Quilts of Valor Foundation Honors Molokai Veterans

The Quilts of Valor Foundation has been giving Quilts of Valor to Molokai Veterans since 2012. This year, the foundation gave 16 quilts to Molokai veterans, with 14 distributed during Veterans Day ceremonies in Kaunakakai Saturday morning, and two additional quilts distributed this week. Photo by Rick Schonely

By Linda DeGraw/Special to the Dispatch

The honor and thanks were long overdue. On the morning of Nov. 11, Molokai veterans gathered to honor and support the veterans who received a Quilt of Valor for their service to their country.

Photo by Rick Schonely

Veteran and Molokai resident Linda DeGraw, Hawai‘i State Coordinator for Quilts of Valor, presented the quilts to Molokai veterans. State Rep. Lynn DeCoite, of Molokai, attended the awards ceremony to thank veterans, service members and their families for all they have done and are doing.

A Gold Star mother whose son was serving in Iraq started the Quilts of Valor Foundation in 2003. She had a dream and knew that her son would be comforted and warm if he had a quilt. So she made a quilt, and since that first quilt, more than 180,000 quilts have been presented to service members and veterans. Their mission is to honor service members and veterans who have been touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.

Photo by Rick Schonely

Molokai veterans have been receiving quilts since 2012, beginning with the island’s oldest veterans. But there were never so many Quilts of Valor given at one time. By Nov. 15, the Quilts of Valor Foundation will have given 16 Quilts of Valor on island, according to DeGraw.

Cherrie Takanaka, a member of Quilts of Valor, came to Molokai from Washington State, met with Junior Alcon and the project began. Takanaka worked with a group of Quilts of Valor members in Washington to put together 15 quilts. She said she was so happy to help put Quilts of Valor around the veterans. Her and her group deserve a huge “Thank You.”

Contact DeGraw at 553-9814 or email her at Linda.degraw@QOVF.org for questions or to help with this mission. To request a Quilt of Valor for yourself, a family member or a friend, go to www.QOVF.org and click on the Take Action tab on top of the page.