Two Chelan-area veterans honored with Quilts of Valor

CHELAN — Two local veterans were honored for their military service March 27, as representatives of the Quilts of Valor Foundation and the Lake Chelan Quilts of Valor group presented handmade quilts during a ceremony at the Bayshore Apartments.

Tracy Shaw and Jeanne Steiner led the presentation, awarding Quilts of Valor to Balentin Flores and James Ashmore in recognition of their service and sacrifice.

Shaw opened the ceremony with a brief history of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, explaining that founder Catherine Roberts was inspired after dreaming of her son deployed in Iraq, struggling until a quilt brought him comfort and chased away his fears. That moment shaped her belief that “Quilts = Healing,” and in 2003 she presented the first Quilt of Valor at Walter Reed Medical Center.

Since then, nearly 440,000 quilts have been awarded by more than 11,000 volunteers in 720 groups nationwide, including 26 in Washington state. All volunteers cover their own fabric and quilting costs.

Shaw noted that the organization’s work is guided by core values of respect, excellence in workmanship, service over self and accountability.

The ceremony first recognized Balentin Flores, known as Bal, a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours in Vietnam.

Flores was born in Weslaco, Texas, raised in Parlier, California, and graduated from Parlier High School. Reflecting on his decision to enlist, he said, “I enlisted in Fresno, California on July 22, 1968 because I knew it was inevitable that I would be drafted. I decided to enlist to get my service started sooner rather than later.”

After completing boot camp at Fort Hood, Texas, Flores trained at Fort Lewis in tanks, mechanics and communications. He served in Vietnam from June 1969 to May 1970 and again from May 1970 to February 1971, stationed at Lang Biang, where he worked as a mechanic and in communications.

He received an honorable discharge on Feb. 25, 1971, at the rank of specialist four.

Following his military service, Flores married his wife, Aurora, and eventually settled in Manson in 1988. The couple raised four children and now have six grandchildren.

Flores built a long career in agriculture, working for Bailey Orchards and later serving more than 20 years as vineyard manager for Tsillan Cellars.

Today, he spends time restoring antique cars and supporting his grandchildren at their sporting events.

“It was definitely an honor to be welcomed home with the Quilt of Valor,” Flores said. “I want to thank the quilters for all their hard work and dedication to this program and what they do to honor our veterans.”

During the presentation, Shaw and Steiner also presented Flores with a Vietnam Veteran lapel pin. Shaw noted that many Vietnam veterans returned home without recognition, saying, “Today we commit to every effort to right that wrong for all Vietnam veterans.”

The ceremony also honored James Ashmore, a Chelan native and U.S. Air Force veteran.

Ashmore graduated from Chelan High School in 1992 and worked as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service before enlisting in the Air Force in 1994 with the goal of becoming a firefighter.

He completed training at the Air Force Firefighting Academy at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas and later deployed to Iraq as a firefighter at a refueling air base.

Ashmore was honorably discharged May 15, 1996, and returned to Chelan, where he worked in bartending, construction and later earned his EMT certification. He went on to work as a superintendent overseeing construction of cellular antenna sites before returning to Chelan, where he and his wife raised two sons.

In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor recreation, particularly boating on Lake Chelan.

Reflecting on receiving the honor, Ashmore said, “I very much appreciate the Quilt of Valor, but in all honesty, I do not feel that I did anything to deserve it. I have chosen a life of service to my community and my country. It’s part of who I am. I have loved volunteering as an EMT and firefighter, and that has formed who I am. Being able to make a career out of it was my blessing.”

The ceremony concluded with Shaw and Steiner wrapping both veterans in their quilts.

“Balentin and James, today we honor you for your service, for leaving all you held dear to stand in harm’s way during a time of crisis and to protect us from the effects of war,” Shaw said. “You were part of the team that makes our military the best in the world.”

For more information about the Quilts of Valor Foundation or the Lake Chelan group, contact Sue Freden at lakechelanqov@gmail.com. The group meets the first Thursday of each month at 3:30 p.m. at the Chelan Fire Station.

Norm Manly contributed to this report.