Veterans Day, a special time to remember those who served in the military, is often associated with ceremonies, flags and in some cases, memorials or awards.
One of the most common civilian awards for those who have served is a quilt. They go by different names: Quilts of Valor, Quilts of Honor and others. They all, however, serve the same purpose of making veterans know they are appreciated and their experiences remembered.
Jerry Mundil, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion in Schuyler, was given a quilt of his own several years ago by Lynn DeShon of Wahoo, which started him on a journey of helping other veterans get them.
"We met each other a lot of times at Vietnam veteran reunions, she wants to get 100 quilts, and I think she's sitting on 83. We've been helping to get to her goal of 100," Mundil said.
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For Veterans Day, three Schuyler area veterans, Terry Pachunka, John Russ and Stanley "Butch" Kracl, are receiving quilts for their service in Vietnam. They will add to the nearly 20 quilts she has made for Schuyler veterans.
The quilts, as a concept, Mundil said, are a welcome gesture, having received one from DeShon and one from a 4-H group. Mundil said the 4-H one, being a surprise, also meant a lot.
"To get quilt from a bunch of 4-H kids. That one hit me harder. This was a total shock because I didn’t know about it," Mundil said.
The quilts will be presented at a veterans' dinner at The Center on Nov. 10 starting at 5 p.m. Dinner for the veterans in attendance is free, and for family members or guests is $8.
Over at Schuyler Central High School, History Teacher Ben Paesl has organized a short program for Veterans Day for the past several years, involving the school band, a color guard presentation by the VFW and a speaker.
Mundil, who has been in charge of arranging the color guard for the program for several years, took over the color guard post from his wrestling coach, former marine Roger Barry.
"I'm Navy, he was a Marine, so I was the squid and he was the jarhead," Mundil said.
The color guard, Mundil added, usually attend military funerals and perform a seven-gun salute and flag service for the family of the veteran. For this, they will march and present their flags.
"We just line up all the honor guard, about 10 or 12 of us march in all dressed up in white and sport jackets and then we sit in front of the school assembly," Mundil said.
Paesl said the event is important for students because it's a way for them to learn the importance of Veterans Day and exactly what it means to be a veteran.
"I want our students here to have a sense of the reason why they are afforded the rights and responsibilities of American citizens that they enjoy and it's just a reminder," Paesl said. "It's a small humble contribution I can make compared to what they've done."
