Harlan native receives Quilt of Valor

AREA — Harlan native of 50 years, Donald Christensen, was awarded his Quilt of Valor May 29 at Peace Haven Retirement Home for his service during the Korean War.A Quilt of Valor is a quality, handmade quilt that is machine or hand quilted. It is awarded to a service member or veteran who has been touched by war. The Quilt says unequivocally, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation,” according to the Quilts of Valor website.Christensen was awarded this honor alongside four other veterans: Bruce Damgaard, Leo Rechtenbach, Robert Dierking and Kenneth Blum. All five of the awardees went overseas during their time in the military. A program was held to celebrate the five veterans, with members of the American Legion in attendance.Christensen went to basic training when he was 21 in Fort Riley, Kansas. Following his completion of basic training, he came back home and got married to his wife.“We were married on the 16th of May, and on the first of June, I left to go overseas,” Christensen said.Christensen was drafted on June 1 of 1951. He was stationed in Japan for a year and a half. During his time there, he worked as a radio operator for four and a half months.“They had needed 12 radio operators in Japan, and I got to be one of those,” Christensen said.After that, he went to meteorology school and worked with weather balloons for roughly a year.During his time in Japan, Christensen enjoyed going all over the country to sightsee on a Cushman motor scooter he bought during his time there. However, he did feel a sense of homesickness from time to time.“I had never been away from home, so of course, I missed people,” Christensen said. “I definitely missed my wife because we’d only been married two weeks, so we didn’t have much of a married life, and of course, I missed my parents too.”Before his service, Christensen was a farmer and returned to it after he was discharged in October 1953 until 1960.Christensen has been living at Peace Haven Retirement Home since January 1, 2022. He enjoys the sense of community at the home.“There’s a camaraderie of the people; everybody’s just friends,” Christensen said.