Eastman native awarded Quilt of Valor
Eastman-born, Vietnam-era serviceman Terry Kramer recently received a Quilt of Valor He is pictured with his family, including his siblings and his wife (from left): Gaylord, Cal, Terry, Corinne, Bud, Linda, Karen and Duke. (Submitted photo)
Sue Lynch (left), a Prairie du Chien resident and member of the Northeast Iowa Quilter’s Guild, presented Terry Kramer with his Quilt of Valor and certificate of significance. He is pictured with Mary Lynn Quamme, a classmate who requested Kramer receive the honorable award.
By Correne Martin
Eastman native Terry Kramer was among the American prisoners of war captured in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. He spent 157 days, mostly in captivity.
“There were 11 of us. We weren’t physically tortured at all. They did feed us. We had fish, rice, dog—if you can believe it—and green bananas.”
Kramer went into the service in January 1967. He went to Vietnam in January 1968 and his unit was in charge of distributing supplies along the Mekong River.
“We went into Cambodia and took a wrong turn. That’s when we were captured,” Kramer said.
The Australian Embassy ambassador negotiated for the release and repatriation of Kramer and his fellow detainees in December 1968.
A book was even written by Neil Manton in 2007 about these prisoners of war, called “Strange Flowers of the Diplomatic Vine: U.S. Detainees in Cambodia.”
Kramer grew up on a farm on Shanghai Ridge Road. His brothers Gaylord and Bob were in the service, during Korea (Germany) and Korea/Vietnam, respectively. His dad, Chester, also served, and received a Purple Heart from WWII.
Terry and his wife, Corinne (Trautsch), also from Eastman, have lived in Denver, Colo., for the last 25 years. They were recently back in the area for his 50th high school class reunion.
During his return visit, Kramer was awarded a Quilt of Valor by the Northeast Iowa Quilters Guild. Sue Lynch presented him the red, white and blue, carpenter star-patterned quilt on Friday evening, along with a certificate about its significance, at the Winneshiek Bar in Prairie du Chien. Much of his family and some classmates were in attendance.
Quilts of Valor are made and awarded to veterans who have served during a time of war or combat. The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to “cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.”
The request for this Quilt of Valor was made to the local guild by Mary Lynn Quamme, a classmate of Kramer’s.
In awarding this quilt, and when the Northeast Iowa Quilter’s Guild presents 20 more to veterans at the Northeast Iowa Quilt Show in Decorah on Oct. 16, the guild will have presented over 30 in 2016 alone. According to QOVF.org, across the nation, over 450 quilts have been awarded this week, about 1,200 this month and over 145,000 since the foundation started in 2003.
Neither Prairie du Chien nor Crawford County currently has a group that presents Quilts of Valor, though Lynch would like to start one. Anyone interested in contributing fabric, funds or assistance in the awards may contact her at (608) 306-0924 or sulynch09@gmail.com.
