Grati-Tuesday 22nd November 2022

Written by AHQ

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22 November 2022

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Happy Tuesday Friends!

Hope everyone has had a fantastic week.

Wow only a few days off being a month till Christmas. Where has the year gone. It has flashed by 'in the blink of an eye'.

As usual we have some beautiful thank you's which have come from far and wide and a moving presentation to the daughter of a recently passed veteran.

So grab your tissues, a nice strong cuppa then sit back, relax and enjoy!

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Good morning Heather B!

Firstly thank you very much for my amazing quilt it’s sitting on my bed right now, really brightens up my room and

encompasses so many of my passions, thank you again!

That is a great story of how you sew for Aussie Heroes and got into quilts!

Certainly sounds like you’ve had your fair share of people in uniform in your circle of friends and family, it’s a great calling and service to the country.

That is quite the story and history your uncle has, funnily enough my mothers’ parents actually met in a Japanese POW Camp if you can believe that!

Best of luck with the swimming, sounds like you’ve got quite the km up and by the time you get this I’m sure the Masters’ Games will have come and past, best of luck with that. Hope you guys smashed it! The sailing is great and a few of the organisations which support the unit

have connections with sailing and we’ve been out on a couple boats which has been awesome, such a great experience and opportunity!

I hope you are staying Covid free and enjoying the time ticking over the km in the pool and Bentley is keeping you both entertained and out of too much mischief!!

Once again, thank you very much for the quilt, it is perfect and will accompany me wherever in the world I may be sent/go!

Thank you

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Good morning Bridget R!

Firstly thank you very much for my amazing laundry it’s sitting on my bed right now slowly filling up, really brightens up my room and encompasses so many of my passions, thank you again!

It is great, and I can personally say that whilst I was deployed I was very envious of the other blokes who had their own quilt and/or laundry bag, and now I have my own, and my bag is the best one, (definitely not bias at all).

Certainly sounds like you’ve had your fair share of people in uniform in your circle of friends and nursing is such an honourable profession who never receive the credit they are due! So thank you very much for your service and work for the community.

All the best Bridget I hope you and your family are staying safe from Covid and enjoying the warmer (and hopefully drier) weather.

Thank you again,

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Hi Jan-Maree,

I have attached some photos of the quilt presented at the Queanbeyan RSL sub branch to the daughter of the intended recipient who has sadly passed before we could present it to him.

It was presented in-front of his mates.

Many thanks to you and all at AHQ.
His daughter was very moved and plans to have his quilt draped over his casket for the funeral.

Regards,

Quilt made by Bobbie S and Mystery BOMers with embroidery by Keryn M.

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Dear Toni F,

Thank you so much for your lovely laundry bag, it is exactly what I had in mind when I sent the request thru. I have been using it everyday out here in the UAE. It is about 41 degrees here today which is a nice change from the high 40 degrees days we have

been experiencing over summer.

I also left school to become a graphic designer but I did not much enjoy the coding that accompanied the core course. In the end I finished a degree in Arts and joined the Army to become an Intelligence officer.

Thank you for your amazing service to the Nursing home. My partner is a nurse and began a long placement in an Aged Care Facility. She always talked about how difficult it was I am glad you have been afforded the chance to retire and to spend a bit more time on your hobbies. You are doing such a fantastic job with these bags – thank you so much for mine !!

My partner and I have just moved to QLD and I will be sure to keep using my bag when I finally get home in November.

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Hi Ruth S,

I received a lovely surprise recently when I received your amazing laundry bag. It is brilliant, and really made my day. They are such a good idea – being of immediate practical use and looking so good.

The team have been delighted with the support we have received from people like you; although the mail system can be laborious into the heart of Africa at times, particularly after everything pretty much shut down during the pandemic, it has been so good to get these packages!

I have been here for about five months with just over 3 months to go. I got back to Australia in September for a couple of weeks. It was wet and cold. And my plans to meet with family in Uganda over XMAS have been scuppered by an Ebola outbreak there.

I have really enjoyed the work here – it is busy, but working with so many professional military officers from around the globe has been brilliant. In fact, there are 15 Australians in the team but from a United Nations perspective, there are 30 in the team from 23 countries. We do get out a fair bit and it is good to see the country although it can be heartbreaking….they are definitely doing it tough here.

Anyway, I had better get some dinner on. The football world cup has started which will be a welcome distraction.

Thank you again for your thoughts and a fantastic laundry bag!

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Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in.

Tuesday's would be so totally boring without them!

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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,