Two veterans were presented with Quilts of Valor during a ceremony held at the Broken Bow Municipal Building on Saturday (March 8). Garry Morgan had his quilt wrapped around his shoulders by his oldest daughter and a step daughter. Delmer Applegarth was wrapped by his daughter and granddaughter.
The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor (QOV).
Garry Morgan enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1967 and was sent to San Antonio, Texas for his basic training. He was stationed in Vietnam as a mechanic, scrapping off usable parts from equipment damaged by bombings. Replacement parts couldn’t be ordered from the US, so they had to salvage what could be used.
During his time in Vietnam, Garry was exposed to Agent Orange. After being in Vietnam for a year, he returned to the US where he was stationed at Elgin Air Force Base at Fort Walton Beach, Florida. He was honorably discharged in 1970 as an E-3.
Garry’s quilt was made by Deb Bryner.
Delmer Applegarth Jr. enlisted in the United States Army National Guard in 1972, receiving training as an Armor Crewman at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He served during the Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Cold War, and the Gulf War including Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
During his 22 year career he received awards including the Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Metal, Army Achievement Metal, and the Armed Forces Reserve Metal. He was honorably discharged as an E-5 in 1994.
Applegarth’s quilt was made by Wilma Von Seggren and finished by Teri Buhlmann.
Since its founding, Quilts of Valor has awarded over 398,000 quilts. Each quilt is formed by loving hands joining bits of fabric together one piece at a time. Those who produce the quilts believe that as they sew, the love, caring and gratitude flows from their hearts and through their hands into the developing quilt.
