Alaskan Veterans Honored with Quilts of Valor

On October 11, 2012, forty five residents of the Veterans and Pioneer Home in Palmer, Alaska, were presented with Quilts of Valor to show our appreciation for their service to our country. These veterans served in World War II, Korea and Viet Nam. All branches of our military were represented.

Before the presentation a couple of the gentlemen wheeled their chairs up close to the tables covered with quilts. One, a World War II sailor, just kept shaking his head saying, “So much work has gone into these. You can’t just give them away!” We assured him that the work put into the quilts paled in comparison to his own work.  He was still repeating “Just so much work!”  later in the evening after all 45 had been presented to his fellow veterans.

The evening’s ceremony was opened with the introduction of Colony High School’s ROTC Honor Guard by VFW State Commander J. R. Hastings. After leading the Pledge of Allegiance and a short prayer he then offered the floor to us to present the quilts. Each quilt was opened and shown to the audience before presenting it to its recipient.

One lady veteran shed a few tears as she remembered the “boys” whom she cared for during her years as an Army Nurse during the Korean War. “It was just shameful what those boys had to endure,” she said with a shake of her head. Then she tightly clutched her quilt to her chest.

One highlight of the evening came when a Marine veteran came in, dressed with pride in a t-shirt that proclaimed “My Grandson is a Marine.” He was so excited that his grandson had enlisted as an honor to him that he quickly dismissed this own Purple Heart and the service he had given to his country in previous years.

Each of the quilts presented that cool October evening were made by quilters around the Mat-Su Valley, ranging from Anchorage, Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake and Willow, Alaska. 

submited by Linda K - QOV Coordinator in Alaksa