Veteran's Day with Mr. Morris

This past Veterans' Day has been very unique and memorable. My quilt group made a quilt to give to a local veteran through the national organization called Quilts of Valor. The quilt was made out of Civil War fabrics, with embroidered words of virtues inside every other block and was beautiful on it's own, but what was most remarkable was giving it away. Each member of our group wrote about what it had meant to them to be involved in making this quilt and giving it to a soldier. The Quintessential Quixotic Quilters or Trippe Q's learned more about themselves and each other while serving a very deserving man-not unlike life, we always get more from giving, than from receiving.

The national organization, QOFV asked us to try and have publicity for our event (to help spread the word "to cover ALL war wounded and injured service members and veterans with a handmade quilt") , and thanks to my amazing daughter, Candace, we had extreme coverage including multiple TV stations, newspaper articles and an online magazine article written on this event. The event on it's own
was amazing. There
was hardly a dry eye in the room but especially on any veteran's as another amazing daughter, Marianne sang a'cappella "God Bless America". A General and Colonel presented the quilt to our recipient, World War II Veteran, Richard V. Morris, who not only served as a radio gunner from 1941 to 1945, but has been working as a volunteer at a local VA hospital for 21 years visiting veterans like himself "because they need someone to talk and listen to them who understands them".

It was my pleasure to get to know Mr. Morris and feel of his goodness. When I dropped him off at his house on Veterans Day I asked him to tell me about his flag pole. He flys flags everyday because flags represent freedom. That day he had chosen the American Flag, the Navy Flag and his two squadron flags. Richard V. Morris is a hero. He served his country in time of war and continues serving others now even though he is 89 years old, and he does it with a smile on his face.

I want to grow up to be like him.

God bless America.

Anyone interested in making a quilt for a veteran or serviceman visit www.qovf.org for more information