Cindy Postnikoff of Military Ames has presented another Quilt of Valour to a local veteran.
“It was an absolute pleasure to present a Quilt of Valour to Ret’d Staff Sgt. Termuende in Cranbrook on February 7, on his 92 birthday,” Postnikoff said.
Bob left Surrey B.C in the summer of 1951 and took a summer job in Spokane, Wa at the Kaiser aluminum smelter. During this time, N Korea had invaded S, Korea and Bob, along with 2 million others found himself drafted. He was sent to Fort Hood, Texas and trained in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense. Bob studied hard to be the best he could be all in his commitment to serve.
By the Spring of 1952, after 17 days at sea, Bob found himself in Germany. There he joined the 141st Medium Tank Battalion stationed at a former German Luftwaffe base at Langendiebach, north of Frankfurt. One morning at 0200 the unit was awakened and directed south where their tanks were loaded onto old German flatcars that were narrower than the tanks! The troops boarded the old passenger cars. They travelled SE past Nuremberg to the Czech border. There the unit was positioned facing east to what Churchill called the “Iron Curtain.” On the other side of the ‘curtain’ were the Russian troops, also carrying out maneuvers. Thankfully, in this situation, full blown war did not erupt.
In 1953 Eisenhower stopped the Korean War and the demilitarized zone was put in, Bob was released from active duty. He then put in another three years in the Reserves and was honourably discharged in Sept. 1956.
“Thank you Bob, for your honourable and faithful Service and Canada is so proud to call you ‘our own’,” Postnikoff said.