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On Wednesday, November 10 the National Grange presented 13 Quilts of Valor at the 155th Annual Session, being held at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Wichita.<\/p>\nOn Wednesday, November 10 the National Grange presented 13 Quilts of Valor at the 155th Annual Session, being held at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Wichita.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a fitting tribute to be able to hold this on Veterans Day Eve,\u201d said National Grange Lecturer Chris Hamp, who oversees this program.<\/p>\n
For the first time, non-Grangers were honored, including members of the local Augusta Memorial Post 6746 – Veterans of Foreign Wars and Augusta Leonard Whitehill American Legion Post 189, who presented the colors.<\/p>\n
The youth of the National Grange assisted in escorting the veterans to the front of the room to receive their quilts.<\/p>\n
Kimber Newman, daughter of National Young Patrons Molly and Vince Newman, assisted in giving the recipients thank you cards made by the fourth-grade class of her aunt, Mandy Bostwick, National Grange Youth Leadership Director.<\/p>\n
Quilts of Valor are given to service members and veterans, to cover them with comfort and healing.<\/p>\n
The Quilts of Valor Foundation was started in 2003 by Catherine Roberts when her son was deployed to Iraq.<\/p>\n
Roberts had vivid and haunting dreams of veterans being physically encapsulated by the horrors brought on by what they had experienced in their time of deployment.<\/p>\n
These dreams were what motivated Roberts start the Foundation.<\/p>\n
The mission of the Quilts of Valor is to bring comfort and healing to those who have been touched by war.<\/p>\n
Over 286,000 Quilts of Valor have been awarded since the start of the foundation in 2003.<\/p>\n
The National Grange is an official Under Our Wings partner of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. This partnership enables the National Grange to honor veterans in a tangible way.<\/p>\n
This partnership was formed by National Grange Lecturer\/Program Director Christine Hamp in 2017, when the National Grange first presented quilts at their annual session in Spokane, Washington.<\/p>\n
Hamp gave thanks to all of those who helped coordinate the event including Lisa Conner, the Kansas State Coordinator for the Quilts of Valor.<\/p>\n
The anthems of each military branch were played by John Noonan, with veterans standing up when the music of their branch was played to be recognized by the crowd.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Harlan Bartel (Air Force) 1971-1975, Bayneville Grange #1810 (KS)
\n\u2022 Richard Tennissen (Air Force) 1968-1972, Bayneville #1810 (KS)
\n\u2022 Larry N. Shafer (Army) 1958-1963, Cherryvale Grange #221 (OK)
\n\u2022 Allen S. Thomsen (Army) 2000-Present, Thompson Grange #352 (OK)
\n\u2022 Don Durflinger (Navy) 1962-1992
\n\u2022 Sue Gregg (Navy) 1968-1971
\n\u2022 Mindy Heater (Army Reserve) 1991-1995
\n\u2022 Charles Heinrich (Army) 1965-2000
\n\u2022 Hump Hodge (Air Force) 1956-1960
\n\u2022 John Noonan (Navy) 1969-1973
\n\u2022 James Owsley (Army) 1964-1972
\n\u2022 Harold Roth (Air Force) 1975-1979
\n\u2022 Lisa Snyder (Marine Corps) 1986-1993<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"