United States Army Corporal - Denny Cernik - Korean War Veteran

Mr. Denny Cernik, shown on the left, was awarded a quilt by Dove of Peace on Thursday, March 13, at the Omaha VFW Post 2503. He served the United States during the Korean War as a Corporal in the Army.

Six weeks after marrying his bride, Mr. Cernik was drafted. Prior to service in Korea, he was stationed at  Fort Carson and Fort Lenard Wood. He arrived in Korea on July 15, 1953. Shortly thereafter, Armistice ended the war on July 27, 1953, with the official signing of the truce.

Thereafter, Mr. Cernik worked in the finance department for four months, in Korea, and the remainder of his two years of service in Japan.

Mr. Cernik was assigned to work in a joint program that combine the resources of the Army with that of the Air Force. In this instance, he was assigned to work with an engineering battalion. He was one of two men responsible for the payroll of 195 records. This included all of the ledgers and logs associated with bookkeeping.

The Good Conduct and Korean War Service Medal are amongst those that Mr. Cernik received.

His fondest memory includes all of the nice people he met while on duty.

A member of a large family, consisting of two brothers and three sisters, he is also the proud father to two daughters and a grandfather to two grandsons.

One of the ways Mr. Cernik gives back to the community is through volunteer work for the Omaha VFW Post 2503. As shown in the photo, Mr. Cernik was surprised with the quilt while he was cooking for their monthly taco night. His life also includes volunteer work at his church.

Vietnam veteran and fellow VFW member, Bob, shares the job of holding up the quilt.

The quilt, while not patriotic in color, certainly captures the spirit of the United States. It consists of blocks used during the rugged years of our growth. The "Log Cabin" blocks, bordering the quilt, represent the heart or heart of the home, while the logs surround it represent all of the attributes of a home.

The stars in the quilts center are called "Portsmouth Star." While they have numerous meanings, the most relevant belongs to the Abolitionists. Quilts were made by women that used them to provide messages to the slaves.

When four log cabin blocks are combined, as they are on the back of the quilt, it represents the community uniting to build a barn, and the blocks are then called "Barn Raisers." This Barn Raiser represents the unity of a community that comes together around the heart and warmth of the hearth.