KYLE MURPHYStaff Writer

The Tullahoma Heirloom Quilter’s Guild honored eight local veterans and presented them with Quilts of Valor as a token of their appreciation for their service.

The Quilt of Valor Ceremony was held at the First Presbyterian Church of Tullahoma, located at 204 E. Grundy St., on Thursday, July 20, where lunch was provided to the veterans, friends and family and other guests in attendance.

Of the eight recipients, four of them – Arthur L. Whitsell, Joette L. Carter, Walter A. Stratton and Ronald W. Gault – were U.S. Army veterans while veterans Douglas J. McGregor and Rickey W. Wade served in the U.S. Navy and Jay L. Mott and William E. Sebren served in the U.S. Air Force. 

Per Ellen Anderson with the Heirloom Quilters’ Guild, the recipients of their Quilts of Valor are based on nominations. Members nominate veterans who may attend their church or with whom they serve on various civic organizations. She added that the Guild made and sent quilts up to Fort Campbell in Kentucky, but members realized the Tullahoma area had numerous veterans who were also deserving of their very own Quilt of Valor.

Each honoree was presented their Quilt of Valor, and had the opportunity to speak to those in attendance. All the veterans thanked everyone for their respective nominations, as well as thanked their families for the support and spoke highly of their time in service.

As of July 2022, the Quilts of Valor Foundation (QoVF) has recorded the awarding of 300,000 Quilts of Valor.

Blue Star mom Catherina Roberts began QoVF in 2003 during her son Nathanael’s year-long deployment to Iraq. She sought to ensure that returning troops were welcomed home with love and gratitude, and she began linking quilt top makers with machine quilters in a national effort to achieve her goal of awarding quilts to returning service men and women touched by war.

Over time, the mission of QoVF expanded to include military service members and veterans touched by war, regardless of the conflict, declared war or otherwise.