Grati-Tuesday 17 July 18

Written by AHQ

17 July 2018

Grati

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Some gorgeous thank you messages again this week.  I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do.  
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Dear Noelene, 


I would just like to say a big thank you for your care package, I really wasn’t expecting one at all! I just hope that this email goes through correctly and doesn’t land in your junk mail. 


I’m 32, married to my beautiful wife, have a very cute, soon-to-be 3 year old son and expecting a new member of the family in February.  I’m a doctor, trying to help as much as I can to keep everyone here healthy and assist when they’re unwell. Luckily, everyone is doing well and I haven’t had to do anything serious, which is a good thing. 
Once again, thank you very much for your lovely letter and care package.
Kind regards
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Good Evening Lyn


I had the pleasure to receive a lovely laundry bag that you have made on behalf of Aussie Hero Quilts.  Thank you for your generosity, I absolutely love it and it will be an item I will keep as a memento of my current deployment.  The work that you do is truly appreciated by defence members and something we all look forward to receiving.  

Thank you for your lovely letter and sharing apart of yourself with me.  I haven’t hadn’t the pleasure to visit the SA Riverland area yet but will defiantly be on my to do list.  I am currently deployed in the Middle East and the temperatures are very hot here at the moment.  This week has seen temperatures in the mid to high 50 degrees in the sun, so we are looking forward to some cooler weather in the coming months.  Thankfully we have air conditioning to escape to.
I joined the military 18years ago from a small country town in South East QLD.  I spent 15years in the Navy however transferred across to the Air Force a few years ago now.  I am employed as a Medic and enjoy my work both here and at home.  I am a mum myself to two children ( 2 & 5 ) years.  I have done a number of deployments now and each one brings new challenges and experiences.  
I am looking forward to coming home.  Myself and my husband have both deployed in the last twelve months so we have been very busy.  We also enjoy camping and adventuring around our great country.  We hope to buy a caravan ourselves on my return home.  Our plan is to spend the next few years discovering the NT and WA.   We have seen a lot of our beautiful country through our work but are looking forward to showing our children as well.  
Thank you again for your generous gift and please know it is greatly appreciated
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Good Afternoon Jan-Maree,

I have just received the quilt and laundry bag today and with much excitement and joy. Both were made with such great care and expertise and I feel privileged to have received them. The work that yourself and the other quilters do is amazing and greatly appreciated by all who receive them.

I must also convey the good feeling I had, being able to add such bright colours to my sleeping space, which was quite drab and boring.

The team and I will be getting a photo with all of the quilts and laundry bags and sending it in the near future, so that you can see how much we appreciate your hard work and see the people who benefit from it.

Please pass on my heartfelt thanks to Deirdre for the work that she has done and how much I appreciate the effort and time taken to make such a beautiful quilt and laundry bag.

It gives me such pride to serve my country and especially kind hearted people like yourselves.

Kind Regards 
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Good morning Ellen,

        I recently received a wonderful package in the mail. I wanted to pass on my extreme gratitude and thanks for the wonderful work you have done. My wife and our children absolutely love the design and I think that somehow, my 3 year old daughter will steal it from me once I am home.

        Please keep up the fantastic work you do as I know that it puts huge smiles on all our members over here when they receive their quilts or laundry bags.
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Dear Clarissa,

I would like to send out once again a big heartfelt thank you to yourself for the amazing quilt, I love it, and the addition of the Wallabies balloon and two of my favourite biscuit packs just topped it off.

Once again, thank you so much for the quilt, laundry bag and all the goodies inside, and thank you to yourself and all the Aussie Hero Quilts volunteers.
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Dear Fran

Thank you so much for the quilt.  It’s perfect!  The time and effort you’ve put into it, along with researching Tolkien’s runes is amazing.  The blue border was an inspired choice too, it really makes the lettering pop.  I’d love to know where you got the panels from.  I wouldn’t think Spotlight would have a large supply of Hobbit maps.
I’ve been serving in the RAAF as a Communications and Information Systems Controller (CISCON) since August 1996 when I joined from Tasmania.  Almost about to chalk up 22 years!  I’m married to J and we have 3 children.   J’s mum is also a quilter and so our house has a number of them gifted for many a reason.  
Thank you again.  Wishing you well.  Scott

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Hi Clarissa,
I’ve fallen in love with my laundry bag and quilt.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
They definitely lit up my tent.
I’ve taken a photo of myself and will send the pic via email once downloaded.
Believe me when I say your gifts are appreciated by all Aussie Hero quilt recipients.
Thank you for your support.

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Dear Ruth,
I am the happy new owner of your laundry bag.
It is exactly what I pictured when I filled the request form.
I’m a communications Tech currently serving in Afghanistan.
Over here it is hot, dusty and smells.

Now thanks to you I have a smile on my face whenever I do my washing.
(which is every day due to the amount of smelly gym clothes I go through).
Again, thank you for your support.
Thanks again for the washing bag.  I will treasure it always.

…..

Hi Jan-Maree

I would like to inform you that I have received the quilt and the laundry bag as well as other presents. The girl sent me a nice letter and how she made my quilt. Please thank her 100 000 millions times. I fell bad that she was going through so much trouble trying to fulfil my request. The quilt is very special to me and I love it very much. Please thank her very much. I think she put more effort on that quilt than I am doing on my deployment :). I am currently busy at work as well as some personal staff going on but I have her contact details and will try to respond one day (when the thinks getting settle). 

 Thank you is not enough, everyone here is been amazed by the efforts on my quilt as well on the other guys quilts. Thank you from my name and name of all deployed personnel.
All girls from Aussie Hero Quits deserves medals. 
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Dear Bridget,
I cannot thank you enough for the fantastic laundry bag and quilt that you have taken the time and effort to make for me.  I am absolutely chuffed with them, they look better than I could have imagined.
I personally am from a family of 6 children, 4 boys and 2 girls.  Both of my sisters married into the RAAF and my 3 brothers all joined the RAAF.  What choice did I have but to join the Army?!?  I have been serving for 14 years now in the RA Sigs Corps and can say that whilst the work is not always the most glamorous, the friends and mates that I have been fortunate enough to make and serve with does make it worthwhile.
I am a married member with 2 daughters, one has started high school this year, and the other is in her last year of primary school.  My wife is a registered nurse, who I’m sure that you can appreciate is very busy balancing both her career and family whilst I am away.  We are lucky in that my in-laws have been able to move into our family home to assist with taking care of the house and home, being there makes a huge difference.  The family home is completed by a mischievous cat who adopted us by coming to our front door and never leaving.
Life here is very hot at this time of year, but they have provided us with air-conditioners where possible.  We have access to a dining facility where we are served a wide array of different foods but can eat at the small local cafes if we would like a change.
Some of the services provided here are some gym facilities to pass away the time, and laundry and tailoring services.  We are provided with an internet service which helps immensely when keeping in contact with our families and loved ones back home, and keeping up with the news.
I would for my part like to express that we (deployed service members) appreciate the work and effort that all the sewing ladies put in to ensure that we are appreciated and not forgotten by the creation of these wonderful quilts and laundry bags.  I can certainly say with all honesty that a huge smile was on my face when I opened the package, and would expect that most reactions would at least be the same.
Yours sincerely,

…..

Dear Jan-Maree,

Thank you very much for your email. I am pleased to let you know that I have recently received my quilt and laundry bag. I absolutely love it and really appreciate it. I’m very grateful for all the work both yourself and all the quilters do in making these wonderful gifts. I cannot speak highly enough of the Aussie Hero Quilt’s. Each and everyone one of you does an amazing job! Can you please pass on a personal message to Bev and Geoff C from Bendigo, thanking them for my quilt and bag. The quality and detail of both the quilt and bag is amazing and I’m very thankful for their gift. I hope they enjoyed their travels to Adelaide and Mildura for the craft and quilt shows.

I’m honoured to be able to receive these amazing gifts, and will cherish them forever.

Many thanks again, 
…..


Huge thanks to all our volunteers… you are the ones that make this work!

Till next time…. keep spreading the word and happy stitching.

Jan-Maree xx



Bobbie S and the Mystery BOMers. Emb Joan Quilted by Philomena and added to by Bridget
LB Ruth S

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Good afternoon Hilary P,

I am writing to say thank you so much for the lovely quilt, laundry bag and letter!

I am amazed at the detail and thought you have put into the quilt for me and I can not thank you enough!It is something I will treasure for a long time and I will definitely be using the laundry bag on my next deployed or trip!

I really appreciate the time you took to write the letter noting how busy you and all the other volunteers are at AHQ. I hope the annual dinner in Canberra goes well. You all deserve to be celebrated for the work you do.

Even though I am back from my deployment now, I am honoured to know there are people like you out there, looking out for those of us away from family, friends and loved ones.

Thank you again!

Kindest regards,

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Dear Sue-Ellen S,

I’m in the Royal Australian Navy posted to HMAS Stuart and currently on deployment in Asia. I am 25 years old and I grew up in Melbourne and joined the RAN when I was 19 and I now live in WA. The other week I received the laundry bag you made along with your letter. Thank you so much for the laundry bag as its well made and the perfect size. I greatly appreciate the work you do with AHQ and at your local RSL (pulling beers is essential work 😊) and all others who volunteer. As a sailor a sturdy Dhobey bag (laundry bag) is very nice to have and makes life onboard just that bit much easier as the standard issue bags tend to rip and tear. I enjoyed reading your letter and hearing about your family military history. I hope your retirement is going well and I wish your sons the best.

Kindest regards,

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Hi Ruth S,

I just received my laundry bag that you compiled. It is fantastic, so thank you for your time and effort to make us veterans feel people care.

Again, thank you and take care

regards

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Good evening Sue-Ellen S,

I'm an electronics technician in the Royal Australian Navy, proud father to a rabbit named Pickles, and as of the other day, the even prouder owner of a majestic blue laundry bag covered in platypuses (or platypies... whatever the plural may be).

I must admit, I wasn't originally looking for a new laundry bag we get issued a fresh one with every new posting, after all. But the moment I saw that vibrant blue pattern and the platypuses (which happen to be my mother’s absolute Favorite animal and that felt a little bit like the universe was trying to tell me something), I knew I had to grab it right away.

Fun fact about the humble platypus: because they lay eggs and produce milk. So, if you're ever stuck in the bush craving an omelette a platypus is your one-stop shop!

On a more personal note, I hope your sons are doing well. Reading your letter, your pride in them and the work they do shines through so clearly. They are incredibly lucky to have such a supportive mother in their corner.

I personally have not attended one of the charity dinners for the Doby bag cause, however a ex of mine has in 2024, and apparently it was quite the shindig.

Thank you so much for everything you do with your local RSL. The support you provide isn't just vital to active service members, it's a massive morale booster for the entire veteran community.

Please make sure to enjoy a well-deserved pint (or several) after reading this. You’ve more than earned it.

Warm regards,

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Dear Hilary T,

I would like to express my gratitude to you for the beautiful laundry bag that you so skilfully created. I was gifted it after completing a deployment. The design and craftsmanship is impressive.

I am a member of the Australian Army Reserves and work as a signaller. I too originate from overseas- I am Scottish, and like you moved to Australia for better weather and more of an outdoor lifestyle for our children to grow up in. It has been such a beautiful country to live in and we appreciate all of the opportunities that we have been given. I joined the Reserves as a way of serving and giving something back. (I am a Sonographer in my full time job. )

I will be proud to use the laundry bag whenever I am away with Army and once again, thank you so much.

Kindest regards,

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Good Afternoon Clarissa L,

I'm a Soldier at the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and was very fortunate to receive a laundry bag sewn by yourself from Aussie Hero Quilts. I know I and everyone who received one was very grateful for your token of appreciation and to know that we're being thought of. It will be very handy as I'm about to step off on a six week task within Australia. Again thank you very much for giving up your valuable time to help ADF Personnel across the globe, it's greatly appreciated!

Kind regards,

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Dear Janice L,

Thank you so very much for my new laundry bag (its going to get a good work out) it is very hot on our current deployment.

I just wanted to tell you a little about myself. I’ve been serving in the Royal Australian Navy for 15 years now. During that time I have had the opportunity to work across Submarines, Supply ships and ANZAC Class frigates. (currently on HMAS Stuart) It’s been a challenging career, but one that I am proud of and enjoy. I have also been lucky to have some incredible experiences.

I have a wife and Family of 4 children (not including our dog JJ) back home in Rockingham, WA. We come from Brisbane but I had to move to WA when I started working on Submarines. One of the hardest parts of the job is spending time away from them.

The Navy is a big part of my life but my family keeps me grounded.

I hope this gives you a little insight into who I am. Thank you to Aussie Hero quilts and your self for the quilt.

Kind regards,

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Hello Hilary T,

I'm the recipient of the Bag you made and had sent to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment. I'm writing to thankyou for the lovely bag / letter and to express my gratitude for your support through Aussie Hero Quilts.

To let you know abit about the recipient of your bag, I was born and raised in Newcastle so I'm well aware of the beautiful country that is the Nelson bay area and try to take the opportunity to show it to my Cairns born partner whenever I get the chance, it just goes to show how close we probably were at one point even though we know live on the other side of the country.

I joined the Army in 2020 and commissioned through the Royal Military College - Duntroon in Canberra and was allocated to the Royal Australian Armoured Corps as a Cavalry Officer. Since then I have been posted to the School of Armour in Puckapunyal as an instructor then to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Townsville.

I thankyou again for your work and hopefully you know how much these bags were appreciated by everyone at the Regiment.

Kind regards,

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Hi Janice B,

I just wanted to email you and let you know I received my quilt and laundry bag.

I love them. I have read the Eragon series and recognised the Dragon right away. Not gonna lie, I squealed a little.
Also I did test the laundry bag and kept laughing.

My uncle was a submariner as well so we have a lot in common it seems! I loved reading your letter and about all your
adventures.

Thank you once again for my quilt and Laundry bad. I love them and appreciate all the effort you and your team put into
them.

Kind regards

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Hi Lois S,

Thank you so much for the beautiful quilt. I received it in perfect condition, and I wanted to let you know that it was exactly what I was after. The design, colours and space theme are fantastic, and I can see the incredible amount of work and care that went into creating it. The embroidered patches, ISS, Saturn V and Space Shuttle are particularly impressive, and knowing that they took around 250,000 stitches makes me appreciate it even more.

I also really enjoyed reading about your time in Florida and your visits to the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral. Watching the launch of Discovery STS-120 must have been an amazing experience.

Like you, I have been to the Kennedy Space Center multiple times, and I honestly think it is one of the best places to visit in Florida. Every visit has been memorable, and as someone with an interest in space exploration, I never get tired of seeing the exhibits, launch facilities and history on display.

Thank you again for your generosity, time and effort in making the quilt. It will be something I treasure for many years to come. I truly appreciate the support you and the Aussie Hero Quilts community provide to veterans.

Kind regards,

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The following letter was published on the 26th August so it may be familiar. We have now received permission to publish the photo so I thought it was very tied in with the letter, it deserved a second publishing:

Dear Shirley D,

I hope this email finds you well.

I recently received the amazing laundry bag that you made for me through Aussie Hero Quilts while serving with the Australian Contingent in the Sinai as part of the Multinational Force and Observers. Thank you for the incredible time, care and generosity that went into making it. Receiving a parcel from home is always appreciated, but receiving something handmade by a complete stranger was something quite special and I couldn't be more grateful.

I also wanted to thank you for taking the time to write such a personal letter. I genuinely enjoyed reading about your family, your textile art, and the remarkable work you have done supporting Australian service personnel since 2015.

Of everything you wrote, it was the story of your father that resonated with me the most. During this deployment, I had the privilege of leading a battlefield study of Alexandria and El Alamein four our contingent, where we walked the ground, visited the Commonwealth War Cemetery and reflected on the actions fought there. Reading about your father's service with the 2/24th Battalion, and the sacrifices he made at both El Alamein and later in New Guinea, made me incredibly proud of his service and privileged to have stood on the same ground where he and so many other Australians fought. It also struck me that, more than eighty years later, an Australian soldier is serving in the same region while receiving a laundry bag made by the daughter of one of those veterans. That is a connection I will never forget.

I also wanted to say how much I appreciated the Egyptian theme of the laundry bag. It was clear how much thought went into making something that reflected where I was serving, and the pyramids, the colours of sand and the kangaroos could not have been more fitting for my deployment with the MFO. It has already become one of my favourite keepsakes from my time in the Sinai and will be coming home to Australia with me when I return.

I've attached a photo taken overlooking the Gulf of Aqaba at South Camp shortly after I received your parcel. I thought you might enjoy seeing where your laundry bag ended up.

There are many people who contribute quietly to Australia's military capability without ever wearing a uniform. Your generosity, talent and countless hours of volunteer work are part of that contribution. Although we have never met, your kindness reached me on the other side of the world and made a genuine difference.

Thank you again for everything you do for Australian service men and women. It is deeply appreciated.

Kind regards,



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Cheers Catherine D

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

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