Lonnie Stoudemire (left) and Stacy Ochiltree (middle) after receiving their Quilts of Valor. They are standing with Director of Newberry County Veteran’s Affairs Raleigh Hickman.
Courtesy photo
Ulysses Sherman with his Quilt of Valor.
Courtesy photo
Clarence Wyatt with his Quilt of Valor.
Courtesy photo
NEWBERRY COUNTY — Four Newberry veterans recently received Quilts of Valor after being nominated between 2022 and 2023.
Wanda Farmer nominated Stacy Ochiltree for a quilt in January of 2022. Ochiltree served in the U.S. Air Force from 1993-2022. He served at Charleston Air Force Base, and abroad in Oman, Germany, Guam, Iraq, Bahrain, Africa, Qatar and Jordan. Ochiltree received an honorable discharge and currently lives in Newberry.
According to David Parnell, he nominated Lonnie Stoudemire in appreciation for his service in Vietnam. Stoudemire volunteered for a tour of duty at the onset of the Vietnam War. In Vietnam, he built roads, bridges, and infrastructure for troops, and maintained equipment and heavy machinery used by the U.S. Army. Stoudemire was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds incurred during his service and received an honorable discharge.
Ulysses Sherman and Clarence Wyatt were nominated for quilts in 2023 by Jacqeline Kendall. Ulysses Sherman was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army and Clarence Wyatt was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy.
Quilts of Valor is a nationwide organization founded by Catherine Roberts. The organization’s mission is to show appreciation and healing to U.S. veterans through the medium of quilts. Anyone may nominate a veteran online through the Quilts of Valor official website.