Grati-Tuesday 12th November 2024

Written by AHQ

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12 November 2024

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Happy Tuesday Friends!

We have a great bunch of messages and photos today, so grab a cuppa, sit back and relax while you soak up some well deserved gratitude.

Only 43 sleeps until Christmas Day.

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Good evening Aussie Hero Quilt makers,

I would like to express my sincere thanks for your efforts in making my quilt. I received my Aussie Quilt last week and I was pleasantly surprised by the finished result, I love it!

Pennie T it was also lovely to hear that the photo of the camel with the pyramid was from your sister-in-law travels, adds a lovely personal touch so thank you for sharing.

The quilt has brightened up my room here and I know it will be used for many years to come when I take it home with me next year.

The work you all do is amazing, keep up the great work as it truly does bring smiles and comfort to Aussies on deployment

Thank you again,

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Dear Sonia and family.

I was today assigned to Operation RESOLUTE in Darwin. The highlight of my day was picking up a ‘laundry bag’ which you’d made, and it’s a pleasure to thank you for your thoughts and exceptional workmanship!

I’m in the Army and came to Australia in 2022 following a 32 year career in the British Army, where I’ve deployed on multiple combat tours of Iraq, Afghanistan and Bosnia. This will be my first Australian operation, and thankfully not as kinetic, but equally important.

One of my most precious possessions today is a handmade quilt stitched by a colleague when my son was born in 2010. We still cherish this, and we think your laundry bag will be equally special, and is a testament to your selflessness and support to the ADF. You give us a dilemma though; do we use it for its intended purpose or frame it?

My family and I wish you and your family the best for the future and hope your son has an enjoyable and successful career in the Navy.

Warmest wishes

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Dear Robyn P,

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks for the beautiful quilt you made for me. As I’m currently deployed in the Middle East, it has been a tremendous source of warmth and comfort, especially as we move into winter.

Your thoughtful gift means so much to me, and it truly brightens my days. I appreciate the time and effort you dedicated to creating it. Knowing that there are wonderful people like you in Australia supporting us makes all the difference and makes this deployment worthwhile.

I also hope you continue to enjoy the stunning views of the national park from your home. I can only imagine how lovely it must be to see the gum trees and wattles every day.

Thank you once again for your kindness and support. It truly means the world to me.

Warm regards,

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Good afternoon Kirsten (Bindy) O,

I am writing to express my thanks for the beautifully crafted quilt I received from my Head of Taskforce recently which I understand you created. I have attached a picture of me receiving the quilt but note it is sideways!

I am beyond touched by the effort you went to, to produce a well thought out collage dedicated to my favourite things (pink, lego, echidna, my family). Although it was unlikely to be part of the brief, I was particularly moved by the inclusion of the blue wren patches as they represent something very special to me.

The time taken to create this quilt is greatly appreciated and it has already made a comfortable home on my bed. I have also excitedly sent pics of it to my family and friends.

27 years of service is a lifetime and you have certainly undertaken a breadth of experience during that time. I can absolutely appreciate the toll a role dealing with abuse survivors would have on a person. It is an important skill to understand and acknowledge when work is impacting us.

My knowledge of architecture extends only as far as lego building; but I will be sure to take note of the Bungendore Scout Hall next time I am out that way. Although I admittedly don’t stop in Bungendore often – due to the Canberra climate you reference, I prefer to stop over in warmer locations!

Thank you for your service and for your time dedicated to creating my quilt.

Many thanks

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Dear Sue N,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the beautiful quilt you made for me. Your talent and dedication truely shine through in every stitch, and it means so much to me to have something so special crafted by your hands, thankyou again for your kindness and thoughtfulness. I will cherish this quilt for years to come.

Warm regards

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Good Afternoon Ruth S,

Just wanted to say “THANK YOU” for the laundry bag I received recently. A fair bit of thought and work has obviously gone into these.

I’m sure everyone who received one appreciated this unique gift.

Regard

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Hi Ruth S,

I’m writing to thank you for the wonderful personalised laundry bag you made for me. I’m not going to use it as a laundry bag, in my opinion, it is too good for that. I have it hanging up on the wall in my bedroom. It must have taken quite a lot of time for you to put the bag together and then do the sewing of each one. It is appreciated I can assure you. Thank you so much.

I attended the 85 Transport Platoon Reunion held in Darwin around Vietnam Veterans Day in August 2024. We had a “Meet and Greet” to register for the event and your laundry bags were handed out to the veterans. Everyone was amazed at the quality and the individualised embroidery.

It means a lot to me as when we returned from Vietnam the situation was such that you never spoke about having served in Vietnam. This was due to both public backlash and that of the Second and First World War veterans claiming we had not been in a war. The “Welcome Home” parades went someway to gaining acceptance for Vietnam Veterans but I still had trouble talking about my service overseas.

I am very proud to accept your laundry bag and display it so I see it every morning and evening. It reinforces to me that we are accepted now and the work we did for the South Vietnamese people is being recognised.

Thank you for your labour of love and I can definitely say it does brighten my day every day!

Kind regards

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Good Morning Jan-Maree,

We were lucky enough to receive the laundry bags you and your team made at the start of the week, to say our crew on ADV Cape Schanck is grateful is an understatement, we’ve been quiet busy at this time of year and it was so nice being able to organise something that brought a smile to everyone’s faces.

We appreciate everything you and your team do please know it is so helpful and makes being away from home that little bit easier, I hope you and your team have an amazing Christmas period spent with loved ones, I look forward to the opportunity of working together again in the future.

Please pass on my personal thanks to Sonia J, I was lucky enough to receive a laundry bag made by her, I appreciate all the work and love she put into making it, I hope her son remains safe wherever he may be serving on the big blue, and she’s lucky enough to spend this Christmas period with him.

Kind Regards,

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Dear Sonia J,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the thoughtful and beautifully crafted laundry bag. Your message truly brightened my day, and I can’t express enough how much your kindness and support means to me.

I have currently spent 9 weeks away from home with another 6 weeks to go.

Thank you very much

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Presentation made recently by Bel P to a recipient on the occasion of his discharge from the RAN after 37 years of service.