Independence Day is a day when people spend time with familiy, watch fireworks, swim in the pool, and most importantly, honor the veterans and current members of the military who help to protect our nation.
Donald and Delbert Amen are two such veterans. Because of their service to the country, the men each were given a Quilt of Valor Monday morning in a ceremony hosted by the Washita Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and volunteers for the Quilts of Valor Foundation.
Quilts of Valor Foundation is an organization which was founded in 2003 for the purpose of bringing comfort and healing to veterans. The foundation has gifted more than 300,000 hand-made quilts in the last 19 years.
The Amen brothers were impressed with the quilts and the people who pieced them together. “I would like to display the quilt for a little while,” Donald said.
The twins were drafted into the military at the age of 20, and they served in the U.S. Army from December 1952 to November 1954. Although the Korean War was taking place during this time, the men were not sent to Korea. Instead, they were stationed in Germany, protecting the border to the American-occupied area of the country.
“Brothers didn’t go to war together,” they explained. After a tragic familial loss in World War II, the military no longer sent brothers into battle together and they didn’t separate them either. Instead, the brothers served in nonhostile capacities.
“We were in the same company, just different jobs,” Delbert said. Donald also said, “We didn’t see too much of each other because I was in the field all the time and he was in the office.”
Patriotism and gratitude were at the forefronts of everyone’s minds at the ceremony and Donald and Delbert received many handshakes and thanks for their service. Those in attendance all agreed having an Independence Day ceremony to celebrate the gift of the quilts was especially timely.
“Before being in the military, the 4th of July was about fireworks, and then you realize it’s an important day,” Delbert said.