10 Area Veterans Honored At Threads Of Valor Tuesday
May 11, 2022 at 12:13 a.m.
10 Area Veterans Honored At Threads Of Valor Tuesday
By Jackie [email protected]
In fall 2015, two local ladies started meeting at Warsaw’s VFW to make quilts for veterans in Kosciusko County in nursing homes and homeless shelters in Warsaw, said Liberty Sewing Circle member Marsha Huffman.
In 2015, a special request was made to the Liberty Sewing Circle to make a large quilt for a veteran in a nursing home to celebrate his 90th birthday. The Circle’s vision grew with that by making standard-sized quilts for nominated veterans in Kosciusko County, Huffman said.
Huffman said the Circle needed a time and place to meet. It was worked out the Circle could meet on Saturdays at the Senior Center.
The quilts are awarded “as a token gift for our appreciation to local veterans and to thank them for recognizing their services and their sacrifices,” Huffman said. Since 2015, the Circle has made over 377 quilts and throws and 115 full-sized quilts.
Anyone can nominate a veteran for the Threads of Valor quilts, as long as they were honorably discharged and live in Kosciusko County.
During the Threads of Valor quilt presentation, Huffman presented each nominated veteran and gave a background for each one.
The veterans honored were Terry Baker, Robert Evers, Robert Hatfield, David Larrew, William Moore, Christ Paraschos, Dathan Reed, Robert Schlag, James Stroup and Thomas Warner.
Baker was in the U.S. Army as an E-5. He served during the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1979. Baker graduated from Warsaw High School in 1968 and enlisted in U.S. Army. He completed his basic training in Fort Pemberton, S.C. He completed his E-5 training in Maryland. He was transferred to Vietnam in March 1969, where he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division. He repaired various vehicles, including tanks and personnel carriers. During his tour in Vietnam, Baker was awarded a Bronze Star.
Evers was an Army Ranger. He served in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1970. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1967 and came home stateside in 1969.
Hatfield lived in Warsaw and now lives in Winona Lake. He was in the Army from 1969 to 1970 then served in the National Guard from 1971 to 1984 as an E-6. He served in Vietnam.
Larrew lives in Warsaw. He was in the Army, being discharged with the rank of a corporal. He served 1951 to 1953, serving in the Korean War, but he was not in combat. He was stationed in South Korea.
Moore lives in Warsaw and was in the Air Force as a sergeant E-4. He served from 1969 to 1973. He served in Vietnam but wasn’t in a combat zone, but was stationed on a base there. He was stationed in Vietnam from 1971 to 1972. From July to September 1969, he was stationed at Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas, for basic training. From October 1969 to February 1971, he was stationed in Michigan. During Vietnam, Moore was a vehicle dispatcher with 100 vehicles he had to do reports on to make sure they were working well. After being stationed in Vietnam, he finished his service being stationed in California.
Paraschos lives in Warsaw. He was in the Army as corporal and served from 1948 to 1949. He was not in a combat zone, but his longest tour of duty was in Texas.
Reed lives in Claypool and was in the Army, achieving the rank of master sergeant, from 1991 to 2016. He was in Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom and has been in several combat zones. He was in South Korea at the DMZ from 1998 to 1999. He joined the Army as an infantryman, right out of school at Tippecanoe Valley High School. He has received several awards, including Army Ranger Tab, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He has served and trained in several countries, such as Egypt, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Australia, Honduras and Canada.
Schlag lives in Warsaw and was in the Army as E-4 from 1965 to 1967 in Vietnam in a combat zone. He did basic training at Fort Hood, Texas. His jobs while in Vietnam included convoy escorts, village security, patrol and perimeter security.
Stroup lives in Pierceton and was a specialist 4th class in the Army. He served from 1958 to 1961 and didn’t serve in any of the combat zones. He was did basic training at Fort Hood, Texas. He was stationed in Germany for 24 months from 1959 to 1961. While in Germany, Stroup drove a armour personal carrier. Stroup guarded the Berlin Wall while it was being built. Stroup was in the Reserves for three years.
Warner lives in Warsaw. He was in the Army and served from October 1962 to September 1965. He served in the Vietnam War, but didn’t serve in a combat zone. He served 10 months in Germany.
In fall 2015, two local ladies started meeting at Warsaw’s VFW to make quilts for veterans in Kosciusko County in nursing homes and homeless shelters in Warsaw, said Liberty Sewing Circle member Marsha Huffman.
In 2015, a special request was made to the Liberty Sewing Circle to make a large quilt for a veteran in a nursing home to celebrate his 90th birthday. The Circle’s vision grew with that by making standard-sized quilts for nominated veterans in Kosciusko County, Huffman said.
Huffman said the Circle needed a time and place to meet. It was worked out the Circle could meet on Saturdays at the Senior Center.
The quilts are awarded “as a token gift for our appreciation to local veterans and to thank them for recognizing their services and their sacrifices,” Huffman said. Since 2015, the Circle has made over 377 quilts and throws and 115 full-sized quilts.
Anyone can nominate a veteran for the Threads of Valor quilts, as long as they were honorably discharged and live in Kosciusko County.
During the Threads of Valor quilt presentation, Huffman presented each nominated veteran and gave a background for each one.
The veterans honored were Terry Baker, Robert Evers, Robert Hatfield, David Larrew, William Moore, Christ Paraschos, Dathan Reed, Robert Schlag, James Stroup and Thomas Warner.
Baker was in the U.S. Army as an E-5. He served during the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1979. Baker graduated from Warsaw High School in 1968 and enlisted in U.S. Army. He completed his basic training in Fort Pemberton, S.C. He completed his E-5 training in Maryland. He was transferred to Vietnam in March 1969, where he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division. He repaired various vehicles, including tanks and personnel carriers. During his tour in Vietnam, Baker was awarded a Bronze Star.
Evers was an Army Ranger. He served in the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1970. He was deployed to Vietnam in 1967 and came home stateside in 1969.
Hatfield lived in Warsaw and now lives in Winona Lake. He was in the Army from 1969 to 1970 then served in the National Guard from 1971 to 1984 as an E-6. He served in Vietnam.
Larrew lives in Warsaw. He was in the Army, being discharged with the rank of a corporal. He served 1951 to 1953, serving in the Korean War, but he was not in combat. He was stationed in South Korea.
Moore lives in Warsaw and was in the Air Force as a sergeant E-4. He served from 1969 to 1973. He served in Vietnam but wasn’t in a combat zone, but was stationed on a base there. He was stationed in Vietnam from 1971 to 1972. From July to September 1969, he was stationed at Lackland Air Force base in San Antonio, Texas, for basic training. From October 1969 to February 1971, he was stationed in Michigan. During Vietnam, Moore was a vehicle dispatcher with 100 vehicles he had to do reports on to make sure they were working well. After being stationed in Vietnam, he finished his service being stationed in California.
Paraschos lives in Warsaw. He was in the Army as corporal and served from 1948 to 1949. He was not in a combat zone, but his longest tour of duty was in Texas.
Reed lives in Claypool and was in the Army, achieving the rank of master sergeant, from 1991 to 2016. He was in Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom and has been in several combat zones. He was in South Korea at the DMZ from 1998 to 1999. He joined the Army as an infantryman, right out of school at Tippecanoe Valley High School. He has received several awards, including Army Ranger Tab, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He has served and trained in several countries, such as Egypt, Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Australia, Honduras and Canada.
Schlag lives in Warsaw and was in the Army as E-4 from 1965 to 1967 in Vietnam in a combat zone. He did basic training at Fort Hood, Texas. His jobs while in Vietnam included convoy escorts, village security, patrol and perimeter security.
Stroup lives in Pierceton and was a specialist 4th class in the Army. He served from 1958 to 1961 and didn’t serve in any of the combat zones. He was did basic training at Fort Hood, Texas. He was stationed in Germany for 24 months from 1959 to 1961. While in Germany, Stroup drove a armour personal carrier. Stroup guarded the Berlin Wall while it was being built. Stroup was in the Reserves for three years.
Warner lives in Warsaw. He was in the Army and served from October 1962 to September 1965. He served in the Vietnam War, but didn’t serve in a combat zone. He served 10 months in Germany.
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