(Tribune News Service) — Army Command Sgt. Maj. (Ret.) Mike Birnbaum of Rapid City was honored with a Quilt of Valor for more than 38 years of South Dakota National Guard service. He was given the quilt during a ceremony on Oct. 2 at Joint Force Headquarters on Camp Rapid.

Birnbaum retired from the SDNG in 2006. He and his wife, Sarah, live in Rapid City.

Birnbaum was drafted into the United States Army on June 20, 1967, and served in Vietnam with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 9th Infantry Division as an Infantry Senior Sergeant. He spent some time as a civilian before enlisting in the South Dakota National Guard in 1973, where he served for more than 38 years.

Birnbaum served as the fifth State Command Sergeant Major for South Dakota, responsible for all enlisted personnel from 2001 to 2006.

Jan Clites, on behalf of Quilts of Valor, presented Birnbaum with his quilt made by Faith and Freedom of Calvert County, Md.

“I want to thank everyone who is here today as this is a pretty special honor. I want to thank my wife Sarah because she’s served for as long as I did and to my brother Terry who put me in for this award,” Birnbaum said.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation was started in 2003 and has presented more than 390,000 quilts to honor and comfort veterans and service members who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Latin America, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. Upon their return from service, some were met with criticism. Each Quilt of Valor is a tangible reminder of appreciation and gratitude for their service.

The Foundation’s mission is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comfort and healing Quilts of Valor.

For more information about Quilt of Valor and the nomination process, go to QOVF.org.

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