The VFW Calabash Post 7288 Presents a Quilt of Valor
By Frederick Walton
The VFW Calabash Post 7288 Commander, Mike Dichiara joined Auxiliary Chaplain/Historian, Julia Larsen to present a Quilt of Valor, hand made by Julia, to post member Colonel Rosemarie Deck (retired) at the VFW Calabash Post 7288.
Rose was recognized for her long military career and her service in both Kosovo and Afghanistan. Originally from North Dakota, Rose lives part of each year in Calabash. She is an active VFW life member and also a life member of the American Legion. Rose is currently the webmaster for the VFW Post website.
She was presented a "comforting and healing Quilt of Valor”, while her friends and fellow veterans looked on.
The Quilts of Valor Foundation (qovf.org) was born out of a dream by founder Catherine Roberts, whose son was serving in Iraq. She dreamed about his war demons dragging him down into an emotional gutter of utter despair. Her dream went on visualize him wrapped in a colorful quilt, his demeanor changed to one of hope and well being. The message of her dream was: Quilts equal Healing. Quilts of Valor was born out of that dream.
The mission of the Quilts of Valor foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with "comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.”
The first quilt was awarded in November 2003. By 2014 over 100,000 quilts had been awarded to active service members and veterans. In 2023, the twentieth anniversary year, volunteers presented over 350,000 comforting and healing quilts to deserving recipients.
A Quilt of Valor is a Civilian Award recognizing an individual’s service and sacrifice to defend our county’s freedoms. It is not a gift. As an award, it deserves a proper ceremony from grateful friends and family who may nominate them for the award of a Quilt of Valor. If you wish to nominate a deserving recipient, visit the nomination page of the their website to learn more about the process.
Julia Larsen has been quilting for many years and has lost track of the number of Quilts of Valor she has created. Each quilt is lovingly hand stitched and is her way to show her appreciation for the service of the Vets. If you are a quilter, visit the Quilts of Valor website to discover how you can participate or even learn to quilt for the first time.
The VFW Calabash Post 7288 thanks active duty service members and veterans for their service. They welcome all eligible Veterans of Foreign Wars to join them. They have an active social calendar and serve the community through many volunteer programs. Stop by the post for more information.
