News : Quilts of Valor presents Six Veterans with Quilts

David Keeling flanked by grandchildren Layla and Callum Keeling

Henry Godoy

Ron Larsen

Ed Shaeffer

Deb Covington

Dan Pence

Shelby McDonald

When Shelby McDonald became the Benton County Fair Queen in 2019, as her service project representing the county at the Iowa State Fair, Shelby, wanted to promote the Quilts of Valor program. The idea began several years ago when her mother and aunt joined The Freedom Stitchers in Cedar Rapids. In 2019 the family made a quilt for one of their own service members who served in Vietnam. Shelby is also an Auxiliary Member of the Shellburg Legion, the idea to promote Quilts of Valor by making quilts for area veterans seemed like a natural choice for Shelby. She was on hand to present the quilts to veterans in the county.

In every ceremony that Quilts of Valor holds, there are grateful veterans. Often, there are tears representing the memories that are still part of each of the soldiers that come back. Those that came home never fail to mention those that they didn't return.

The medics who serve as sometimes just teenagers or in their early 20s remember the things they saw in battle some 60+ years ago. Henry Godoy served as an Army medic from 1969-1977 and was one of those veterans. Following the presentation, he shared just one story with me that he still carries with him.

A new father who served as an RTO (Radio Telephone Operator) had just returned to service following a week of R&R (rest and recuperation) in Hawaii "to visit his wife and little baby," Godoy said, as he began to cry. The purpose of the visit was to see his newborn child. Just three days later Godoy said through his tears, "I was keeping him alive as best as I could." The new dad bad been blown up in an attack, Godoy said and was only intact from the waist up. To this day he struggles with the loss of the young dad. When Godoy spoke during the ceremony of those that didn't come home, this was the young man he remembered. The tears he shed are just some of the tears that one sees at these ceremonies. As these stories are shared, you can only weep with the soldiers for the dad, the soldier themselves and the memories that keep the veteran awake at night.

Deb Covington, was a 19-year-old when she served in the Army, She was part of a stateside mission called "Operation Baby Lift." When Saigon fell and the American forces left Vietnam, soldiers from Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center helped transport orphans from the Air Force Base to the hospital for medical care. The children brought there were part American and were brought back to the US in 1975. She said that she had the honor of caring for some of the children while they were transported. Covington served three years active duty and as a reserve for six years.

Dan Pence served from 1966-69 in the Army during Vietnam. Pence lost two of his friends during Vietnam, and decided to sign up. At the time, Pence lived in Indiana. Out of the 187 that went over with him, only 86 returned. The rest were either sent home because of an injury or had been killed. Pence himself was wounded three times and received a purple heart. He was awarded two bronze medals for performing heroic actions. Although he didn't see it as anything special, he was doing what had to be done to survive and save his fellow soldiers.

As they returned home, they landed in Los Angeles during the night and drove to San Diego by bus. They were issued new uniforms, given a physical and the next night they were brought to the airport. Arriving at night was a maneuver that the military used trying to spare soldiers from confrontations that were common by those who didn't serve. They often spat on and ridiculed for their service.

The final leg of the journey home landed him in Chicago with 42 other soldiers. Originally from Indiana, Pence settled in Iowa through his job in savings and loan.

Ed Shaeffer, spent 20 years in the Navy on active duty from 1970 to 1979 and then in the active reserves from 1979 to 1990 retiring with 20 years of service. In his 9 years of active duty he spent one year (two 6 month courses) in school in Millington, TN studying basic and advanced electronics. He was then assigned for four years to an F-4 fighter jet squadron where he maintained electronics systems. He was deployed twice to Vietnam on the carrier Kitty Hawk.

Later Shaeffer was transferred to a San Diego-based squadron of S-3 antisubmarine aircraft for the same job. He said that he basically maintained the radios, navigation gear, etc. After he was discharged I went directly to the active reserves and spent 11 years attached to a P-3 squadron based in Genview, IL (just north of Chicago) where he would go to work on the P-3 aircraft, basically, a Boeing 737 converted to detect submarines.

David Keeling, made me chuckle. When I asked for his name, he joked that he gave it out only on a need-to-know basis, I had a feeling I was going to only be given his rank and serial number! Keeling originally served from 1971-1975. Stationed at Barbers Point Hawaii he was assigned to flight crew duties serving Southeast Asia throughout Vietnam Conflict. He re-enlisted in 1979 and served until 1988. Duty assignments included attachment to fighter squadron (VA-12) out of NAS Cecil Field with deployments aboard the USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN-69). He was also assigned a tour to the Persian Gulf during the hostage situation in 1980. He completed his service training reservists in both Texas and Indiana.

Ronald Larsen, served in the late 60s into the early 70s as a "River Rat" he said in the Navy. (I was unable to follow up with Mr. Larsen.)

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. To visit their site, volunteer, or request a quilt, visit their website HERE.

Video of the event can be seen HERE.

Photos of the quilt presentations are courtesy of Jessie Purifoy.