Iowa Public TV, Catherine and QOV's

I am writing a few things that you can do with as you wish. It's early Saturday am and I've already downed my first cup of coffee. Marianne is working on hers to.

Scrabble is playing around with her chew toy. The morning is clear and cold. I think we leave for Iowa Public Television around 1pm. The pledge special starts at 2pm. Marianne says that it will be fun. 

Mark, her husband, asked if I was nervous.I replied 'no' as I have been shadowing Julie who does post editing at IPTV all week. In fact, everyone at IPTV have been very gracious and welcoming to me.

Ande Coyle, co-producer of the Pledge Special showed me the last segment. It shows the awarding of the three QOVs that the rookies made. 

Mary Lou's QOV was awarded to a WWII veteran. Heather's was awarded to a fellow comrade of her husband's from one of his deployments to Afghanistan. Dan Gable, who won the Gold medal olympic wrestling in ??? (don't know the year) was the third rookie. 

He awarded his QOV to a young combat veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan. I had watched the whole show and had various emotions ranging from 'how playful and entertaining the coaches and rookies were to I can't stand to see myself to I want to make THAT QOV too'. 

But when it came to Dan Gables awarding his QOV to that young combat warrior, I fell apart. Why? Because I saw the look in his eyes. He was no longer 'here' but 'THERE'. He was back in Afghanistan. That is what got to me. That faraway look that speaks volumes about having served in harm's way. I saw it recently when a Vietnam vet awarded a QOV to a WWII veteran and then here at the end of this documentary.

You can see this video Here

 THAT is why we do what we do. We make these QOVs to honor & comfort those who have been touched by war. Those fibers that are woven together contain the essential elements for healing. 

 
So my wish for this documentary is that those who see it will say "I want to get involved". This is a way to perform national service irrespective of politics, race or creed. It's all about giving back to those who have given so much.
 
 Now I have to quell my anticipatory nerves about being 'on camera'. It's not about me. It's about those men and women who have served our nation.

Submitted from Catherine - in Iowa!!