From Linda Kau - Alaska State Coordinator
It's been awhile
since I sent a State of Alaska update, so guess I'd better do that! This
year we've had several major award ceremonies and numerous individual
requests and visits. We also made trips onto Joint Base
Elemendorf-Richardson to award QOVs at the Warriors Transition Battalion,
and to individual soldiers and airmen, when requested.
In
April, we awarded quilts to the veterans returning from Washington D.C.
on the Last Frontier Honor Flight. Twenty-three men and women enjoyed
this surprise award at the Welcome Home ceremony. We've been asked
to award QOV's once more at this weekend's Welcome Home ceremony. On this
flight, of which twenty-three more recipients, will reach out to the farthest parts of the
state's northwest corner; the Northern Interior, Annette Island in the
Southeast, Kenai Peninsula, as well as, veterans located throughout South
Central. One recipient is a member of the Alaska Territorial Guard, he
kept his eyes on the Japanese during WWII. The only lady veteran on this
flight was in the Nurse Corp where she met a young sailor whom she
married after the war. That's a total of forty-six WWII and Korean War veterans. We might have missed them had it not been for the invitation to be part of
The Last Frontier Honor Flight Welcome Home ceremonies.
In
September, we made our 4th annual visit to the Alaska Veterans and
Pioneer Home, where we awarded QOVs to twenty new veteran residents and three
other local veterans for whom quilts had been requested. Each year,
attrition takes away so many of our older veterans that we find
that about twenty new QOVs are needed each September. This year, one lady
veteran made the day extra special for everyone. She was so excited to
receive a quilt and to see all of her fellow veterans receive theirs
that her cheers and hugs warmed everyone's heart. We always have the
local JROTC Color Guard open the ceremony and a local lady with a
beautiful voice sings the National Anthem. Even the veterans who aren't
able to leave their wheelchairs come to attention during this ceremony.
Another
group that we have had the pleasure of making QOV's and awarding to is the local
chapter of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association. They've even made
me an associate member because I seem to "show up" to so many of their
meetings.
In November, ten more of their members will be recognized as we award them QOVs. This will bring the total up to thirty-five members who
have been recognized.
Our semi-annual retreats held at the local VFW post, always include awards held each evening and on Saturday
afternoon. The VFW Auxiliary gives us names to honor each year, usually
reaching out to the older veterans at their post. This year I also
invited several for whom I had received individual requests for to join the
festivities. At the fall retreat, I had one veteran ask if one of his
buddies could also receive a QOV. Of course, I said yes. The evening
of the event, a surprise visitor, another buddy who had served with the
other two at various posts, came to watch the event. Buddy #2 said, "I
sure wish I'd known Gonzo was going to be here, I'd have asked if you
could honor him, too." Well..........of course there just happened to
be an extra quilt on the table and an extra award certificate in my
bag.......So we ended up awarding fifteen quilts that weekend.
The
group in Fairbanks covers the Interior and does a great job. They award quilts to the
soldiers at Ft. Wainwright. When requested, they fill all of the individual
requests for the Interior and reach out to the far north. Recently, we
had a request for eight quilts to go to the small village of Anaktuvuk
Pass (ever watch Ice Road Truckers?), Sally, our group leader, was
able to find a traveling nurse who will use her airline miles to carry
those quilts to the village and make the awards. This is an area that's
pretty much isolated much of the year due to poor roads.
The
new group, who formed earlier this year on Kodiak Island (about 250
miles southwest of Anchorage), hung their first eleven quilts at their
local guild's quilt show the first weekend of the month. While there,
they received several nominations which they will be able to fill
immediately. Nice! This part of the state can be reached only by air or
water, so I'm especially grateful to have a group leader there to make
awards and bring the quilters into our fold.
Another
new group this year is called Christ Church Cut Ups. Cute name, no?
Before they even formed the group they'd received a grant from their
diocese to buy tools, fabric, etc. to make quilts. Now they have added
Quilts of Valor® to their ministry and we awarded their first quilt this
last Friday night. I hope to have pictures and a story about this man
and his QOV® soon. He's in his mid-nineties and has served his country
and church all of those years. His service to the country started (as he
said) proudly in April 1941 and continues today.
A
guild in a neighboring town, between my home and Anchorage, has also
formed a QOV membership group. They are off to a slower start, they have
made one award so far. With the coming of winter I expect to hear more
about their activities soon. They also hold monthly sew day so I'm sure
they'll be up and running before long.
If you've read this far.......thank you! When I start talking QOV I seem to get very long winded.
Linda Kau
State of Alaska Coordinator
Quilts of Valor® Foundation
Wow!! That's amazing! Keep up the good work and reporting!
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