I am a retired Air Force nurse, avid quilt-maker, and genealogy buff. I first learned about QOV in 2016, as both my husband Bob and I are retired U.S. Air Force officers who served on active duty during the Vietnam Era. I have a vested interest in seeing all military members recognized and thanked for their sacrifice and service, and as an avid quilter I can’t think of a better way to do so.

My group, Front Range QOV, became an official QOVF volunteer group in 2017 with a goal to recognize and thank as many veterans touched by war as possible. Although we are a very small group, usually only about six strong, our group has made and awarded more than 400 quilts in the past eight years.

In April 2023, I became the Colorado Quilts of Valor State Coordinator, and I proudly admit I cannot do it without the support of my most valuable team member—my husband Bob—who is also known as my CEO, meaning he “Carries Everything Out.”

I have assisted with special ceremonies, including awarding quilts in 2019 to one of the five living USS Arizona survivors, Colorado’s three living Tuskegee Airmen, and eighteen WWII veterans of the 12th Armored Division. In 2023, I awarded the official 350,000th QOV to Congressman Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger.

I am honored that my team and I have been involved in awarding quilts to veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and other conflicts, as well as to active-duty service members. Some of these awardees served in more than one war or conflict, including one of the Tuskegee Airmen who served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Bob, who is also retired from the Air Force, and I met and married while we were both on active duty.

Serving on active duty during the Vietnam War era left a lasting impression on both of us and strengthened our commitment to ensuring that all service members and veterans are recognized and thanked for their service and sacrifice.