On Saturday, the Alabama and Georgia Quilts of Valor hosted their July ceremony at Shawmut Methodist Church, where12 veterans were honored. Debra Alexander, the group’s spokesperson, welcomed a large number of families, friends, and veterans.
“I want to welcome you on behalf of Quilts of Valor. We are a local group within a national organization, and last year we awarded 52 quilts to veterans.
Army veteran and Opelika Councilman Todd Rauch followed Alexander’s comments with prayer.
Quilts of Valor was started in 2003 by a lady named Catherine Roberts. Catherine’s son was deployed to Southwest Asia, and she had a dream one night of a young soldier
sitting on the side of his bed, and he was fighting demons, something you veterans know about.
I think a lot of you guard your families from those monsters, which is admirable, and yes, families know that you’re protecting them. They’re not keeping secrets from us; they just don’t want us to bear what they bear.
We thank all the families for holding the home front down while our soldiers were overseas. Babies were born, people died, and their military soldier wasn’t there, so we appreciate you for holding everything down.
Following Catherine Roberts’ dream, she decided to do something for veterans. So she got a couple of her friends together, and they started making quilts for veterans.
“Throughout history, heroes have gone off to war, and times were hard, and people didn’t have a lot, but ladies, moms, sisters, aunts, uncles, people from church, ladies in the community
would gather and make a quilt”, said Alexander.
“These are not just a quilt; they are love from home. Whenever it gets cold, it gives warmth. Whenever a soldier gets nervous or anxious, it provides comfort.
Your community is your home, and know that you’re loved; know that you’re thought about a lot of us
when we sew; we don’t know who will get the quilt, but we pray that it brings our message to
you that we’re appreciative; we thank you for your service; we thank your families.
Now when you get this quilt, yes, it’s beautiful; there’s a sample in the back of
a top that hasn’t been completed, yes, they’re beautiful, and they’re nice. Use
this quilt. If you spill tea, coffee, spaghetti, I don’t care what you do to it,
it. You get grease on it, it’s okay. If we can’t get it repaired, we will give you
another quilt. What I’m saying is don’t set it up and say it’s pretty. Don’t tell
the grandkids, can’t touch that because we want you to enjoy it. It’s yours. It’s
from us to you to say thank you.”, added Alexander.
The following veterans received their Quilt of Valor.
Todd Rauch
Charles Kelly
Ford McClain
Lee Enlo
Erik Wagner
Harold Mobley
Julie McGill
Mike Hammock
Carey Daughtry
Lori Wilheit
William “Billy” Anderson
Virginia Urchuck
See the Photo gallery of the July Quilts of Valor ceremony on the next page.
