in September of 1994. Trained in weapons repair, she did a tour in Germany before returning home to do Advanced Individual Training in administration. Following that training, she did more tours in Germany, Korea and Iraq, including assignment to Operation Desert Storm from October 1990 to May 1991. She did her basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama, Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, and Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana.