Many gathered at the Box Butte County Fair on Aug. 11 to recognize a local veteran for his service to the nation.
James Ditsch, an Alliance High School graduate with the class of 1969, was honored with a Quilt of Valor. He joined the U.S. Army in 1970 and served until 1972. He completed his basic training at Fort Leonardwood, Mo. and he completed AIT at Fort Knox, Ky., and was then shipped overseas, serving on border patrol between East and West Germany and Czechoslovakia. He received the National Defense Medal and Expert Marksmanship with M-16 and M-14.
Ditsch’s Quilt of Valor was made by Donna McKay, of Hay Springs. Ditsch currently lives with his wife Melanie in Custer, S.D.