The Forest Acres Quilting Club was honored to award two Quilts of Valor at the annual Memorial Day service at the Highland Cemetery in Adams on May 30th. Despite the gusty winds that nearly knocked over those holding the quilts, the entire program was a meaningful reminder of the veterans who gave their lives so that all of us can enjoy the freedoms that we have today.
The cemetery was beautifully decorated with flags that were placed earlier in the day by members of the local VFW, Legion, and Boy Scout troop. The program began with a parade of flags by these groups as well as a 21-gun salute by the Legion. Red Klein, the program’s Master of Ceremonies, followed the flag presentation with a prayer and Freeman High School student Hannah Stanley sang the National Anthem. State Senator Myron Dorn then introduced the speaker for the day, Tony Baker, a legislative aide to State Senator Tom Brewer and a retired Army veteran. His message reminded us that the men and women who gave their lives for our country started out as ordinary citizens just like the rest of us.
Next on the program was the awarding of the Quilts of Valor. The first honored veteran was Rodney Buss of Adams. Rodney served in the United States Army from January 1967 - January 1970. He was trained in the field of mechanics and spent time in Maryland, Washington state, Hawaii, and California. He was responsible for driving troops and officers to their destinations as well as for the maintenance of the vehicles in the motor pool. He earned the rank of E4 Specialist.
Rodney’s quilt was made from a pattern called Indivisible found in the July/August 2019 edition of Fons and Porter’s Love of Quilting magazine. The ten four-point Star blocks alternate with ten red and white-striped blocks. An all-over star design was quilted with white thread to complete the top.
Our second honored veteran was Jerome Buss (Rodney’s brother) also of Adams. Jerome served in the United States Army from January 1972 - January 1974. He received his basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and then was stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas. There he was an honor student in Intelligence Assistant and Radar Console Operator classes. In July of that year he was sent to Germany where he was assigned to an Air Defense Nike Hercules Missile Battalion which required him to have Top Secret Security clearance. Jerome also earned the rank of E4 Specialist.
Jerome’s quilt was constructed from a pattern called Wheels and Shields found in the March 2019 edition of American Quilter magazine. The red pinwheels and the unique blue parallelograms make this a striking Quilt of Valor. An all-over star design using white thread was also used to complete this quilt.
The program at the cemetery concluded with the traditional firing of the historic Howitzer military cannon which dates from the 1850s. Participating in the firing were Mike Klein, son of Red Klein, and Drew Miller, nephew of Mike Klein, whose father is a veteran of the military. Many thanks to Red and the Adams American Legion for allowing us to be a part of this day.
As of May 1st of this year 302,712 Quilts of Valor have been awarded both nationally and internationally. The Forest Acres Quilting Club is proud to have contributed a small number of those quilts to deserving veterans in and around the Adams community and we look forward to continuing that work for many years to come. Thanks to all of those who have supported us.
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