SNOWFLAKE — On Aug. 25, seven local veterans from the Snowflake-Taylor area were presented with Quilts of Valor at a ceremony hosted by Heart 2 Heart Quilts (H2HQ) and Snowflake’s American Legion Post 126 in honor of their service during the years up to and including the Cold War to the Vietnam War, at the Taylor-Snowflake Fire Department.
“In a time of crisis, they left everything they held dear to stand in harm’s way. We want to thank them,” shared Cheryl Voirin, the leader of H2HQ of the Quilts of Valor Foundation (QOVF) from Heber-Overgaard.
The presentation of award was done by Bobby Bernal, while Herman Bernal was the master of ceremonies. Six of the men were nominated by the American Legion Post 126 Commander Gary Trickett, with the seventh being nominated nationally through the website.
Each of the men was awarded a quilt with a pillowcase, a certificate and a medal that is unique to H2HQ.
The QOVF was started in 2003 by Catherine Roberts. Their mission is “to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.” To date 195,054 quilts have been awarded nationwide.
The seven awarded were: Stephen Joseph Foster Jr., a local resident, who served in the Navy from 1961-1968; Tim Towne of Taylor, who served in the Navy from 1972-1975; Terrill Palmer of Taylor, who served in the Army from 1969-1970; Gerald Bartunek of Taylor, who served in the Army from 1964-1966; Thomas Meyer Jr. of Taylor, who served in the Air Force from 1972-1979; John C. Sharp, a local resident, who served in the Navy from 1966-1986 as a Navy Seabee; and the national nominee, Harold Caldwell, who served in the Army from 1948-1973.
“We do the group awards to give these men and women the welcome home party they have never had,” Voirin shared. The party includes the awards ceremony and a picnic complete with hot dogs and apple pie.
Voirin emphasized, “This is not a charity. It is an award. We are thanking them for doing what they did for us. We want to honor service members who are active or inactive and have been in combat. We do that by awarding them a Quilt of Valor. We have awarded everyone from World War II to the most recent conflicts.”
Voirin went on to share a story of a Korean War veteran who was awarded his quilt when he was in his late 80s. With tears in his eyes, the veteran told Voirin it was the first time someone had ever said thank you for his service.
H2HQ, which is based in Heber-Overgaard, started in 2013 with two members, Cheryl Voirin and Becca Bernal, who made three quilts the first year.
Five years later, H2HQ has become an army of 47 members that reaches around the White Mountains and down into the Valley. The youngest member is Triston Bernal, who lives in Chandler and is a recent graduate of Hamilton High School, and the oldest member is Bonnie Tarlton from Snowflake who recently turned 72.
Of the 47 members, 17 are the toppers who machine sew the quilt pieces together. Another four members operate the long arm machines that quilt everything together.
The remainder of the group helps with the organization, fixing food and helping out where needed. Voirin estimates that this year they were able to complete approximately 50 quilts.
“It is a wonderful group,” said Voirin, who added, “When I started this, I wanted a way to extend my thanks for my freedom because I hold that precious and I am old enough to realize what freedom means. I thought I could add a small blessing to a life, for someone who has done so much for us. I have never been so blessed in my life. Heart 2 Heart Quilts has changed my life.”
Voirin went on to share about a man she met who had been a prisoner of war for 37 months and received a quilt. Then there was the Navajo man who was presented with a quilt in his home, standing by a wall of pictures of his family and their service in the military.
“There is no way to put words around it but it has opened my eyes to what a few and the courageous are doing for our nation. I have met those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder who have taken the quilts, hugging them to their bodies as they cried. We had one man who learned to sew, just so he could pass it on. Our group has grown into such an amazing army of people.”
H2HQ meets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at the Heber-Overgaard Fire Department to do the piecing of the quilts. All the fabric, batting and threads are provided through community donations. Donations and new members are always welcome; especially those who have a machine and can sew. For more information on H2HQ, call (480) 229-1486.
The American Legion meets at 6 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at 510 S. Second W. St. in Snowflake. For more information on the American Legion, call (928) 243-2068.
Any man or woman who has served in armed conflict can be nominated for a Quilt of Valor at www.qovf.org.
