Quilt of Valor presented to Vernon Kressin

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QUILT RECIPIENT — Vernon Kressin, a longtime resident of Colfax who now lives in Florida, was recently awarded a Quilt of Valor by the Northwoods Quilts of Valor organization. —photo submitted

COLFAX — The Northwoods Quilts of Valor recently awarded a Quilt of Valor to Vernon Kressin.

Sally Johnson, a Colfax resident and a member of the Northwoods Quilts of Valor, sewed the quilt. 

Kressin, who is currently a resident of Lakeland, Florida, was a longtime resident of Colfax. 

In 1969, Kressin became a business partner with Ray Johnson in Ray and Vern’s Metal Works. The business was located in the Ford garage building on Main Street, which is currently the home of Colfax Chevrolet. 

In 1971, Kressin, who was a member of the Colfax Fire Department and Rescue Squad, passed the requirements necessary to become an instructor in first aid in standard Red Cross first aid and advanced Red Cross first aid.

In 1972, Vernon Kressin was elected as Colfax’s new municipal justice.

Kressin was drafted into the United States Army in the fall of 1958. He had his choice of serving two years or joining the National Guard for six months of training and then serving the remainder of the time in the National Guard.

Kressin belonged to Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Division of Wisconsin. He received training at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin, at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, at Fort Ord in California and at Fort Lewis in Washington state, 

“President Kennedy called us up for the Berlin crisis in October of 1961 to August of 1962 but then we changed to jungle training in the Olympic National Forest, and then I was sent back to the Wisconsin National Guard to finish my tour of duty through October of 1964,” he said.

Kressin received an honorable discharge as a Staff Sergeant/E6 in October of 1964.

Vernon Kressin has been a member of the Russell-Toycen American Legion Post 131 of Colfax for 42 years. He is a Vietnam Era veteran.