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Honoring vets at the fair

Quilts of Valor, Outstanding Veteran awards presented Saturday

By Deb Gau 4 min read

MARSHALL -- A trio of U.S. Air Force veterans were recognized this weekend, during the Lyon County Fair.

On Saturday, the area chapter of Quilts of Valor presented Adam and Chassidy DeRoode with quilts in honor of their military service, and Cottonwood resident Steven Alm was named Lyon County Outstanding Veteran.

Presenter Bruce Fuhrmann said this was the first time a couple had been presented with quilts in the Marshall area. Both DeRoodes served in the Air Force, Adam as a flight engineer and Chassidy as an aircraft medic.

As this year's Outstanding Veteran, Alm was recognized for his service with the American Legion in Cottonwood, and his efforts to help renovate the community's veterans memorial.

"His impact on Lyon County spans decades of leadership, dedication, and quiet and consistent service," Fuhrmann said.

During the Quilt of Valor presentation, presenters went over a little of the DeRoodes' service history.

Both Adam and Chassidy DeRoode served from 1997 to 2017 in the Air Force, presenters said. Adam's service took him to Montana, North Dakota, Germany, New Mexico and Illinois. For part of his service, he was a flight engineer working with C-130 and AC-130 aircraft.

After completing her Air Force training, Chassidy DeRoode was sent to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where she was an aircraft medic. Chassidy was deployed to various locations in Oman, Qatar, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Quilts of Valor representative Eileen Fuhrmann said the quilts presented to the DeRoodes are meant to be a sign of appreciation and gratitude for military service members. Nationwide, the Quilts of Valor Foundation has awarded quilts to more than 400,000 veterans since 2003, she said. The local Quilts of Valor group, Pieces for Heroes, has awarded more than 500 quilts in southwest Minnesota since 2019.

"This quilt represents our nation's gratitude," Fuhrmann told the DeRoodes. "It is made with care, stitched with respect, and presented with deep appreciation. May the quilt bring you comfort and serve as a long-lasting reminder of our thanks."

Chassidy DeRoode said hearing the story of Quilts of Valor, including that the first quilt was presented to a soldier at Walter Reed Medical Center, made her think back to her time as a medic.

"I do remember that our patients, when we would land in (Washington) D.C., people would come out and put quilts on them - the ones that were litter-bound, and couldn't stand up," she said. "So for me this morning, this just came back full circle, because I didn't know where they came from or where they originated from. I just knew that they were presented to these wounded service members. So, it did really touch me this morning."

Presenter Bruce Fuhrmann said that, when looking for Outstanding Veteran nominations, he reached out to area Legion and VFW posts. He read from some of the comments in Steven Alm's nomination letter.

Alm has been a member of the American Legion for more than 52 years, and served as the Cottonwood post's commander for more than 30 years. For many years, he directed patriotic musicals at community events, and organized Cottonwood's Memorial Day program.

"His leadership has also had a lasting physical impact on Lyon County," Fuhrmann said. Alm led a fundraising effort that raised $86,500 to renovate Cottonwood's Veterans Park, and add a sculpture by local artist John Sterner.

"Even in the smallest acts, Steven's dedication shines through," Fuhrmann said.

Alm said he wanted to thank the Legion post for nominating him, and the Outstanding Veteran selection committee.

"The preamble to the Constitution of the American Legion states that we are to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state and nation," Alm said. "To me, that's fulfilling a need - finding a need and fulfilling it. With the encouragement of the American Legion and Cottonwood and my family, I've been able to do that."

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