Weiser Army veteran receives Quilt of Valor

By: 
Steve Lyon

David Russell was living in Soda Springs when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in March of 1992. He was inducted in Pocatello and sent to Fort Sill, Okla., in April of 1992 for four months of basic training.
 To honor his military service, Russell, who has called Weiser home for the past 17 years,  was presented with a Quilt of Valor on Friday at the Weiser Senior and Community Center. During a short lunch program, Russell was thanked for his service and given a round of applause by the audience.
 He was joined by his fiancee, Cobi Holtz, and his daughter, Bri Warnock. Cobi’s daughter, Shawntell Pike, nominated Russell for the Quilt of Valor.
 Russell said he was surprised and humbled when he learned he would be given a Quilt of Valor.
 “It’s an honor. It’s beautiful,” he said.
 Russell served from April 1992 to April 1998. He attained the rank of Specialist E-4 during his time in the military, which included time spent in the Army National Guard. The unit was stationed in Pocatello and later moved to Idaho Falls.
 Russell was assigned to the Second Platoon of the 116th Calvary of the Army National Guard as an artillary mechanic. His unit specialized in upkeep and maintenance of the howitzers and the gun turrets. They did not fire them, he said.
 The 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team has units located throughout Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Nevada. It was reorganized into a heavy armor brigade in 1989. Often referred to as the Snake River Brigade and formerly known as the 116th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the unit includes about 3,000 citizen-soldiers from Idaho.
 He remembers the first few days of basic training were tough, but once he got into the training on weapons it got better. He also recalled one of the most difficult days as a soldier in training, the dreaded 20-mile march.
 “I had a lot of good times and met some really great people,” he said.
 Russell, who grew up in Payette, moved back to Weiser about 17 years ago. He works at the Idaho Timber facility located in the Weiser Industrial Park.
 The Quilt of Valor that Russell received was made by a group of local quilters that includes Connie Lang, Barbara Goff, Linda Smith and Trina Leininger. It was the 64th quilt created by the group and given to Weiser and Washington County veterans since May of 2014.
 “It’s an honor to be able to make these quilts, Goff said.
 The national Quilt of Valor program began in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, whose son Nat was deployed in Iraq. The organization’s mission statement said its purpose was “to cover all those service members and veterans wounded physically or psychologically with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.” To date, there have been 224,493 quilts presented.
 Donations are welcome by the Quilts of Valor project in Weiser and 100 percent of the money goes to purchase fabric and materials. Anyone who would like to donate red, white and blue, 100-percent cotton fabric can bring it to the Weiser Senior and Community Center.
 The quilters are also seeking nominations of veterans who served in the 1950s and 1960s to possibly receive a handmade Quilt of Valor.

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Signal American

18 E. Idaho St.
Weiser, ID 83672
PH: (208) 549-1717
FAX: (208) 549-1718
 

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