Quilts of Valor presented to area veterans
GAYLORD — Two Gaylord area veterans were recently gifted quilts of valor at the Gaylord Regional Airport thanking them for their service.
One of the quilt recipients, Phillip Braden, grew up in Battle Creek and served in army for 20 years, from September 1975 until October 1995. During his military career, Branden was in the 101st Airborne Air Assault Division and was stationed in Germany, South Korea, Belgium, the Sinai, and the Middle East.
He achieved the rank of sergeant and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
After his time in the military, Branden was a truck driver and he drove a school bus.
He has six children, 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and enjoys fishing and hunting in his spare time.
The other recipient, Dan Phillips, grew up in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and then joined the US Marine Corp. His 21 years of service began in July of 1980 at boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina. From later in 1980 until 1983 he was training at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina in artillery and then went for two, six-month floats to the Mediterranean and a six-month float to Honduras and Nicaragua.
In 1984 he spent one year in Okinawa, Japan and then, from 1984 until 1986, he was an artillery instructor at the NCO school at Camp Geiger. 1986 found Phillips as a Marine Corps drill instructor back in Parris Island as well as a water safety survival instructor.
From 1990 to 1991, Dan attended the Navy EOD school, Explosive Ordinance Disposal, in Florida and Maryland. Continuing his training as well as instructing and supervising from 1991 until 2001, he worked with EOD teams on various installations in the US as well as in Panama and Japan. Dan left the Marines in 2001 with the rank of Master Sergeant E-8.
He received many awards including Meritorious Unit Commendation, Certificate of Commendation, National Defense, Air Force Achievement Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Coast Guard Medal amongst many others.
As a civilian, Philips worked as a corrections officer in Otsego County as well as a work camp supervisor, range instructor and a self-defense instructor. He is married to Stacy Gauthier and they have three children and three grandchildren. In his free time Phillips now enjoys time with his family, camping, fishing and hunting.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Quilts of Valor presented to area veterans
