Estes Park American Legion Veterans Receive Quilts of Valor

Donna Weber, an officer of the Estes Park American Legion Post 119 and Gulf War veteran, recently arranged for three local veterans to receive Quilts of Valor. The Quilts of Valor organization is a grassroots organization that is dedicated to honoring and comforting soldiers from the effects of war. There are approximately 500 quilters and numerous volunteers across the nation cutting, piecing, sewing and quilting these quilts. Quilts of Valor represent honor, courage and bravery. They are meant to be a hug, and Thank you, and a show of our gratitude for what the military has done for us, and for our country.

Alicia Carmin (left at right) from Kersey brought her family and drove to the Estes Park Legion to present the Quilts of Valor to three Legion members and veterans: Richard "Dink" Oversteg, Brian Cantu and Michael Bachelor. Carmin brought the project to her school in Kersey. She has been making quilts with the 5th graders. They sew on Fridays and have great time. The kids love learning to sew, and Alicia loves the chance to give something to the veteran who have made such a commitment to us. Carmin said a quilt normally takes three months to create, but when she’s working with 5^th graders it takes nine months, but is worth every minute.

"Dink" Oversteg (center at right above) is a Vietnam veteran who spent 20 years active duty in the Army, 15 of which was foreign duty. He completed four tours in Europe including 18 months in the "Army of Occupation" in Germany. He spent one tour in Vietnam as the computer programming advisor to the South Vietnamese Joint General Staff (the equivalent of our Pentagon). His stateside duty included one tour in the Pentagon, one tour with the US Army Electronic Proving Ground in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, one tour at 4^th Army Headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, Texas and one tour with the US Army Ordnance Proving Ground and School at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.

Brian Cantu (right at right above) is a veteran of the first Gulf War, Desert Storm. He served in the 25^th combat infantry "tropical lighting" from 1992–1996. He was deployed to Haiti in 1994 and went to Mount Sinai in Egypt. He re-enlisted in 2002 as an apache attack helicopter repairer and was deployed to Iraq.

SSG Bachelor has 15 years combined Army National Guard and Army Active Duty service. His military career began with the U.S. Army 82^nd Airborne from 1981-1984. During that tenor he was involved with the Peace Keeping Mission to Sinai and the invasion of Grenada in 1983. Bachelor joined the California Army National Guard 1-185^th Armor Battalion as a Reconnaissance Scout. He was recalled to Active Duty for Operation Iraqi Freedom from Nov. 2003 to Feb. 2005 and then again to serve a second tour Aug. 2008 to Aug. 2009. SSG Bachelor is the recipient of numerous U. S. Army awards, commendations, and certificates. With his second tour of duty, he received the prestigious U.S. Army Cavalry "Golden Spurs" Award and The Modern Army Combatives Level I and II Certifications. In Michael’s absence, his wife Rhonda accepted his quilt.

In 1993, Catherine Roberts of Seaford, DE, started the Quilts of Valor Foundation when her son and his 630^th MP Company were being deployed from Germany to Iraq for one year. She was working in a hospital and met a soldier who really touched her heart. So she did what all quilters do - she made him a quilt. She gave it to the Chaplain to present to him. Later she was talking with the chaplain and asked what more could she do. He said "Make more quilts". So she did, and got lots of others involved

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	Joseph J. Duncan, Jr. American Legion Post 119 Visit: 850 N. St. Vrain Ave. Mail: P.O. Box 127 Estes Park, Colorado 80517 Phone: 970-586-6118 Fax: 970-586-2838
Club Hours of Operation: Open Daily from 2:00 PM (11:00 AM on Wednesdays) to 9:00 PM. Open one hour before all Broncos games We Offer Our Prayers For All Our Troops