Gratitude Post 17 April 19……..

Written by AHQ

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17 April 2019

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Well, as they say… I’m baaaaaack. Back at the reigns of Aussie Heroes and so full of gratitude to Gail for taking over and doing such a superb job. There is no way I could have hoped to keep things ticking over from my hospital bed and not even during the first two weeks at home.

I am not quite back to 100% yet, but things are usually a little quieter over Easter so that gives me a chance to slowly ease my way back in. I have to say I have missed it…. but I still have to allow plenty of time to look after myself and my new knees… which I might add are coming along nicely thank you very much. 🙂

Now on with the stuff that you really want to read, the thank you messages that we all appreciate.

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Dear Pennie,

I truly appreciate your kind gesture which I have just received whilst serving here in the Middle East. It is an absolute cracker of a design, and I expect it to remain in the family for a long time. I will endeavour to get some photos to you soon.

I have approximately 3 months to go prior to returning to my young family.

From your letter I understand that you have a serving member in your family, I think that this gives people like yourself a greater understanding of the sacrifices Defence families make.

So, I also thank you for your contribution to our Nation’s security.

Yours Sincerely,

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Good Morning Jane,

Thank you so, so much for my hero quilt, laundry bag and butterfly ornament! I love them! The timing was perfect – it was waiting for me on my first day in country – what a lovely surprise to receive such a thoughtful gift from a selfless stranger – it was the highlight of my first week! And made my shipping container room a million times more homely.

I first heard about AHQ as a freshly minted doctor in my first year of uniformed service. One of my colleagues who is now my mentor had recently returned from a trip in the Middle East and took in his AHQ to work to get some photos to send back to the quilter. I was so proud of him and also inspired to work harder in order to perhaps one day represent my country overseas and earn my own Aussie Hero Quilt.

Thank you for being able to accommodate my garden theme – I recently purchased a home built by an Air Force family in 1945. One of their first jobs post construction was building a veggie garden and planting a mini fruit orchard. Nearly 80 years later we moved in and have continued to care for the thriving garden. After a stressful day of work this is where I spend my time relaxing. Hence the quilt is a very special reminder to relax after work just as I would in my garden back home.

And thank you for the very special stained glass and metal butterfly – she will look lovely hung up in the undercover deck overlooking the garden.

Have a lovely day, and thank you once again for your time and kindness.

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Hi Sue,

Thank you so much for the BEAUTIFUL quilt you made for me. Your time and effort is muchly appreciated ☺

I love the unicorns and the colours you used.

This is my first deployment so I am very excited to receive it.

Much love

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Dear Sue,

Thank you so very much for the lovely gift.

The work that the volunteers do with Aussie Hero Quilts is just amazing. I have personally seen the reaction from people here when their quilts arrive, and it is truly special. I have dabbled a bit in all sorts of craft, rubber stamping, card making, candle making, folk art painting, knitting and cross stitch, but not very good at any of it..

I am a medic/nurse in the RAAF.

Take care

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Good Morning Marilyn,

Thank you so, so much for my laundry bag. I was so happy to open it. I couldn’t have picked better material for it (it was the one with the dairy cows). I’m looking forward to getting home soon.

Thanks again So much.

Regards

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Hello Jenny,

First and foremost, thank you very much for the quilt, it is beautiful. Thank you for all of the hard work and love you put into it. I love the fact that it apparently looks like it’s for a 5 year old because we need things like this to add a little joy in our days.

Recently we passed the half way mark of our deployment which was a great point for us to see how far we’ve come.

Again, thank you so much for this beautiful quilt.

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Dear Marilyn,

Thank you for the beautiful laundry bag and goodies you sent me. I received them last week and absolutely love the bag.

This deployment is my second one over here, and I will be heading home soon. It’s been a good trip with a fantastic team of people.

Please know your work with Aussie Heroes is appreciated by all of us, even when it’s not our own quilt or laundry bag, we love seeing the designs that others receive. You are all such an amazing bunch of people.

Thanks again, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.

Kind regards,

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Hi Bronwyn,

I received the great quilt you made for me the other day after the parcel had done a bit of a tour around the place. I relocated to a different base in March, and it looks like the mail routing hasn’t caught up just yet.

The quilt definitely fits the brief, thank you! I will treasure it as a memory of my time spent over here for the rest of my life, I’m sure. Thanks for your hard work and effort spent on it. Everyone gets quite excited when another quilt comes in and we get to see how it came out.

I have a few more weeks left over before I head home my fiancée, so I can’t wait. Looking forward to some time off work with not much planned at all, just spending time together, and good coffee.

Thanks again for the lovely quilt, and your kind words and taking the time to tell me about the family and not to forget the pets! I hope you have a happy Easter coming up.

Very respectfully,

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I received my quilt today absolutely amazing work Jenny N, love my Tiger quilt. Thank you so much for your time and effort.

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Good morning Jan-Maree,

I serve on board one of Her Majesty’s Australian vessels and when alongside in Sydney last year you presented a few blankets and laundry bags to us.

I did receive a letter with them from the wonderful people who crafted them but I have lost them.

Please can you pass on that I love them, they are beautiful and will be on my rack for the remaining of my sea going career.

Thank you

Regards,

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Hi Wendy,

I would like to say I wanted to send you an email for well over a month or more but with work I’ve unfortunately haven’t had much time. Time is flying past way to quick.

To the quilt, it is absolutely amazing! Far more than I could have ever thought of. I can’t thank you and the team enough for all your hours and hard work put in. I tell everyone about it and show them photos.

Thank you for your service to Australia and AHQ. I hope you are able to continue this great organisation because it truly brings joy to service personnel and their families. It has created a lasting memory for ours!

Thank you again and sorry the late reply! I hope you and your family are travelling well and wish them all the best into the future!

Cheers,

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Good afternoon Margaret,

I just received my Aussie Hero Quilt and I absolutely love it. I am so grateful for the time you and all the other quilters spend giving us these amazing quilts.

After spending nearly all my adult life in one State and loving my football, your quilt will be a lovely reminder of home while I am on the other side of Australia.

Thanks again for the quilt and the lollies. I plan to put them to good use.

Regards,

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Hope you all have a great Easter!

It is sooo good to be back

JMxx

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,