Happy Wednesday Friends!

Hope you have bought your tickets to our very special 15^th Anniversary Thank You Weekend. Only 17 sleeps till the Saturday night dinner.

Please enjoy another wonderful collection of gratitude letters and images.

So, grab a nice warm cuppa or cold drink (depending on where you live!), sit back and relax while you soak up some well-deserved gratitude!

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Dear Heather B,

Thank you for the most amazing quilt and for your very kind letter. The quilt was presented to me last night at the Parramatta RSL Sub-Branch Spring Dinner.

I was really humbled to receive the quilt and to think that you must have spent many, many hours doing the design and sewing. The time and commitment that you and the other quilters give is sincerely appreciated. The quilt really captures my experiences in such a personal, touching way.

I have attached a photograph of me holding the quilt with Hillary T (who sews quilts for Aussie Hero Quilts, and has a connection to several of the members the RSL Sub-Branch) and in the centre our friend. In fact, Hillary and my friend are part of a cycling group I occasionally join.

When I read your letter, I thought I could identify with you in many ways. I had two great uncles who were prisoners of war of the Japanese. Both survived and returned to Australia but at least one, a survivor of the Sandakan death march, was profoundly affected.

I enjoy running but have suffered a few injuries. To take some pressure off running (and sore knees, achilles etc), I also swim 1 km twice per week. I really enjoy my time in the pool but am very slow.

I am yet to retire but, when I do, I look forward to enjoying some train journeys in Australia (including the Ghan). In many ways, I am more interested in seeing more of Australia than other countries.

With best wishes

Presentation by Hilary P

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Good evening Ruth S,

Thank you very much for taking the time to make me a personalised laundry bag.

I cannot thank you enough for the time and effort you have put into making it, the bag is amazing!

A little about myself,

I’m currently posted to HMAS Arunta (an Anzac frigate based in Sydney). I have a Wife and 2 year old Son who live just south of Nowra NSW, I try to get home as often as possible dependent on work schedule.

I joined the navy in 2012 fresh out of high school.There have been plenty of amazing experiences throughout my career so far and I look forward to hopefully many more.

Fishing is an absolute passion of mine! Every trip/deployment I always bring a couple of fishing rods just in case haha

Once again thank you so much for the laundry bag

Kind Regards,

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Dear Gayle W,

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the hand written letter and have indeed enjoyed using my new laundry bag.

I am glad to hear that you are enjoying your retirement and leading a full life.

Your hobby (sewing) is indeed useful and I can’t express how appreciative I am of your hard work.

I too love gardening however only have the space for a few indoor houseplants at the moment.

Unfortunately I had to give most of them away recently because of work needing to send me away for such extended periods of time.

The only one I have kept is a fiddle leaf fig my mum bought for me not long after enlisting.

She too has a bit of a green thumb and often takes in and fosters cats and dogs from the RSCPA back home in Perth.

I would just like to say how much it means to me there are still good people out there that appreciate what we do.

Wishing you and your loved ones all the best.

Kindest of Regards,

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Dear Philomena H,

Firstly, I apologise that it has taken me a number of weeks to reply after receiving your laundry bag. Life always becomes quite hectic when I return to my day job as a teacher after being away serving with the Army Reserve.

As I mentioned when I collected the bag, I am a Reservist with The Pilbara Regiment and have been serving for over 10 years. During that time, I have completed a number of roles including G-Wagon driver, Zodiac Coxswain and Bowman, Combat First Aider, and now Signaller.

Alongside my service, I work as a teacher at a high school here in Western Australia. Teaching can be challenging at times, but it has been a rewarding career. I've been at my current school for quite a while now, so I really get to know the students. Motivating them can be the biggest challenge, but every now and then you have those moments where everyone gets involved and enjoys themselves, and those are the wins that make it worthwhile.

I have a small family: my partner, whom I have been with for over 10 years, and our three-year-old daughter who is growing up far too quickly. I may be biased, but our daughter is a beautiful little girl with a bright personality and she is absolutely our world. My partner and I spend every spare moment we can with her, which sometimes makes balancing military service a little challenging, but it is always worth it.

At the time I collected your laundry bag, I was serving on Operation Resolute, which often takes me a long way from home. The reason I specifically chose yours was the Spider-Man design. Our daughter has recently entered her superhero phase and absolutely loves Spider-Man at the moment. Seeing that design immediately made me think of her.

Being away from family can be difficult, so it was wonderful to have something that reminded me of home and of my daughter while I was away. What may seem like a simple laundry bag carried a much greater meaning for me because of that connection. I really appreciate the time, effort, and care that you put into making it. It looks fantastic and I know it will last for many years.

A laundry bag is actually something I always seem to forget to pack, so I can guarantee yours will be put to good use for a very long time to come.

Thank you again for your kindness and generosity. Please know that your gift was genuinely appreciated and made a real difference while I was away from home.

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Hi RachelB,

I just wanted to reach out and say a huge thank you to you for the laundry bag that I received!

The bag I chose was an Arnott's Biscuits bag and I absolutely love it.

Just a little about me - I first joined the army in 1996 and served for 10 years at 3RAR, completing three tours of duty prior to discharging in 2006.

When I left the army, I became a detective in the WA Police Force and resigned in 2023 to pursue a simpler life.

I rejoined the army reserve in 2019 (whilst still serving as a police officer) at the ripe old age of 40.

Since joining the army reserve, I have done several disaster relief operations as four border protection rotations across the north of Australia.

I love to serve my nation and I will continue to do so as long as my body can endure.

Again, thank you so much for the laundry bag. I was so pleased to receive one. Its an absolute work of art which I will use at every opportunity.

Regards,

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Hi Sue N,

I am a recipient of one of your quilts.

I am 34 have been in the Navy for 15 years. 10 years of that time has been at sea on Patrol Boats out of Darwin. Primarily my time was on the recently decommissioned Armidale Class (the ones depicted in Sea Patrol).

As you may have guessed from the mix of themes (mostly the addition of lillies) the quilt I requested is intended for my soon to be first born. We have been told its a girl (I'm still not convinced).

Im sure she will love the quilt, or I may just have to keep it for myself for when I go to sea.

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We love a presentation and this recipient was very pleased....

Bobbie S and the Mystery BOMers

Bel, can you redact the name on the quilt..

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Hi Gayle W,

Today I received the beautiful AHQ laundry bag you made for me. It is absolutely stunning, I couldn't have wished for anything better. I like that all the badges and logos are on one side, great choice.

I too live on an acre but in North Queensland with small dogs and goats. We did have some rescue chickens for a while but sadly they have all passed now. When I return from deployment next year I think I will get some more as you can't beat fresh eggs. Eggs are actually readily available here in South Sudan from the markets so they form a staple part of many people's diets whilst on deployment.

I'm looking forward to seeing my family on my next trip home in November when my eldest son graduates from year 12 high school.

It sounds like you have a full plate with all your social activities which is great to hear. That is one of the rewarding parts of this deployment, meeting and socializing and with people from all different walks of life. My social activity of choice is playing 8 ball pool or a BBQ.

Thank you again for all that you do with AHQ, its truly appreciated.

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Dear Ruth S,

Thank you so much for your lovely letter and for the laundry bag you made for me. It arrived safely, and I wanted to let you know that it was exactly what I was after. The care and thought that went into making it are greatly appreciated.

It was wonderful to read a little about yourself and how you became involved with Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry Bags. Knowing that volunteers like you give their time and skills to support serving members makes receiving these gifts even more special.

Thank you again for your kindness and generosity. Your laundry bag will be put to good use, and it certainly brightened my day. Please know that your support and encouragement mean a great deal.

With sincere thanks and best wishes,

Regards,

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Dear team,

Today I presented a very special quilt for Vietnam veteran. It was a well kept surprise and he was very chuffed.

The quilt was made by Bobbie S and the Mystery BOMers. Quilted by Philomena.

A very happy recipient and a beautiful quilt for him....

Presented by Gayle W

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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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