Quilts of Valor presented to veterans touched by wars
The quilts are given as a gesture of peace, comfort, and thanks.
In honor of Patriots Day on September 11, a special ceremony was held at Roscoe VFW Post 2955. Eight veterans who served in Vietnam and in Korea were presented with handmade Quilts of Valor. The quilts are given as a tangible symbol of gratitude, a gesture of peace and comfort, and a way of thanking the veterans for their service to our country.
The quilts were made by Shelly Johnson, Winnebago County Quilts of Valor coordinator, and Jacquie Becker, coordinator in Boone County. The quilts are made of high quality hand-stitched material. "The quilts are not meant to be used," Johnson said. "They can't be bought or sold. They are only given to living service members who were on active duty and honorably discharged."
Quilts were presented to Maurice Buffo, Don Vaughan, Tom Cleland, Donald Ball, Darwin Wilcox, Ed Suchoski, Mark Freidenaur, and Rodney Engelkes.
Quilts of Valor came into being in 2003 when Catherine Roberts, a quilter, began stitching a quilt for her son when he was deployed to Iraq. Since 2004, over 421,941 quilts have been awarded.
