Happy Tuesday Friends!

Wow, first Grati post of 2024!! It does not dissapoint. 

Grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy some well deserved gratitude!

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Hi Colleen S,

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Dear Ann,

Thank you so much for my Aussie Hero Quilt. It is hard to convey my immense joy on receiving it.

I received my Aussie Hero Quilt at the Christmas function of my RSL. It was presented to me by a retired Navy Commodore and the ideal person to present my quilt as I worked for him on HMAS Perth way back in the 80’s. Jan-Maree Ball was also there, she is also a member of my sub branch.

I could not be happier with the quilt. It is a thing of beauty and reflects my Naval service perfectly. You are a talented seamstress and have put a lot of thought into my quilt. It is logical and put together perfectly. I came straight home the other night after receiving my quilt when it was about 27°C outside, put my air conditioner on it coldest setting and wrapped myself in the quilt to watch movies. Some of my friends are suggesting I display the quilt on my wall. I think as a quilt, I will display it on my bed and use it to wrap myself in on colder nights to watch movies and reminisce about my time in the Royal Australian Navy.

I don’t think we as younger veterans see ourselves as heroes. I look back at the service of previous generations and see the people that served in WW1, WW2, Korea, and Vietnam as true heroes.

The veterans from the First and Second World Wars I have spoken to over the years have interesting stories but are usually very humble about their service. Which is amazing when they recount some of their experiences. I don’t see my service as a sacrifice. It is a great honour to serve your country particularly in times of need. My service career has allowed me to do things and go to places that I could never have dreamed of when growing up in country Victoria. They say that war service is 99% percent mundane and 1% excitement. I think I got a little more than my 1% in the gulf as I did some operational boarding’s and there was a bit of uncertainty at other times. I deployed to the Middle East Area of Operations three times. I was serving with highly trained professionals that I know would do whatever was required to keep me safe as I would do for them. I feel the real sacrifices are made by the families we leave behind. My wife was worried about me most of the time I was away and whenever any event happened they shut down communications out of the ship and the press are limited in what they can report. I have missed births, birthdays, anniversaries, and nearly every other important event. Two out of three of my gulf deployments were over Christmas.

There is an order that medals get handed down. I think it is more important that the medals stay in the family and are looked after by people that appreciate their significance. I mount medals for veterans and I think that if a relative puts in the effort to apply and sort out the medal entitlement, it is an indication that the medals will be kept in the family line and are in the right place. Hopefully you have them mounted and displayed in a prominent place. Wear them with pride on ANZAC day.

Thank you again for my quilt. It is everything I could ask for and so much more.

Kindest Regards

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Hi Kerry B,

Recently I was presented with a quilt made from your organisation. It was indeed a most prodigious honour.

It was the first such appreciation since my service in Vietnam fifty five year past. May I thank you,  Alison C and your committee for this Quilt. To think that after all these decades there are organisations such as Aussie Hero Quilts still involved with such matters is a huge credit to you.

I can assure you that this quilt will be proudly displayed in our household.

Enjoy the Christmas period and a healthy new year.

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Dear Bel P,

OMG! The quilt is fantastic!!! You exceeded my expectations by a mile! It is absolutely brilliant.  I love it! I love the small details, especially the embroidery, ‘This is the way’ so, so cool! And the laundry bag is the perfect match. Thank you so much. 

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Dear Christine C,

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for the beautiful hero quilt you crafted for me. Your talent has left me in awe, and I am immensely thankful for the time and effort you invested in creating such a wonderful piece.

1 am currently deployed to the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt where I am deployed on Operation MAZURKA working with the Multinational Force and Observers. Our role is to assist in the ongoing peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, which commenced in 1979. 

I was able to send the below photos to my wife and my two children (10 and 7) and they all really love what you have put together. The images and pattern are fantastic and the quilt is something that I will cherish for a lifetime.

It is evident that you enjoy making these quilts and for that reason, I am truly touched. The quilt not only looks amazing but will continue to serve as a keepsake and reminder of my time in Egypt and the thoughtfulness of the volunteers contributing to Aussie Hero Quilts.

Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for this incredible quilt.

Dear Bridget R,

 

I would like to thank you for the beautiful laundry bag that you made for my father.

 

Dad received his Laundry bag, along with a quilt, which was presented to him. To say he was over the moon was an understatement, I received a call from an elated Dad who was on top of the world having these beautiful handmade items given to him. He also relished the opportunity to chat with the CWO, who spent an hour listening to Dad’s stories. 

 

Sadly, however, Dad’s health rapidly declined and we were unaware he had heart failure with only a few weeks to a month to live. I was lucky enough to have travelled to WA to spend a couple of days with him and receive the news in person from the doctor. 

 

My dad passed away peacefully in November, and I am so blessed to have been allowed to see him the week before and also make it back to say goodbye. He is now reunited with my mum smiling from up above somewhere. 

 

A little about me, I am a serving member of the RAN giving a little over 12 years of service.  My husband, also does what I do, and I have a beautiful 19-month-old boy. We are so lucky to have him in our lives and lucky Dad was able to meet and see his grandson walk!

 

We have kept the beautiful laundry bag you have made, as a memory of his service. We also intend to take it with us to sea to manage our laundry as a gentle reminder of dad.

 

Wishing you a very merry and happy Christmas, and a very safe and prosperous New Year.

 

Take Care

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

Tuesday’s would be so totally boring without them!