Vietnam Memorial & Quilts of Valor Honor Local Heroes

There can never be enough ways to say "thank you" to someone who has served in the U.S. Military. It is one of the most selfless acts a person can do for their country. Risking their lives for friends, loved ones, and strangers they will never meet.

As we get closer to Veterans' Day, please take time to seek out events or programs that honor and support them. Show them you care. I'll help you out a bit and tell you about a couple of special events coming up in Breckenridge County.

 Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall

The Traveling Vietnam War Memorial will be on display in Breckenridge County from October 30th to November 3rd on the courthouse lawn. During that time, you can visit and pay your respects. It is a smaller version of the permanent memorial in Washington, D.C., at six feet tall at the center and almost 300 feet from end to end.

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In correlation with this memorial, on November 1st at 2 PM, in downtown Hardinsburg, the Ft. Knox chapter of the Quilts of Honor Foundation will be presenting awards to eleven veterans who live in the surrounding area.

Quilts of Valor Foundation

Our friend Patti Owen is a member of the group/event coordinator. She shared with us that from Lexington to Henderson, there are six chapters of quilters who work on high-quality handmade quilts to give as an expression of gratitude. For over 20 years, volunteers have donated their time and materials, making and presenting almost 500,000 quilts to veterans and active duty service members.

Here is a cute video of one of their community sewing days in Lexington.

Quilts of Valor was founded in 2003 by Catherine Roberts after a dream she had while her son was away in Iraq.

"The dream was as vivid as real life. I saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. 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, I saw him in the next scene wrapped in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. The quilt had made this dramatic change."

To learn more about the Quilts of Valor Foundation, whether you'd like to get involved with making quilts, want to donate, or want to nominate a candidate, visit QOVF.org