Four veterans and members of the Melvin Johnson American Legion Post 256 of Clearbrook were honored during the "Give A Veteran a Lift" Benefit Concert on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Headwaters Quilt Guild members Linda Gulbranson, Bonnie Underdahl, Louise Walker and Linda McPherson presented the quilts to the veterans.
The Headwaters Quilt Guild and its members belong to the Quilts of Valor Foundation. The foundation's mission is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.
The first recipient of a Quilt of Valor was Ken Brein, a lifelong resident of Clearwater County and a 1968 graduate of Clearbrook High School.
Brein was drafted in 1970 under the lottery system reinstated on Dec. 1, 1969. This was the first time this system had been used since 1942. He did his basic training in Fort Lewis, Wash., and completed light wheel mechanic training at Fort Ord, Calif., with Company 63B.
He was then deployed to Vietnam for 15 months. He served at various sites, including the 27th Evacuation Hospital. Here he helped unload wounded military personnel.
Brein was discharged in 1971 with the rank of Specialist E-4. He earned a Vietnam Service Medal, two overseas bars and a marksman medal.
After returning from the military, he married Laurie, his high school sweetheart. The two have been married for 53 years. Recently, they were recognized as Outstanding Clearwater County Senior Citizens. They have three children and two grandsons.
Brein has been an active member of the Melvin Johnson American Legion Post 256 for 50 years.
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Robert "Bob" Granley was the next veteran to be wrapped in a Quilt of Valor. He is a lifelong resident of Clearbrook and a 1957 graduate of Clearbrook High School.
Knowing the draft was coming, Granley and quilt recipient Lloyd Engen joined the Army under the buddy system. It meant another year of service, but support from home being with his friend would be worth it.
Despite enlisting together, after the two completed basic training at Fort Ord, Calif., in 1959, they never saw each other until after they were discharged and back home in Clearwater County. The two soon picked up where they left off and are friends to this day.
Granley was trained as military police at Fort Gordon, Ga., and spent 6 months at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He was then sent to Germany with the 4th Armored Division. He was the first in his family to serve in the military. In 1962, he was honorably discharged with a rank of Spec E-4.
After returning from his service duty, he married his wife, Sandra. They had two children.
Granley joined the Melvin Johnson American Legion Post 256 in 1965 and is an active member. In addition to being a member of the Legion, he served for 40 years on the Clearbrook Fire Department and the Clearbrook City Council.
Next to be wrapped in a Quilt of Valor was Lloyd Engen. After completing basic training at Fort Ord, Engen completed his further training at the U.S. Army base in Aberdeen, Maryland. He was trained as a Supply Inventory Specialist.
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Engen was then stationed at Fort Richardson, Alaska. As the only high school graduate and the only one out of 14 deployed men who knew how to type, he received an office job.
In 1962, he was discharged from this base as a Spec 4. Engen returned to Clearbrook and worked for Lake Head Pipeline, now known as Enbridge, for 30 years before retiring.
He was married to Phyllis Beckstrand in 1973 and became a father to seven children.
Engen has been an active member of the Melvin Johnson American Legion Post 256 for 62 years. He has also been very involved with the Clearbrook Senior Center, was a member of the volunteer fire department and a census taker for the U.S. Census Bureau.
Lastly, Larry Djernes, a 1968 graduate of Clearbrook High School, was wrapped in a Quilt of Valor.
Djernes was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1970 and completed his basic training at Fort Lewis, Wash. He remained there for his infantry training.
After completing his training, he was deployed with the 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division to the Central Highlands of Vietnam. In the later part of his time in the country, he was reassigned to a Security Force under the USARV Command.
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Djernes was discharged with the rank of SPEC 4 with award medals: the Bronze Star, Combat Infantry Badge, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal. He served 14 months with the Army in Vietnam.
He married his wife Karen while in the military and after he was discharged, they bought land in northern Clearwater County. He used the GI bill to attend Ag School while farming and working at the Clearbrook School. He later attended technical college and graduated with an electronics degree.
His uncle, Wallace Leroy Johnson, lost his life in Italy during World War II and is buried at Fort Snelling. One of his two sons had a Navy Nuclear career and now works for the defense department.
Djernes has been a member of the Melvin Johnson American Legion Post 256 for 14 years. He currently is a sergeant at arms and proudly serves on the color and honor guard.
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