Dear Sheena B, 

The quilt you made for me has turned up and I love it! The mix of sandy browns and coastal blues is great and gives off the coastal vibe I was imagining.  The palm trees top it all off!  I love the Rising Sun badge in the middle, it is very cool.  Thank you for all the effort you put into making it. The detail like the piping around the edge and swirly stitching give a great look.  The back fabric is also cool.

I’m actually quite excited to have a quilt from back in Australia for the rest of the trip.  It’s a nice reminder of home and certainly adds some character to the room which can get a bit drab.

Thank you also for the snacks, they are going down a treat, and the letter.  It sounds like you get out on a few adventures too which is neat.  My wife and I have moved around a bit while in Defence and lived in Sydney for a couple of years too. We were in Gymea in the Shire and were also close to the beaches and a national park.  We miss the location but certainly not the traffic.  We have done a spell in Brisbane and are now in Canberra with our two young children 7 & 4.  We hope to take them on some over seas adventures next year – maybe to Fiji.

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Dear Pennie T, 

Thank you for making me such a special quilt. I feel extremely privileged to have received it and I am very grateful for the time and effort you have taken to make it.  It has captured my memories of the Sinai perfectly and will be cherished.

In my excitement I immediately snapped a photo to send my wife who, like me, was amazed that there are people out there who give their time so generously. She was as impressed by your work as I was. So please know it will hold a special place in our home when I am back in Australia.

Thank you for everything you do to suppost us when we are far away from home. I hope you know that we greatly appreciate the work you do and that the quilts you make become important memories from our deployments that will last us a lifetime.

Your sincerely

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Good Afternoon Clarissa L,

I am writing to let you know that, the laundry bag you created with care has found a new home with me. I am incredibly grateful to you, and the other members that put it time to bring a little bit of light to ADF members such as myself.

I am a dog handler with ADF, whilst reading your letter and hearing about the black Lab that is “not so helpful for the garden” brings me joy. I know very well how playful they are, and how much mischief they get up to. Maybe we can look at purchasing some of your quilts (small) for supporting the furry companions the we work with.

Recently we had an dog within the cell pass away due to cancer. When he was laid to rest he was with a blanket that his handler used for him whilst deployed, along with other memorabilia from his time.

I also have a daughter, she is turning three in September and is the world to me. I hope the world will become a better place by the time she is of an age when she understands more about the world. But I look forward to giving her the best opportunities for success as we traverse what lays ahead.

To the best of my knowledge I am the first member in my family to serve but I sincerely thank you, and your family for everything that they went through to assist other families in need during times of incredible hardship.

Be sure to pass on my thanks to all the people that also help to create these incredible gifts to help out soldiers. They indeed boost morale and helps bring a little bit of home back into thoughts.

Best of wishes, and many thanks,

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Kind Regards, 

 

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Dear Ann S,

I felt so blessed to receive not only a quilt, but also a very heartfelt letter from you. Thank you for all your time and efforts in making a quilt for me and for the many others you have made to support the Australian Defence Force community.

Thank you for sharing the story about your father’s service.  It would have been tough on your family, and I am grateful for his service to have the beautuiful country we live in today.  I have travelled quite a lot overseas and while there are some magnificient places, there is nowhere like Australia. Thank you for taking the time to explain the importance of these sacrifices to your grandchildren; Australia’s future leaders.  Not everyone gets this opporutnity and understanding, but it is beneficial for the Australian Defence Force to have this community support. While I was posted to Perth for nine months last year, I volunteered at the local Army Cadet unit on Wednesday nights in Rockingahm.  It was great to have a similar opportunity to share my experiences and see the development in the young people there.

I was pleased to read that you started with Aussie Hero Quilts in 2018, as that was around the same time I joined the Australian Army.  I started in 2017 at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra after finishing high school in 2016.  After three years of completeing my military training and university degree, I undertook a year of training at the Royal Militaru College-Duntroon, which is also in Canberra. ADFA and Duntroon are open bases, and you should drive through and have a look if you can. The lookout at Mount Pleasant is one of the best views in Canberra and you can also see the original Scottish Homestead, Duntroon Castle, which is now the Officers’ Mess, as well as Changi Chapel that was rebuilt in Australia after World War II and the grave of the founder of Royal Military College, General Bridges, who was unfortunately killed at Gallipoli.

I am a Royal Australian Corps of Transport Officer by trade; however, I am on a bit of a different pathway at the moment.  I am remaining in the Australian Army, however in preparation for the new landing craft that the Australian Army is purchasing, I have been undertaking the two year Maritime Warfare Officers’ Course with the Royal Australian Navy.  In simple words, we drive the ship!  I started in January last year and have moved from Darwin to Perth, to Sydney, back to Darwin and now for the last six months of the year back to Sydney. While this much moving in a short space of time is not normal (usualy two year postings for Army Officers), I have seen a lot of amazing places and learned a lot.  Through my training, I was posted to a Patrol Boat, HMAS Bathurst and we conducted several border patrols in support of Operation Resolute, which also put us in contact with Aussie Hero Quilts. As you can see, I am on the move quite a bit, and now your quilt will join me in many adventures at home and abroad. It is a great size to travel with!  I will also be one of the first commanders of the new Army vessels, and your quilt will be very proudly used on one of the first vessels, which will have many years of sea service to follow.

It was great reading that your granddaughter recently went on the Young Endeavour. At the time of writing this, it is my last few days in Darwin before I move to Sydney for six months to finish off my course, but the Young Endeavour just pulled into Darwin on its current lap around Australia.  It is such a great opportunity. Medicine is an excellent, but challenging pathway.  I wish her all the best! Jervis Bay is a beautiful area, and I was there for an exercise in 2018. Safe travels to the parade. 

I have a strong connection with Australian country towns, having grown up in Toowoomba, Queensland.  That is most certainly where my love of horses came from and we are very excited to be hosting the equestrian for the 2032 Olympics.  My family breeds Arabian horses, but I also love Stock horses and I am very glad your family loves horses too.  With so much work travel, I just do not feel right moving a horse all around with me, but any time I am on leave at home or get a chance, I will be out riding like your family.  It is great to take your mind off work.  I spend about six months in a course in Albury-Wodonga in 2021 and travelled all throughout Victoria and New South Wales on the weekends, and Young is amazing horse country!

Again, I sincerely appreciate your time and effort to make a quilt for me and I will treasure it.

Kind regards

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Good Morning Heather B,

 

Apologies on the delayed response. But I did indeed receive my Quilt and absolutely love it! You did an amazing job, the bright colourful quilt brightens my room and its brings me a lot of joy and I’m glad that making it brought you joy to. As you can probably see in the picture! I do really enjoying getting our goodies from Aussie Heros and getting to read the letters from the amazing volunteers like yourself who put in the effort to bring us some joy. Also the tim tams were amazing one of the most exciting things to receive in a care package.

I do have 2 little nieces back home who I am sure will also love this quilt when they come to visit me once I’m back home.

 

It’s awesome to hear your connection to Defence. I myself have very minimal family connection to Defence, I grew up in a small country town in South Australia and decided joining the Army would be a good way to get out and see Australia and the world and am very grateful for the opportunity I have had.

 

I’m glad to hear you were not too badly affected by the tropical cyclone, would have been a bit of a nerve wracking time. And I hope you’re out enjoying your swimming.

 

Thank you

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