Memorial Day and More | Eastern NC Now

    Kathy Manos Penn is a native of the “Big Apple,” who settled in the “Peach City” – Atlanta. A former English teacher now happily retired from a corporate career in communications, she writes a weekly column for the Dunwoody Crier and the Highlands Newspaper. Read her blogs and columns and purchase her books, “The Ink Penn: Celebrating the Magic in the Everyday” and “Lord Banjo the Royal Pooch,” on her website theinkpenn.com or Amazon.

    Memorial Day is set aside to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, but it's also a day when I'm reminded to think about those service members who are still with us. The Quilts of Valor Foundation is an organization that does just that. I learned about Quilts of Valor at a World War II Roundtable meeting last year. This Atlanta group meets monthly, and that day, Cecilia McVickers joined the group to introduce us to the Quilts of Valor Foundation.

    In 2003, Catherine Roberts had a dream while her son was deployed to Iraq, and she describes it on the Foundation's website.

    "I saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. I could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional gutter. Then, as if viewing a movie, I saw him in the next scene wrapped in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. The quilt had made this dramatic change. The message of my dream was: Quilts = Healing."

    Her dream led her to found Quilts of Valor. Catherine envisioned a team of volunteers who would craft quilts to award to returning service men and women touched by war, quilts that would be reminders that their service was appreciated. Through the years, the recipients have grown to include service members and veterans of any conflict, not only declared wars.

    Cecilia told the story of the quilts and explained that volunteers across the country donate time and materials to create the quilts, each one meant to comfort and heal its recipient. Since its inception, The QOVF has awarded 182,533 quilts.

    That afternoon, she was there to award a quilt to the oldest WWII veteran present. One gentleman in his 90's proclaimed he'd be 97 in September, and another raised his hand to say he would too. Cecilia had come prepared with two quilts, so she invited both veterans to make their way to the front of the room. Each was draped with a beautiful quilt to take home and cherish.

    Cecilia left behind an informative and touching brochure that included the story of a WWII veteran. Al Lind was a POW for two years during WWII. When he discovered the Quilts of Valor Foundation, he was inspired to get involved. From 2007 until his death in 2010, he pieced together 450 Quilts of Valor.

    Whether or not you're a quilter, you can join the QOVF, and you can also make a tax-free donation. One quilt can cost as much as $250 to complete; donations help fund fabric, batting, and shipping. If you're interested in joining a quilting group, visit this website, to find existing groups. You can start a new group too. Just check out the how-to information online.

    These quotes from returning service members say it all:

    "As silly as it might sound for a soldier with over three years in Iraq and Afghanistan to say, that blanket became a true item of comfort and peace for the road ahead."

    "My quilt isn't another military medal to be placed in a box and sit on my shelf. I was moved to tears."

    All thumbs at sewing? You can always support our veterans with a donation to the Quilts of Valor Foundation, USO, VFW, or other veterans organizations this Memorial Day and throughout the year.

    Kathy Manos Penn is a Georgia resident. Her latest book, "Lord Banjo the Royal Pooch," and her collection of columns, "The Ink Penn: Celebrating the Magic in the Everyday," are available on Amazon. Contact Kathy at inkpenn119@gmail.com.