Residents of the La Vida Buena community in Fountain Hills gathered to honor more than two dozen veterans with Quilts of Valor and Quilts of Honor at a program March 13.

Bill and Alice Brickell spearheaded the effort to make and present 25 quilts with national color schemes and themes.

Residents at the complex at Fountain Hills Boulevard and Keith McMahan Drive gathered at the community pool for the presentation. The program opened with the National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance.

Quilts of Honor recognize any who have served in the armed services, whether in war or peacetime. Quilts of Valor are to recognize those who have served in combat.

Those receiving recognition with a Quilt of Valor included John Monahan, USA-Korea; Larry Olson, USAF-Vietnam; Darren Hall, USA-Vietnam; Monte Eliason, USN-Vietnam; Richard Marks, USN-Vietnam; Ken Olsen, USN-Vietnam; Jerry Gagner, USN- Vietnam; Carlos Alvarez, USN-Vietnam and Ron Brazier, USA-Vietnam.

Those recognized with Quilts of Honor include Jim Doohen, USA; John Reynolds, USN; John Bivens, USA; Ron Williamson, National Guard; Dennis Schurman, ROTC; Don Robinson USN; Ron Peterson, USMC; Richard Smoltz, National Guard; John Nelson, USA; Rich Dalgren, National Guard; Jerry Miller, USAF; Jon Westlake, USA; Ted Price, USA; Elmer Heirigs, USA; Ron Beatty, USA, and posthumously to his wife, John Larsen, USA.

Greg Laube and his wife, Aggie, closed the ceremony by offering the “7 o’clock toast” of the American Legion: “To those that went, to those that are still there, to those that have not returned, and to those that never will.”