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Quilts of Valor given in PdC

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Jan Ashby

Nathan Baker

Martin Bunts

Tom Farrell

Mark Fortner

Joel Gerlach

Bob Goodman

Terry Kendall

Tom Olson

Larry Solomon

Lynn Wagar

By Correne Martin

A Quilt of Valor is a handmade covering of red, white and blue fabric layers and padding stitched together with kindness and gratitude. It is presented to a veteran or military service member touched by war, free of charge, as a token of thanks from the community in hopes of providing comfort, peace and healing. Some are presented in public ceremonies, while others have been given in private. To request one for yourself or a loved one, one must simply ask.

Across southwest Wisconsin and northeast Iowa, especially in the past five years, quilting groups have enjoyed selecting the perfect patriotic patterns and piecing them together for quilt creations that each have a one-of-a-kind design. Just as every veteran has a unique story of their own experiences, the Quilts of Valor awarded are also distinctive and meaningful. 

According to QOVF.org, the Quilts of Valor Foundation is a national organization that started in 2003 by a woman, named Catherine Roberts, of Seaford, Del., whose son, Nat, was deployed in Iraq. The first Quilt of Valor was awarded in November 2003 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to a young soldier from Minnesota who had lost his leg in Iraq. Her dream to blanket all service men and women with the "hug" of a quilt grew into a foundation and spread across the country. Volunteer awardees now gift these "civilian purple heart" quilts in all 50 states, and over 230,000 have been presented in 16 years. 

According to Sue Lynch, local Quilts of Valor program chair, the quilts represent three layers of comfort. The top represents the community and the individuals who've crafted the quilt. Each stitch is made with love and gratitude, and sometimes even tears. The center provides warmth, peace and healing for the men and women who have felt or still feel despair or the emotions instilled by war or their service time. The backing pulls it all together, providing strength for the veterans and their families.

Numerous Quilts of Valor presentations were made on or around Veterans Day this year, including one at The Pickett Fence in Prairie du Chien. There, 11 men received quilts, and about 25 family and friends joined in with their appreciation during an official ceremony. Recipients included: Prairie du Chien veterans Larry Solomon, Marine Corps, Desert Storm; Tom Farrell, Marine Corps, Vietnam; Bob Goodman, Army, Korea; Nathan Baker, Army, Iraq; Martin Bunts, Army, Vietnam; Jan Ashby, Army, Korea; Lynn Wagar, Army, Korea and Desert Storm; Joel Gerlach, Army, War on Terrorism; Seneca veteran Tom Olson, Army National Guard, Vietnam; Wauzeka veteran Mark Fortner, Army and Reserves, Vietnam; and Bagley veteran Terry Kendall, Army, Vietnam.

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