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By Ayanna Eckblad

For the Stilley family, being a patriotic American was instilled from an early age.

Bill Stilley joined the U.S. Navy in 1963 and served until 1967.

“I was proud to be there, and we were at Vietnam … a lot of bad things happened,” Bill said.

At the time, Bill’s brother was also in Vietnam, serving in the U.S. Air Force. Bill’s father-in-law was a World War II veteran.

Bill grew up in Oklahoma, but moved to Minnesota when he got married. His children, Bruce Stilley and Rhonda Allison, grew up in Albert Lea.

“We grew up around the VFW,” Bruce said.

“I think my grandparents … instilled a lot of patriotism into our lives growing up,” Allison said.

“My grandpa, Bud, was in, and then my dad and Bruce followed suit, and I followed suit. And, you know, red, white and blue was just part of our upbringing, and the flag meant a lot to us.”

Bruce served in the U.S. Navy from 1986 to 1990. Allison served in the U.S. Navy from 1989 to 1993.

Bruce said he is proud to be part of a family with four generations of military service.

“Our mom’s dad was in World War II. He was in the Navy. My dad’s brother was in the Air Force, and we have an uncle … who was in the Navy, too,” he said.

“For me, I think being a veteran is the love for your country,” Allison said. “It’s giving back to your country as well, and I feel like, after you get out of the service, you continue to do that within your community.”

Bruce added that fighting and defending your country is what being a patriot is all about.

Allison said serving in the military gave her a deep appreciation for the freedoms people have in America.

“When you have been in another country, you realize how fortunate we are. And so when you come back here, you’re grateful for what we have, for the freedoms we have,” she said. “There’s so many things we can do that other countries can’t.”

Currently, Bruce is the commander at the Glenville Legion Post 264. This is especially meaningful as his grandfather was commander at the VFW Post 447 in Albert Lea.

“I know my grandpa would be very proud of Bruce for being the commander of the Legion in Glenville,” Allison said.

Recently, the three Stilley family members were given Quilts of Valor to thank them for their service. The quilts were made by Louanna Pederson and include personalized details such as what years the recipients served and what countries they went to.

“They’re beautiful quilts, and they’re all individual,” Allison said. “It showed, on them, what we did while we were in the service.”

Bill said that while being in the Navy during the Vietnam War was a scary experience, he is happy he did it.

“Would I do it again? Yes,” Bill said. “God and country! God bless the USA.”

As Veterans Day approaches, Allison encourages members in the community to show appreciation for those who served. Their sacrifices, she said, cannot be forgotten.

“Thank a veteran, because … we are where we’re at today because of them,” she said.