Happy Wednesday Friends!

Once again we have a multitude of thank you’s from around the globe. Grab a cuppa, sit back and relax while you soak up some well-deserved gratitude!

AHQ Thank You Dinner is only 66 sleeps!

Don’t forget to buy your tickets.

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Dear Jan-Maree,

Many thanks to you and your team organising and producing my beautiful Aussie Hero Quilt – I really appreciate all the work and thought that went into making it.

The Army Reserve’s Commander of 5th Brigadier and her Regimental Sergeant Major from Holsworthy Barracks recently presented me with the quilt in my home.

My wife kept your secret until one hour before guests were due to arrive. Originally, we had planned for just her best friend she has known since kindergarten and her husband to come over for afternoon tea. Yvonne then elaborated and told me my two sisters, and our three sons would be joining us and a Brigadier and RSM!

My family were so proud of me for my more than 48 years of Defence service as extolled by the BRIG. They were also so grateful to you and your team for producing such a wonderful quilt in recognition of that service.

Thank you again for the great work for current serving Defence personnel and veterans.

Please take the time to read my Facebook post about the presentation: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AvEVZAGpj/

The quilt was made by Lynn F with embroidery by Joan B and quilted by Philomena H

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Hey Beverly U,

I recently received an amazing laundry bag from you. I can’t even articulate how thankful I am!

My great grandfather served in the Light Horse, close to the area where I’m currently serving. This is why I humbly requested the theme that I did.

From the moment I saw it, I was grinning from ear to ear. It will stay with me forever as a memory of serving and as a memory of my great grandfather’s service. He is my idol.

Thank you so much!!!!

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Good Morning Bridget R,

I hope this email finds you and your family well.

Just emailing to let you know my spaceship laundry bag as part of HMAS Warramunga has arrived.

It is exactly what I was hoping for and is the perfect size.

Thank you very much for your time taken to make these laundry bags, you have made a lot of people happy.

Hope you have a very lovely weekend.

Kind Regards,

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Good morning Ellen N,

Opening your quilt – brought a smile to my face this morning.

I’m the first generation of my family to join Defence since WW1 and WW2, and I grew up in Perth but have ended up on this side of the country where I have been lucky enough to work on the USS Canberra commissioning, Exercise Malabar and deploy in HMAS Sydney for her Regional Presence Deployment last year. Before moving to the Joint space and working with Army and RAAF where we’re at a highly deployable unit where we’re the first people out the door when they need PA effects, so you can be away a lot and leave very quickly.

I organised our unit to receive AHQ at the beginning of this year as we’re away a lot of the time overseas, at short notice and as our orders slowly arrive they certainly bring up morale.

Let me know if you would like to know anything else. 🙂

Thank you

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Dear Marianne R,

A quick note to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the amazing laundry bag you crafted for me as part of the official invitation to the Aussie Hero Quilts thank you dinner.

I have been in the Air Force now for 39 years and despite multiple deployments around the globe over that time it was not until last year’s dinner that I received my first ever quilt. It was quite the surprise and I found myself somewhat uncharacteristically emotional. The time and effort and love that each one of you puts into each one of these incredible items can be seen in the amazing craftsmanship.

My wife was deeply thankful also as I truly believe that she should take the majority of the ownership of my quilt and now laundry bag. 32 years of marriage, all while I have been in Air Force leads me to half jokingly call her the best single mother in Australia. Bringing up our two boys while I deployed around the world was not easy and I would not be where I am today if it was not for her unwavering love, support and incredible resilience.

I now have one son in Air Force and another going through the recruitment process. It would appear that there experience as a Defence kid was not too damaging!

Thanks again Marianne. Fingers crossed we can catch up at the dinner in Oct.

Thank you for your service and support.

Kind regards,

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Good Morning Bridget R,

My widest thanks and deepest gratitude for the laundry bag. I absolutely love it.

Little things like a personalised laundry bag that now matches my bedding at sea can make the time we spend away more pleasant.

I am the senior health care provider at sea. So from one health provider to another – thank you also for your service.

Kind regards,

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Dear Bel P,

I just wanted to say thank you so much for my laundry bag! It is perfect! I love it so so so much!!

It made more than my day that’s for sure.

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Dear Gail MacQ and the team involved in the Aussie Hero Quilts organisation,

Congratulations to all of you for your work. This quilt came as a great surprise to me, organised by my family and a current Army serviceman. It is magnificent and hangs proudly with a lot more memorabilia I have from my service in Vietnam and over the many years travelling this beautiful country called Australia.

You and your team should be proud of the work you do. Please pass on to all involved my grateful thanks.

Thank you so much.

Yours gratefully,

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Good morning Bridget R,

I received the laundry bag this week and I love it, thank you so much for making it for me. Before I deployed I had an (almost) endless list of things to pack, and unfortunately I did not pack a laundry bag haha! You have no idea how much this laundry bag will improve my life! Especially as my current residence has no washing machine, so I have to walk 1km to the nearest public washing area. The draw string is a genius touch. I also love the pattern you picked as it reminds me of home.

My partner is a nurse, and I see firsthand just how hard she works and underappreciated she is. Thank YOU for 40 years of service.

I wish you and your family all the best, thanks again.

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Hi Bel P,

You were right I probably should have been wearing some sunnies when I opened up the package!!

I Love it!! Colourful fits the style of Dia de Los Muertos. Unfortunately my Wife loves it even more so it may not be mine anymore .

Bit of back ground – my wife is Mexican-American we met when she just started travelling around Australia. She is the reason I picked the theme as I knew it would make for a very cool quilt design. I am very excited as later this year we will be going to Mexico to the place that has the biggest Celebration for Dia de Los Muertos which is going to be awesome.

Thank you again so much!!!!

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Dear Margaret B,

I am reaching out to thank you for the LB that you sewed for me and presented to me personally at ADFA.

It is beautifully made, and I love the Aussie icons and Navy ships printed, as well as the coffee.

As I am a new Chaplain in Defence, I don’t know if I deserve to be thanked for my service yet, but I intend to remain faithful to the calling to serve the men and women in our Defence Force as long as the Good Lord gives me the strength to carry on.

All of the chaplains received your thoughtful gifts with deep appreciation, and I am grateful to have met the designer of the artwork.

May the Lord bless you in your service, too.

Kind regards,

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Dear Bridget R

I am sitting in my husband’s nursing home room whilst he sleeps and just re-read your lovely letter (which is on his wardrobe door) sent with his quilt. I can’t tell you how wonderful it was for my husband to receive the quilt and it will always be treasured by the family. Extra special is that it was organised and gifted by one of his ex-students from many years ago.

All the staff at the nursing home admired and were touched by something so special. It also has helped them to learn about my husband’s past.

Keep up your wonderful, very meaningful work,

Again many, many thanks,

Quilt by Bridget R with embroidery by Joan B

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Dear Sue N,

I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks for the beautiful quilt you sent me. I feel incredibly honoured to receive something that is so clearly a labour of love. My grandmother has been quilting for as long as I can remember, so I truly appreciate the time, care, and effort that goes into creating such a thoughtful and meaningful piece.

I’m also a mother of three, two girls aged 5 and 6, and a 9-year-old boy. Our family is rounded out by our very spoilt four-legged companion, our dog Ruby. My husband is also in the Army and was proud to receive an Aussie Hero laundry bag while serving in Afghanistan in 2011.

We’ve been fortunate to be posted to Perth during my deployment, which has meant being close to my family. My husband credits my parents for his and the kids’ survival in my absence. Having grandparents nearby is such a gift. We’ve purchased a property in Bungendore, NSW for our next posting, and our main criteria was that it be big enough to host grandparents. I’m sure your daughter and her family feel just as fortunate.

I chose sunflowers for my quilt because they are my favourite flower, they remind me of my beautiful children and husband. My son, in particular, was so impressed by your craftsmanship that he has already claimed the quilt for his bed when I return home. Please know that your gift has not only brought comfort to me here in the Sinai but will be treasured by my family for years to come.

I do apologise for not replying by hand. We’ve experienced significant challenges with mail here in the Sinai, especially when it comes to sending anything back to Australia, currently, we’re unable to send mail to PO Boxes. I hope this doesn’t lessen the sincerity of my thanks.

Thank you again for all you do to support our serving members while they’re away from home. Thirteen years of creating lasting and sentimental keepsakes is an extraordinary act of generosity.

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Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in. Wednesdays would be so totally boring without them!

Cheers Bel P

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