The Superior Express -

The annual Montgomery Family Picnic was held Saturday evening in Superior's Lincoln Park. Approximately 50 members of the extended family were expected to attend the annual event. For members of the late John and Vivian Montgomery family it was a homecoming of sorts for they lived in the former park house while their father served as the park caretaker. They looked across the park and remembered the areas where they pastured their animals and retold stories about the so called "Indian Trail" which took hikers along the north bluff.

Animals are no longer pastured in the park and the trail has disappeared.

As part of the event three members of the family were presented Quilts of Valor in recognition of their service in this nation's armed forces.

Phyllis Schoenholz came to make the presentation and share information about the Quilts of Valor program. She serves as the foundation's South Central Nebraska coordinator.

The following is adapted from her presentation.

"The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.    

Quilts of Valor began in 2003 by Catherine Roberts whose son was deployed in Iraq.   

He was a gunner on a Humvee and Catherine knew how much danger her son was in. Catherine felt "10 seconds from panic" as her son faced this danger every day. `In the middle of the night, Catherine Roberts had a dream. It was like a movie.

The first scene was as vivid as real life. "I saw a young man who was deployed somewhere in the world, sitting – all hunched over – on the side of his bed in the middle of the night. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. I could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional gutter."   

Then, as if viewing a movie and the scene changed, Catherine said, "I saw him in the next scene – still deployed and sitting on a bed – but wrapped in a quilt. Someone back home was thinking of him and made him a quilt.  His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being." The quilt had made this dramatic change. The message of my dream was:  Quilts equal Healing.

Catherine, a military mom, nurse and quilter felt that making a quilt for soldiers was something she could do so she started her first quilt.  Catherine would like each Quilt of Valor to be the civilian equivalent of a Purple Heart Award – it is not a charity quilt. It is not to be handed out. It is to be "Awarded."    

With the help of Chaplain John Kallerson at Walter Reed Hospital, Catherine "awarded" her first quilt to a wounded soldier from Minnesota who had been in Iraq.  

Soon friends joined her effort.  With the help of the Internet, in just two years (2005) Catherine's effort became a national foundation with the purpose of awarding quilts to soldiers and veterans who have been "touched by war."  The small group of quilters was elated when they awarded their 100th quilt. As of Saturday 27,8847  Quilts of Valor had been awarded to active military and veterans  

Recently as a quilt was wrapped around a veteran, he said "I don't deserve this."  Awarding a QOV is not about a person "deserving" or "earning" it.  A Quilt of Valor says-in a way that mere words cannot express – "we thank you for your service, your sacrifice, and your valor." Thank you for standing in harm's way to protect the freedoms enjoyed by all of us. Thank you for putting your life on hold to serve. Your Quilt of Valor is our appreciation for your fulfillment of your duty from a grateful nation.    

The U.S. Military is a team effort composed of people willing to do what is asked of them. 

One veteran said that it takes more than 20 soldiers working in administration, medical, transportation, supplies, payroll, etc. to make sure the one on the front line has what is needed.

Nebraska quilts have been sent to many places in the world. Thank you notes from Afghanistan Intensive Care Nurses describing a soldier's injuries said the quilt was proudly worn during a purple heart ceremony.

A young soldier, in an Afghanistan hospital, put the quilt aside as he was getting ready to leave and be sent to hospital in Germany. His nurse said - "No, that is yours."  He held it to his chest and nose and replied, "It even smells like home."

A detailed thank you letter was written by the USO at Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany – for their gratitude for the high-quality Quilts of Valor.  

Pictures received showed Nebraska Quilts of Valor on litters, stretchers and gurneys in the hallways of the US Army Hospital in Landstuhl, Germany waiting for plane loads of injured US soldiers to arrive.  This military hospital is the largest military hospital outside the U.S.  

On a plane load of 200 injured soldiers who were returning to the United States from the army hospital in Landstuhl – a former military person and now working as a civilian contractor with US military – said all 200 soldiers were covered with quilts of valor flying back home.  The quilts kept the injured soldiers warm on the long flight home.  

In 2018, Piecemakers Sewing Group members participated in the awarding 135 women veterans before their Honor Flight to Washington D.C.  (No woman has been drafted - each woman on the Honor flight volunteered for her service. Woman volunteers served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, Iraq or Afghanistan. Most were veterans of the post-9/11 wars or the Persian Gulf War in 1991. 

The manifest of 135 women ranged in age from 27 to 98; There were several pairs of mothers and daughters, as well as sisters; two veterans brought their service dogs with them; each veteran received a quilt from Quilts of Valor; celebrity, Loretta Swit, (nurse "Hotlips" on TV show Mash) was on board with the veterans;  and the guardians, flight crew and media were all women.)

Quilts of Valor has become so popular that Australia, Canada, Great Britain and Korea are now awarding quilts to their military personnel and veterans.  

In 2015, because of less deployment, the Quilts of Valor Foundation Board voted to focus on veterans at home.    

Recently in a school Veteran's Day program, a Viet Nam veteran recipient cried as the Quilt of Valor was wrapped around his shoulders.  He says that the experience was "life changing".  He stated, "When the quilt was draped on my shoulders – 40 years of anger and pain washed away."  

Anyone can request a Quilt of Valor be awarded to an active service personnel or an honorably discharged veteran from any branch of service.

Three veterans were honored Saturday. Their biographies included the following information:

Debra M. Harris served during the Vietnam War with the U.S. Navy from May 21, 1973, to May 21, 1977. She served at the Orlando, Fla., Naval Training Station; Great Lakes, Ill. Corps Training School and at the Oak Knoll, Calif., Naval Hospital.

The Oak Knoll hospital was the hospital where returning injured service men from the Vietnam conflict came for their care. (Like Walter Reed is today on the east coast) This hospital served as the leading prosthetic center of the United States, had a large orthopedic surgical unit for managing wounds, and an active psychiatric service. The hospital had a busy emergency room that served a large military population in the Bay area.

While serving at United States Naval Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, her brother, Ed Hall, was also stationed there. They served together for almost a year.

William L Doan served with the U.S. Navy from Aug. 28, 1963 to Sept. 20, 1967, Where served: RTC, USNTC San Diego, Calif., USS America. CVA-66 out of Norfolk, VA.;  went on two Mediterranean Sea cruises;  and two Caribbean. Ocean cruises. 

He remembers June 8,1967 when the USS Liberty GTR-5 was attacked with 33 killed and 75 wounded. He was involved in transporting wounded to USS America for treatment on June 9, 1967.

Darcy A. Williams served with U.S. Army. He entered the service at Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 24, 1969 and discharged  on April 29, 1971. He was a member of the 8th Army serving in Korea, 2nd Batallion,  38th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division. He recalled, "Everytime I looked at the DMZ, I thought it was the most fortified fence one will ever see.

Mrs. Schoenholz noted she belongs to a group composed of approximately 20 women who meet monthly in Thayer County to make Quilts of Valor.