Local veteran receives Quilt of Valor

Apr. 25—A local U.S. Air Force veteran, Tom Clough of Effingham, didn't know he would be in for a surprise Wednesday when he made his regular weekly trip to Effingham American Legion Post 120 with a fellow veteran and longtime friend, Tom Rodriguez.

When Clough walked into post, he was greeted by a group of family and friends that gathered to thank him for his military service and present him with a Quilt of Valor.

"He led me astray," Clough joked after being presented with the quilt. "I was surprised, definitely. I never thought in 100 years that would take place."

According to Rodriguez, who nominated Tom Clough as a deserving recipient of the quilt and presented it to him, Quilts of Valor was founded by Catherine Roberts in 2003. Roberts wanted to honor her son for his military service in Iraq.

"Upon her son's return and honorable discharge in the military she started the foundation," Rodriguez said. "Between 2003 and the current period, approximately 300,000 of these flags have been distributed to honor individuals."

Each of the quilts made by volunteers with Quilts of Valor are unique and hand-stitched.

The volunteer who made Tom Clough's Quilt of Valor, Bonnie Hay, worked with a Quilts of Valor group from Aurora, Colorado, where Rodriguez lives with his wife, Marlene Rodriguez, who is Clough's cousin. In fact, Hay used to be neighbors with Tom and Marlene Rodriguez.

While presenting the quilt to him, Rodriguez discussed Clough's time in the military during the Vietnam War.

"Tom stepped up, volunteered for the service and served quite honorably during that period of time," Rodriguez said. "He achieved the rank of E-5, which is a phenomenal achievement."

Clough served in the U.S. Air Force from 1970-71, during which time he was stationed in different areas in Vietnam, including Da Nang and Pleiku. His primary duty was air operations control.

"Pleiku started out as a small little airstrip and kept growing and growing. It became a logistical strong point for the United States for the Air Force," Rodriguez said.

After serving, Clough would eventually begin working at the Y-Yard in Effingham where he would continue to work for 40 years before retiring and starting his own handyman business.

Clough's wife, Peggy Clough, enjoyed watching her husband receive the quilt Wednesday, and she thinks that the recognition of Vietnam War Veterans in recent years reflects a positive shift in how Americans view and treat Veterans from this era.

"I didn't know anything about it, but it's pretty neat, really," Peggy Clough said of Quilts of Valor. "He's more interested in veterans things than he ever was, so it's kind of nice to see him being recognized because, you know, when they came back from Vietnam, they weren't greeted with parades. He didn't get that reception."

Beth Clough of Effingham, Tom Clough's daughter, also attended the surprise ceremony Wednesday, and she said she was glad to see her father comfortably discussing his time with the military, something that she explained is often difficult for veterans.

"It's, of course, emotional because he's never really talked about it," she said. "It just doesn't happen in most normal conversations, so having a gathering like this provides that space for him to be able to share."

Rodriguez, who served in the U.S. Army from 1967-71, understands just how meaningful Quilts of Valor are to the veterans who receive them because he was honored with one three years ago, and he said that only those who have served can truly know just how much of a sacrifice veterans like Clough have made.

"My time in the service was in the jungle. My most dreaded time was always back in base camp," Rodriguez said. "You don't know where to go and what to do."

Rodriguez also explained why he thinks it's so important to recognize and honor veterans like Clough for their service.

"It's always a pleasure to say thank you to these individuals and actually mean it and hear their stories because each story's unique," he said. "They're not touting the fact they're special or that they were in the military, but they are special. They contributed greatly to our society."

Another Quilt of Valor recipient at Post 120 Wednesday was Lonnie Jansen, who is also a friend of Clough's and worked with him at the Y-Yard. Jansen, who lives near Mason, served in the U.S. Army from 1971-75, spending several months in Vietnam, and he said he received his own Quilt of Valor seven years ago.

"One of my high school classmates was involved in doing these quilts, so she did one for me," Jansen said. "I felt very honored. It's special when somebody that you know appreciates what you've done enough to make the quilt and give it to you."

Jansen said that while he didn't know what a Quilt of Valor was before receiving his own, he now treasures it deeply.

"I told my son this morning, 'That quilt means a lot more to me than any of the medals on my chest,'" he said.

Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.