Veterans Honored at Quilts of Valor Presentation
On Monday night in the Barnesville Middle School Gymnasium, the Ohio Valley Quilts of Valor honored twenty-two veterans, awarding each with a handmade quilt at the Eyes of Freedom Opening Ceremony. The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover all combat service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.
During the presentation, the veteran was called forward and sat in a chair. Then, Sue Olinski and Janice Gwin wrapped the veteran in their quilt. The veteran’s service record was read. The veteran was also presented with a challenge coin from the Barnesville American Legion Auxiliary.
Sue Olinski is the coordinator of the Ohio Valley Quilts of Valor, and she lives in St. Clairsville. In 10 years, Coordinator Olinski and her team of 25-30 women have created 500-600 quilts. Olinski shared that as the women create the quilts, they think about the veteran recipients. She added that she encourages the veteran to use the quilt and create memories with it. Before stepping away after wrapping the veteran in their quilt, Olinski whispers, “Welcome home,” especially to Vietnam veterans.
To learn more about the local group, request a piece for a veteran, or even donate to the cause, visit Ohio Valley Quilts of Valor on Facebook.
2025 Quilts of Valor Honorees
- Rodney Neil King: Vietnam
- Charles Robert Fluharty: Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield
- Jason Willis Stull: Iraq
- Joey Arthur Lafever: Kuwait, Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield
- David Keith Bunting: Vietnam
- Vallas Gene Carpenter: Post-Korean Conflict
- Carl Otis McEndree: Vietnam
- Charles Henry Groves, Jr: Vietnam
- Gerald Dean Pearson: Vietnam
- John Paul Wehr: Vietnam
- Monte Edward Phillips: Vietnam
- Carl James Duch: Vietnam
- Carl Andrew Duch: Afghanistan
- Michelle Renee White: Iraq
- Milton Ray Van Horn: Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield
- Robert Ellis Flanagan: Vietnam
- Gordon Grant Price: Vietnam
- Harold Duane White: Vietnam
- Allen Eugene Swallie: Vietnam
- Christopher Neiswonger: Afghanistan, Iraq
- Dexter Martin: Vietnam
- Brad McGee: Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield, Operation Sharp Edge
(Barnesville American Legion Post 168 Facebook Photos)
The Lima Company’s story inspired the Eyes of Freedom. The Lima Company was deployed to Iraq in the spring of 2005. Twenty-two Marines and one Navy Corpsman were killed in action between May and August of that year.
Founder and Creator of the Eyes of Freedom and Silent Battle, Anita Miller, stated that she awoke and saw life-size paintings floating in a circle with people looking at them in the Ohio State House rotunda. Suddenly, Miller continued, the paintings were dismantled and moved to a new location. Two and a half years later, the Lima Company Memorial was completed and on display at the Ohio State House for 6 months. Then, the memorial began touring the country. This is the fifth year that the Eyes of Freedom has come to Barnesville.
The Eyes of Freedom Memorial will be open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 12:00-7:00 pm and on Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
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