Veterans receive Quilts of Valor® during heartfelt ceremony in Clearwater

Six veterans with local ties to the Clearwater community found themselves wrapped in warmth, Friday, as they received a Quilt of Valor® made by the Stars, Stripes and Stitches QoV group, based in Shelby.

Eileen Krumbach, a member of the quilter's group, presented each veteran with a color blanket. Local Legion Auxiliary members Kay Klabenes and Shirley Clinton draped the quilts around the soldiers' shoulders and thanked them for their service

Veterans present at the ceremony heard the story of Blue Star military mom, Catherine Roberts, whose dream of a soldier facing difficult times resulted in the same soldier being blanketed in a quilt.

Since the foundation's begining in 2003, more than 348,550 quilts have been awarded to U.S. active military and veterans nationwide.

Honored at the Clearwater event, including two veterans unable to attend, were:

• Brett Rix. He joined the Army in March 2001 and was medically discharged, due to injuries sustained in Iraq on Feb. 6, 2006.

Rix attended basic training and advanced individual training at Ft. Benning, Georgia, and became an infantryman.

After a short stint with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Rix was stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, in the 1st Cavalry Division.

In March 2004, He deployed to Iraq, staying there for a year.

"We were sent into Baghdad, close to the Green Zone, in an area known as Haira Street, where we were tasked to strengthen the area and promote growth and sustainability for the people by creating schools and other improvements to the infrastructure," Rix said.

The area quickly became a target for insurgents. His Battalion lost 13 men and had more than 83% Purple Heart-qualified soliders through the deployment.

• Dan Roeber. Roeber teaches social studies at Summerland Public Schools. After 20 years of service with the Nebraska Army National Guard, Roeber recently retired from the service.

He is originally from Wayne and became a member of the 189th Transportation Company, on April 23, 2001. Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, served as his basic training base and he attended AIT at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri.

On Aug. 14, 2005, Roeber and his battalion were activated for deployment to Iraq, where he served as a mechanic and gun-truck commander. His job included escorting military and civilian convoys through Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Once stateside, Roeber reenlisted and served in a variety of leadership positions in the Guard, including squad leader in both the Wayne and Norfolk detachments. He worked as a resiliency trainer and took multiple leadership courses.

Roeber was the distinguished honor graduate for his class in warrior leadership.

• Brian Schwager. Schwager served in the U.S. Army from 1984 to 1986. He was stationed at Ft. Riley, Kansas, with the HHB 3/6 Field Artillery Battalion and served as a Delta tracked vehicle mechanic.

• Lemoyne Ahlers. He served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany during 1964 and 1965.

• Adam Ahlers. Ahlers joined the U.S. Army in 2001 and attended basic training at Ft. Benning, Georgia, as part of the 101st Airborne.

During 2003 to 2004, Ahlers was stationed in Iraq.

On the 60th anniversary of D-Day, in 2004, Ahlers jumped into Normandy with the 101st.

• Justin Ahlers. Ahlers became a U.S. Army member in 2000 and traveled to Ft. Campell, Kentucky, for basic training as a cavalry scout.

Ahlers served in Germany from 2001 to 2006, then returned to Ft. Carson, Colorado.

In 2007, Ahlers was stationed in Iraq and was discharged in 2009.

He met his brother, Adam, in Normany, for the 60th D-Day anniversary.

• Eric Hemenway. Hemenway served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman. He started basic training in 2001, at Ft. Wainwright, Arkansas.

• Carroll Holz. Holz served in the U.S. Army.

Krumbach told the veterans, "These quilts were made for you in the hopes that you will find comfort in them and to thank you for your service. We honor you being willing to leave your home and loved ones and all you hold dear in order to stand in harm's way in a time of crisis, protecting us from the effects of war. We know that freedom is not free. We have freedom because of you and your dedication and the dedication of men and women like you."

On the back of each quilt is a label that tells the story of the quilt, including the words "Quilt of Valor," the quilt maker's name and state and a space to include the veteran's name. The date awarded and washing instructions may also be included.