The Arrowhead Valley Chapter of the Daughters the American Revolution and the Quilts of Valor organization recently honored Sam A. Renzi, a World War II veteran, at his home in Loma Linda.
Joanne Morse, regent of the Arrowhead Valley Chapter, and Brenda Bunch, Arrowhead Valley Chapter member and co-leader for Stars and Scrappers with Quilts of Valor, visited Renzi in November and presented him certificates of honor and a Quilt of Valor.
During their visit, Renzi, who celebrated his 100th birthday in October, recounted his experiences as a combat medic in France during World War II.
As a Seventh-day Adventist, Renzi did not believe in taking a life, so he did not carry a gun. He said he was armed “with a hypodermic needle instead of a gun,” according to a news release from the DAR Arrowhead Valley Chapter.
During World War II, Renzi served in three campaigns, including the invasion of southern France.
In recounting his experiences, he spoke about a day when he was in the process of rescuing five soldiers who had stepped on mines in the forest. He said he also stepped on a landmine and nearly lost a leg and his life, according to the news release. He was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
After the war, Renzi returned to his theological studies and then spent more than 40 years as a pastor in the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.
He says his aim is to outlive Methuselah, who in the biblical account lived to be 969.
The Arrowhead Valley Chapter is part of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, a nonprofit nonpolitical volunteer service organization founded in 1890. Members are direct lineal descendantsof those who supported the cause for independence in the Revolutionary War.
For information about the Daughters of the American Revolution, go to dar.org and for information about the Arrowhead Valley Chapter, go to arrowheadvalley.californiadar.org.
Quilts of Valor was founded in 2003 and its mission is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with Quilts of Valor. Since its founding, the organization has awarded more than 373,000 quilts to service members and veterans, according to the news release.
For information about Quilts of Valor and to nominate a service member or veteran to receive a quilt, go to QOVF.org.
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