Grati-Wednesday 7th January 2026

Written by AHQ

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7 January 2026

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Happy Wednesday Friends!

We are very grateful to be bringing in the New year with the lovely thoughts below.

There are, as always, some beautiful sentiments in the following gratitude letters.

Grab a cuppa, sit back and relax while you soak up some well-deserved gratitude!

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G'day Bev and Geoff C,

This email is to thank you for the work and care put into the Aussie Hero Quilt that you sent to me.

I joined as a Reservist in 2006, although have spent several years (including now) working full-time with the Air Force.

You might have received this feedback from others in past, but I want to relate to you that these quilts are prized by the ADF servicemembers, families and veterans who have been fortunate enough to receive one. Indeed, I can remember the crew of a Japan Air Self-Defense Force C-130 Hercules receiving quilts in gratitude for their support following the 2019/20 bushfires, and thinking there were few other contemporary ADF traditions like this to thank them for their service.

I appreciate the quilt that you have created, especially as it has the Air Force Crest and No. 464 Squadron badge. This was a war-time squadron that flew the Mosquito fighter-bomber over Occupied Europe, and in 2021 it was re-established to be the squadron for the Air Force's Imagery Specialists (photographers) and Public Affairs Officers. This isn't the kind of work that is everyone's first thought when they think of the Air Force, but the re-establishment of 464 gave a large group of people (including myself) a 'home' within the Air Force.

This sense of belonging is important when we're often called away at short-notice and extended periods to document the work that Defence conducts around the world. It matters to know that there are people in the Air Force (or indeed the wider community such as yourselves) who care about us when we're away.

The work done by Aussie Hero Quilts has long been something that I have valued, and I now count myself lucky to have one of my own. It will take pride of place in my young family (8F, 5M, 3F) when I am at home, and I will take it with me on trips to remind me of them when I am away.

Thank you again for all of the work that you do.

Cheers,

***

Here are 2 thank you letters to 2 different volunteers. One for a quilt and one for a laundry bag. One very happy recipient!!!

Good Morning Ellen N,

I like to thank you very much for the quilt you made for me. I absolutely love it.

Thank you for putting in the time and effort into making these quilts for us Defence members as we really appreciate it.

Please find attached a photo of me with my quilt.

Kind Regards,

Good Morning Ruth S,

I like to thank you very much for the laundry bag you made for me. I absolutely love it.

For my leave I went to England and got to watch Manchester United play at their home ground which is Old Trafford in Manchester which was spectacular.

Thank you for putting in the time and effort into making these laundry bags for us Defence members as we really appreciate it.

Please find attached a photo of me with my laundry bag.

Kind Regards,

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Good evening Shirley D,

I would like to say a massive thank you again for my amazing quilt, I love every part of it, you have done such an amazing job for a second time.

The day my quilt arrived could not have been timed better, it was a very busy period over here and I wasn't having a good day, but as soon as I opened that box, I knew it was you who had made my quilt, that amazing cricket print was the first thing I saw and I was so happy to know you made this for me as well. The happiness and joy this amazing quilt has bought me, I can't even begin to explain what it means. The poppy's and the sunset on it is better then I could have imagined, I was very emotional (in a good way) seeing how beautiful it is, and with my unit at the bottom as well.

Thank you so much for what you do with Aussie Hero Quilts and Laundry bags, anyone who gets the privilege to receive your amazing work I hope cherish it as much as I will and it means so much to me.

I hope you had an amazing Christmas, and a safe new year.

(The Tim Tams have bought great joy to the ops room yet again)

Thank you so so much,

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Dear Gayle W,

Thank you so much for the delightful quilt you made for me, I was absolutely thrilled to receive it and feel very humbled to be the proud owner of something so unique and special and I can assure you that it will be loved and cherished forever.

You are very talented and I absolutely loved the design you came up with, I especially loved the planes you created, so clever!

I just wanted to share a bit about me. I live in Canberra with my husband and two children.

One is15 and loves basketball and one is 12 and loves school, colouring-in and painting rocks.

I work full-time with the Department of Defence and have been a Specialist Reservist Public Affairs Officer with the RAAF since 2017. I have worked in Government roles for the past 21 years including 5 years in Air Force Headquarters.

When I left Air Force Headquarters, I had so much knowledge on aircraft types and Defence processes that becoming a reservist was the perfect fit and now enables me to mentor and train others.

I'm not sure if you are aware of the role of a public affairs officer although in wartime, it will be our role to share the good news stories, manage the photographers and videographers with creating content to be shared with the public and generations to come. One day I hope to deploy although I will wait until my kids finish school. They would miss their taxi driver and chef way too much!

I love my reserve work and have been given many fantastic opportunities. This year, I worked on the Federal Election Campaign as a RAAF Media Liaison Officer aboard a charter aircraft, I was the lead public affairs officer for the Air Force Balloon and Australian Air Force Cadets, my role mainly entails writing stories for Air Force News, social media and looking for opportunities to share content and take imagery. I also worked on the Bomber Command Commemoration and Legacy Week. No one year is ever the same and next year, I have been tasked with writing content for the Australian ANZAC Day Service nationally which I am very much looking forward to.

Aside from my reserve work, I am also studying part-time and am in my third year. I love learning about people, their personalities and behaviours.

Thank you again for sharing your talent with me by creating something so unique, immensely delicate and beautiful, it will be treasured forever.

Wishing you a truly wonderful and blessed Christmas and I hope 2026 is an amazing year for you and your family.

Best wishes

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Dear Beverly and Joan,

Thank you very much for the quilt that you both worked on as a gift for me, it has come in handy on cold nights here. I am currently deployed on OP MAZURKA.

I grew up on the Gold Coast and have been in the Army for twenty years and am posted to Canberra.

Thank you again for your gift and the support that you provide us on these overseas deployments.

Kind Regards,

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Hello Kirsten O,

I wanted to send a quick email just to let you know that I (finally) received the quilt you made for me! I had thought it was lost to the postal system as is so common, but it has thankfully arrived just before I am due back to Australia after 12 long months.

I extend my thanks to you and everyone who contributes to this project; it is always nice to have something to remind you of home whilst deployed, and a memento to remember the time away once we return. I particularly love the little Border Collie sections, makes me so happy that I will shortly get to see my dog again!

I wish you, your son (and Red) a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kind regards,

***

Hi Bridget R,

I just wanted to let you know the quilt arrived yesterday, and he absolutely loves it! Thank you so much for your work, it is truly appreciated and the way the quilt has been put together is absolutely perfect. It is a lovely quilt which we will be able to keep forever, as a tribute to his time in service.

Please pass on our thanks to the embroiderer Inge as well, the details on the quilt are amazing.

Kind regards,

***

Cheers Catherine D

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

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

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,