More than 130 were in attendance Saturday, Nov. 8, at the California Nutrition Center for presentation of Quilts of Valor to veterans. Of the 19 quilt recipients, 17 were present for the event.
World War II Era veterans receiving Quilts of Valor were: Clyde Dummermuth, Stanley Dummermuth, Cyrus Ferguson and Robert Wallenmeyer.
Korean War Era veterans receiving quilts were: Dean King and Benny R. Silver.
Quilts were presented to Vietnam War Era veterans: Gary Arnold, Ronald Baysinger, Arthur Liebi, David J. Schepers, Leroy J. Schnieders, George Shelley, Tony R. Wolf, Martha L. Decker and Clarence (Skip) Glover. Decker and Glover were mistakenly listed on the program as Korean War Era veterans.
Iraqi / Afghanistan veterans receiving quilts were: Michael Joseph Liebi and Thomas D. Liebi.
Not present to receive the quilts were Jeffrey Ross, listed as the Latin America Era, and Heather Merritt, Iraqi / Afghanistan veteran. The Quilts of Honor will be sent to those two recipients.
The quilters group, which has joined in the efforts of the Quilts of Valor Foundation in its mission to honor veterans, meets on Tuesdays in the upstairs of Moniteau County Library at Wood Place.
Those present was welcomed by Judy Scott. Presentation of the American flag was made by members of VFW Post 4345, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Howard Baysinger, CHS Class of 1971, spoke on "Our Flag." Baysinger said he was brought up to respect and honor the flag of the United States, but had a renewal in his feeling of honor for the flag, and honoring and mourning the dead after the attacks on America by the 9/11 terrorists. Baysinger commented that he had recently read that a judge in California State had said the Pledge of Allegiance couldn't be said in schools because it had the words "Under God" in it.
Baysinger read the explanation of the Pledge of Allegiance presented in 1969 by Red Skelton, a comedian who had a TV variety show. Skelton, quoting a teacher he identified as Mr. Lasswell, explained what the Pledge meant. He ended by saying that the words "Under God" had been added in 1954, and said, "Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that it is a prayer, and that would be eliminated from schools, too?"
Baysinger said, "The price is too high to allow someone to tell us we can't utter the words justice, liberty, indivisible, under God." He finished his presentation with, "God Bless each and everyone and God Bless America."
The "America's White Table" ceremony was presented by Kathy Shoemaker. The event was closed with the singing of "God Bless America" led by brothers Ronnie and Howard Baysinger.