Quilts of Honor Delivered to Veterans At Memorial Day Service at Marvin G. Shields Post 26.

I once had a friend who reminded me of a quilt. She had the warmth and personality that made me think of the qualities of a quilt in that she always had room in her life to add another friend. I was fortunate to be one of them for the short time that I knew her. A quilt, like Roberta always has the potential to add one more patch or section to its final product. A quilt brings warmth and comfort to all who wrap themselves in one.

On Memorial Day the local chapter of Quilts of Valor Foundation presented 30 handmade quilts to WWII and Korean veterans. I have been attending ceremonies at the local American Legion in Port Townsend for over 14 years and this had to be the most emotional ceremony I have witnessed.

I can't image the amount of time that must have went into creating each of these beautiful art pieces that was personalized for each veteran. Each quilt had the recipients name and the names of the women who had made the quilt. I usually don;t take photos during the indoor ceremonies but on Monday I went to the front of the room to try to capture a few images. Luckily with my 70-200 lens I was able to zoom in from afar without being too much in the way of the ceremony.

There was hardly a dry eye in the house during this ceremony. Each group of women that had created the quilt presented and really engulfed the veteran as they placed the quilt over their shoulders. Some were too frail to stand and were given the quilts as they sat with their families. The tearful emotions shown in the eyes of the women presenting the quilts as they touched and patted the quilt molding it to each veteran. It was amazing to witness. You could see the appreciation that this recognition and the response of the nearly 350 in attendance made for each person receiving a quilt. These lovely quilts will be part of their lives and passed down through generations honoring each mans service. Thank you to Kathryn Bates and all the quilters from the Jefferson County Quilts of Valor.