Six veterans receive Quilts of Valor in Orient

Six veterans with ties to the Orient community were given Quilts of Valor during a ceremony Saturday, Aug. 26.

Rod and Jeri Beam from Winterset and Elaine Haines from Creston are members of the Piece Works Quilts of Valor Group of Winterset. The group started in 2017 and has over 50 members. They have awarded over 1,000 Quilts of Valor.

This Quilts of Valor program was the idea of Orient resident Ashley Ross.

Veterans receiving quilts were Daniel Metzger, Harry Carr, Charles Hribal, Daniel Umbenhower, William Saylor and Marinus Nielsen.

• Metzger enlisted in the Navy in 1969 and was inducted in Algona. He would eventually be assigned to the USS Enterprise and went to Hawaii. The USS Enterprise had sustained major damage in a fire and a series of explosions. After three months in Hawaii, Metzger was flown to Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia to continue repairs. After the Enterprise was repaired, it went to Vietnam. Crewmen who were shorttimers got an early out. Upon his discharge, Metzger’s ending rank was Seaman Apprentice, E2.

• Carr enlisted in the Air Force in 1954 while living in Kentucky. He took Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas and had other training at Chanute Air Force Base in Ilinois. From 1955-56 he was assigned to Hunter Air Force Base in Savannah, Georgia where B52 bombers were stationed. It was then he was sent to Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Command. For his specialty code, which was Air Weather Service, Carr had top secret clearance to forecast atmospheric weather to enable decision superiority and application to land, air, space and cyberspace power across the full spectrum of military operations. Carr was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant, E5.

• Hribal enlisted in 1970 to the Iowa Army National Guard in Corning and he took basic training in Fort Ord, California. His MOS was 11B, Infantry. Future posts included Jefferson and Camp Dodge. During his 26 1/2 years of service, Hribal had various MOS designations, including training NCO for operations, supply, and field artillery observer. Summer camps took place in Minnesota and California. When he retired in 1996, his rank was Staff Sergeant, E6.

• Umbenhowever enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard in 1996 and was inducted in Shenandoah. He took basic and advanced training in Fort Benning, Georgia. He was assigned to Bravo Company of the 186th in Shenandoah. He deployed to Kuwait in 2001 with his unit responsible for guarding Patriot Missles. From 2003-04 he deployed to Afghanistan with Bravo Company and his unit was responsible for guarding hte base. From 2010-11 he deployed again to Afghanistan and his unit conducted security checks near the Pakistan border. He sustained injuries when his vehicle was hit by an RPG. From 2011-16 he remained stationed in Shenandoah. In 2016, Umbenhower was discharged after 20 years of service with the rank of Sergeant, E5.

• Saylor enlisted in the Army in 1970. He took basic and AIT at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. His MOS was 64C truck driver. His overseas assignment was in Germany. Attached to the 8th Maintenance Battalion with responsibilities to store and maintain equipment for the Big Red One and other units. Returning to the states because of family illness in 1973, Saylor was assigned to the Motor Pool at Fort Des Moines. One of his responsibilities was guard duty at the Iowa State Fair to prevent vandalism by Vietnam War protestors. In 1973, he was discharged from the Regular Army with the ending rank of Sergeant, E5. Five years later he enslited in the Iowa Army National Guard, where he would be stationed at Atlantic and Audubon, both mortar units. He had an MOS change to culinary specialist and became a Mess Sergeant for the 113th Calvary at Camp Dodge from 1988-98. After 23 years of service, Saylor was discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant, E6.

• Nielsen volunteered for the draft in 1966. A food specialist, Nielsen deployed to Vietnam and laned at Bien Hoa. He was transported to Pleiku and assigned to B Company of the 8th Infantry of the 4th Infantry Division. It was an engineering company and most of Nielsen’s time was at fire bases. His duties were providing meals to engineers, infantry, medics, maintenance and supply personnel, as many as 380 persons on a regular basis. During his Vietnam tour, Nielsen was discharged in 1968 with the ending rank of Specialist 5th Class, E5.