Quilt of Valor for Red Oak’s Ayres

Another Red Oak veteran has been recognized with a Quilt of Valor.
At a ceremony on Aug. 8, Richard Duane Ayres was presented his quilt. Ayres served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam era from 1966 to 1970. Ayres reached the rank of E-4 (Sergeant).
During his service, Ayres was stationed at George AFB in Victorville, Calif., and served from 1968 to 1969 in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. Ayres was a jet engine mechanic for F4C fighter jets, worked on gas turbines and some helicopter parts.
The last year and a half of his service, Ayers served at Holloman AFB in Alamagorda, New Mexico.
He returned in 1969 and married his wife, Pamela. The Ayres have three sons; six grandchildren, four boys and two girls; and three great grandsons.
The Quilt of Valor recognition began in 2003, when Catherine Roberts started the movement that became the present-day program by sending quilts to her son while he was deployed in Iraq.
The mission of Quilts of Valor is to honor veterans and service members. The quilts carry a three part message: they honor the veteran for their service and for their willingness to lay down their life for their country; they thank the veteran for their service, sacrifice, and valor in serving their nation; and the hope is that the quilt will provide healing, peace, and comfort.
To date, 419,694 quilts have been presented to veterans nationwide, and this year, 18,333 quilts have been distributed nationwide. Last month, 2,298 quilts were given to veterans, and since 2018, the local branch of Quilts of Valor have given 135 quilts to area veterans.
The quilt was machine pieced by Denise Bryant of Shenandoah and was machine quilted by Carol York of Essex.