On Flag Day, Quilts of Valor Honor Four Milan Veterans

Surrounded by family, friends and community members, four Milan veterans were honored with Quilts of Valor on Flag Day during a ceremony at Nature Park.

The quilts were sewn by Karen Jones Sheets Hessling, according to exacting specifications. Her dream to make the quilts began two years ago with a desire to use her love of quilting to honor some of her childhood role models.

“I’ve always felt like being in the military is one of the most honorable and selfless things you can do,” Hessling said. “I’ve always been a been supporter of all things military.”

Quilts of Valor are awarded as symbols of honor, freedom and comfort for service members. Often described as a civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart, each quilt recipient must be nominated and may receive only one quilt in their lifetime.

The quilts were presented to four veterans.

Recipients

Vance McCrumb enlisted in the Air Force while still in high school. After training as a sentry dog handler, he volunteered for Vietnam, and was sent to Da Nang Air Force Base, where he worked with military dogs Casey, Dutch and Teddy. 

Ray Novara entered the U.S. Navy at age 19 after his barber apprenticeship was interrupted by the Vietnam conflict. He served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga, often giving haircuts to other servicemen. After his service, he obtained an apprenticeship with barber Ray Frisbie in Milan, where he and his wife Caryl built a family and a barber business that lasted more than 50 years.

Ken Freimark was inducted into military service while employed at Ford Motor company and shortly after his marriage. A serious leg injury at Fort Carson, Colorado, prevented him from serving in Vietnam, and instead he served as a carpenter and a truck driver for the Army.

Denny Royal joined the Air Force in 1965 and trained as a jet engine mechanic. His service included a tour at Osan Air Force Base in Korea.

Each quilt carries special meaning. The quilt top, with its colors, shapes and fabrics, represent the many individuals and communities. The batting symbolizes hope that the quilt will bring warmth, comfort and peace. The backing represents the strength of recipients and the support of their families, communities and nation. The stitches represent the love, gratitude and sometimes tears of the quilt maker.

Building a Local Effort

Hessling said she hopes to attract volunteers interested in forming a Quilts of Valor group at Milan’s American Legion. A lengthy waiting list remains for nominated veterans who have not yet received quilts. 

Tim Coger, a member of a Quilts of Valor group in Florida, said he appreciated the dedication Hessling invested into both the quilts and ceremony. 

“We know what she put into it,” Coger said. “It was not easy.”

At the conclusion, children, grandchildren, siblings, spouses, and friends of the veterans shared stories and expressed their appreciation for both honorees and the event.

Background

The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a grassroots group of quilters across the U.S., started in 2003 by Catherine Roberts. At the time, her son was serving in Iraq, and she described the experience as being in “a panic attack 24 hours a day.”

Roberts later envisioned a soldier sitting on the edge of a bunk wrapped in a quilt. That image inspired a mission that has since led to 447,658 quilts awarded to service members and veterans in the U.S. and abroad.