Brookings Area Quilters Guild presents Quilts of Valor

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BROOKINGS – During recent weeks the Brookings Area Quilters Guild have given quilts, made by guild members, to five veterans in the area as a thank you for their service to our country in peace and war time.  The quilts are all made of red, white and blue fabric in a patriotic pattern.

The five gentlemen receiving quilts were Don Cain, David Osbeck, John Goebel, Jerry DeBlonk and Gary Egeberg.  The men served in various branches of the service.  Many went into the service right out of high school.

n Osbeck worked with the military police, he states that “anyone who says they were not afraid in Vietnam” is probably lying to you.  David slept with a gun under his pillow and clothes ready to jump into.  The thing he most appreciated was a box from home.

n Cain also entered the Army right out of high school.  He served in various places in Germany.  Don was assigned to the Army Signal Corps, where his mission was to decode messages.  One of his most vivid memories of Germany was seeing the ovens and gas chambers at Dachau, where the Nazis executed Jews.  Don serviced with many others in Vietnam.

n Goebel joined the service in 1967.  From basic training at Ft. Bliss, Texas, he was sent to Virgina  for training in heavy equipment repair.  From Virginia he boarded a plane for Vietnam.  After a stint in the hospital with malaria, he was sent to help keep roads in repair.  The last few weeks there the war was bad and they lost seven men in two weeks.  John is grateful for all who have shown him kindness.

n Jerry DeBlonk was a career serviceman and served in many places around the world, among them Vietnam and Korea.  He served the Defense Intelligence Agency.  Upon retirement he became a teacher in Volga and is much loved by his students.

n Egeberg is also from Volga and served in Vietnam flying 155 missions in the C7-A Caribou and 90 combat missions in the KC-135 air refueling tanker.  Gary was awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters.  Gary became an instructor pilot in the C7-A and a commander in the KC-35.

Gary and Jerry both suffer from the effects of Agent Orange.  

These men thank God for our country and are glad to have been able to come home.  The guild thanked them for service and ask God to take care of all our service men and women.