Eight deserving LaSalle Parish veterans were honored Thursday night, May 21, as the Quilts of Valor Foundation presented them with personalized quilts.
The moving ceremony took place at First Baptist Church in Jena as volunteers with Quilts of Valor were present to recognize the veterans for their service.
Sharon Miller, a volunteer with Quilts of Valor Foundation and part of a group of ladies from Central Louisiana who quilt for the organization, spoke during the ceremony.
“Our members make quilts and award them to veterans and active service personnel throughout our state,” she said. “We are part of a network of over 11,000 volunteers all across the country and we use donations of fabrics, money and time to create the quilts we award.”
“Our mission is to honor our service members and veterans who have protected our great nation, both on the front lines and behind the scenes,” Miller told the crowd last Thursday as she was joined by other QOV volunteers.
The eight awardees were:
Jimmy L. Berry, US Air Force;
Guy N. Campbell, US Army/Air Force/National Guard;
Walter Creel, US Air Force;
Carl Gulde, US Army National Guard;
Jon Lord, US Navy,
Earl Peavy, US Navy;
Steve Thomas, US Army; and
Cleveland Thompson, US Army.
Each quilt was specially hand made by volunteers and on the back of the quilt is a label that allows future generations of their families to know what they have done for the United States.
For more information about the Quilt of Valor Foundation, visit www.qovf.org.
