Thanks on Thursday 5 May

Some awesome messages tonight and one really cool photo.  Not as many photos coming through these days, but with very good reason due to the current security situation.  That is okay. We can do without photos if it means that our people are safer. In the mean time we will make the most of the pictures we do receive and I really love it when we get a group shot like this one.  Thanks fellows.
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Hi Granny Smith,

I recently received the quilt you made for me and I honestly am amazed at how good it is. I really appreciate the time you took to make it and how good it came out! I have attached a photo of myself and the rest of our workshop with the quilt. (I am standing to the left of the quilt.)

A little bit about me, I have been in the Army for 5 years and am a fitter armourer. My main role on deployment is to maintain all the weapon systems that are used by the Australian forces. The army has taken up alot of my time with courses and this deployment so my only real hobby is going to the gym and trying to keep fit.

Once again I really appreciate all the hard work you have put in to make this awesome quilt for me!   All the RAEME boys love it!   Also RAEME is far better than RACT, don't let anyone tell you differently ha ha!

Regards

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Gday Julie-Ann,

Thank you very much for your generosity and personal support for our guys and girls serving overseas. I was thrilled to receive the laundry bag that you so kindly made.  Considering it's continually hot and dusty here, the laundry bag is likely to get a lot of use in the coming months. I enjoy seeing our small laundry plastered with colour and personality with the laundry bags provided by kind people like yourself, it's a great reminder of the people we serve.

This is the fourth deployment that I've been fortunate to experience in a little over 10 years in the Regular Army and I'm delighted to be currently serving in command of the Force Protection Element in Afghanistan. We are expecting to be back in Australia by August, ready to prepare for the next challenge.

Thankyou for including the winged horse and the blue colours. I am originally from the Third Battalion, which until recently was an Airborne unit, hence the winged horse, Pegasus, being the symbol for Airborne Forces around the world. The Blue is the Battalion colour of my current Battalion, the First Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment.

Thankyou again for your support to us whilst we are overseas, it really is a special thing you have done and continue to do.

Kind Regards,

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Dear Sue,

I can't thank you enough for your hand made quilt, It means so much to me to receive it as I have two cats at home who I dearly miss.

I can't sew myself(quite hopeless really) so I can imagine how much hard work & effort you would have placed into it.

I waited a little bit to write to you as I wanted to make sure the letter was worth while.

We have just sailed from Dubai, where we spent two weeks for ships maintenance. I had a few days off with my partner and we explored all around the old and the new Dubai. Massive difference. New Dubai is all your major brands like Guess, Cartier, Tiffany & Co. where as the old Dubai is just knock offs of everything but there is still some nice things. I enjoyed old Dubai as you saw more cultural things.

We also went up the Burj Khalifa which is the tallest building in the world. View is beautiful!

But all in all, Dubai itself is a very rich country. Nice place to visit, but my bank account appreciated it when we left.

We have also been to Muscat, Salalah and now on our way back to Salalah.

Both places are very much Middle Eastern with their ways, a lot of dust and mainly just white brick buildings like in the movies. So won't be too much to do there, maybe catch a movie.

After Salalah we will be heading to the Greek Islands for a few days, then to Athens for ANZAC Day. which I think everyone is excited about although we have been delayed in coming home 3 weeks because of it. We should now be coming back in June!

Only 10ish weeks to go.

Well I'm sorry It's taken me so long to get back to you, but once again I appreciate all the work you do, not only with my quilt but for all the ones you have done. It's greatly appreciated.

Thanks Sue

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Good morning Caroline,

I have recently received your laundry bag. It is fantastic and already being used well, here in Bor, South Sudan. Thank you.

I will keep this short as it is very late here, 1 am. Talk to you again.

Cheer,
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Hi Caroline,

I am just writing to thank you and your mum Sue for my laundry bag.

I have done several tours in Afghanistan and never have I received such a personal and practical gift such as those I have received from Aussie Hero Quilts.

I really do appreciate the amount of thought and effort that you have put into making and sending me a laundry bag, it is a very practical gift that I will get many years of use from.

I will be home in a little over two weeks and I am really looking forward to it.

Thanks again for your generosity,

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Good Morning Rhonda and Raylene,

I hope this e-mail finds you well.  I am serving in the Middle East. I received a parcel from you.
All I can say is WOW! Thank you for the quilt and laundry bag. Everything is fine with them and the little touches brought a smile to me and my medics. I was not expecting one. I have deployed in the past and received care packages but this was an very nice surprise. My mum likes to sew and makes quilts herself.

Some of my Officers and Soldiers have received quilts and they are all very happy with them. I have few who are on their first deployment and it reminds them of home and that we are still thought of.

We don't have long to go (only a few months) and thankfully it's been a quiet deployment. We are all looking forward to ANZAC day and coming home.

Thank you again for your gifts.

Regards,
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Hi Rhonda and Raylene

Thank you so very much for my quilt and laundry bag. I love them.

It was like I opened the box and couldn't wait to pull them out and when I did my face lit up and I had a smile from ear to ear.

You put so much work and thought into them and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that.

I am moving back to New Zealand to continue my navy career  there after ten years in the Australian navy and my quilt will take pride on my rack (bed) on whatever ship I end up on, as it does here. We don't have that many to choose from in New Zealand.  I love the Australian flag on it. This makes me so proud to be Australian and New Zealand owned. I love to feel that we are making a difference and hope one day when we talk of the defence force it will be for all the ways we have made a difference in making the world better for our future as our families had done so before us.

I love everything about my gift from you both, the patterns, the colour, the bike is excellent and some how, you both must have known that I have a very quick wit and humour which is reflected in all of my quilt. Also love the laundry bag and its owls. I use it, to carry  my uniform to the gym as we have to be ready at all times for action and must take our uniform with us. It sits among my other ship mates personal bags. Stands out too, and of course its quick to find.

What you do for us is amazing. This is truly a gift from genuine caring people. This really lifts the spirits of all of us on board to know we are worth something to strangers who believe in why we are all here.

Some days role into one and the small things amuse us. We all try to support each other and when we get our quilts we show each other and it opens up for discussion at how accurate our friends have made our quilts to our personality and off go the dooner covers to make room for our new piece of pride, (our quilts)

 There is not one thing I would want you both to change on my quilt it is just fantastic and I have found the straight line in it.

 I know your grandparent in the army would be proud that we have kept what they fought for alive. Everyday we can be better.
Again thank you so much. I can honestly say it has made my trip to know you all care about us enough to give us your time and energy, and that you believe in us as we do you.
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Dearest Lyn

I am just writing to say a really huge thank you for my quilt.

Thank you for your time and effort with putting this together. Its amazing and I love it.

I hope you enjoy the gift just to say thank you very much.

I will endeavour to forward you a photo as soon as I can get on the internet to forward it to you.  Thank you again for your time and effort.

Best of wishes

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Dear Pennie

Thank you very much for my laundry bag and for the treats. It’s an honour to be over here. I feel as I am the one who is being blessed from this great experience. Take care and thank you once again. We all love our laundry bags and quilts, so please don’t ever stop. J

Thanks and take care

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Hi Joan,

Thank you greatly for sending me one of your hand made Laundry Bags. I was in dire need of one.  
Please keep up the good work that you are doing, as just a little reminder of home and the generosity of Australians such as yourself, makes being away from home easier.

I have shared your story with my Nan and she is now making Hero Quilts also.

Regards,
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Dear Joan and Robin,

Thanks very much for taking your time to make the laundry bag and I particularly liked the inclusion of my initials on the bag.

The bag will certainly get plenty of use because we have a fair walk from our tents to the laundry.

The base is projected to have temperatures up to approximately 65 degrees over the summer (June - August) so it should be an interesting experience. Our walk to lunch at midday is now proving to be a very sweaty experience, unlike the lovely autumn days you are evidently experiencing in Sydney.

Our Task Group commemorated ANZAC Day with our coalition partners in the MER and the dawn service involved several hundred members.

Once again, thanks for your very nice laundry bag.

Regards,

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Hello Joan,
        I have just received my Aussie Hero Laundry bag in today's mail. Yes it did make me 'giggle' in what has been a very busy few days. So thank you for putting a smile on my face and thank you so very much for the time and effort you have put into my laundry bag. It will take pride of place in my room as a daily reminder of home  :-)

I will get a photo of the bag and I (for the Aussie Hero Quilts blog) as soon as I can, and I will email it through.

And thank you for supporting your troops.

Yours in service,
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Hi Joan and Colin,

Got your Laundry and I really like it. My grandson will really like it once I give it to him. He loves anything military.
A million thanks for this big hearted gesture and will always treasure for the rest of my life. Thanks and Regards
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Dear Joan & Robin,

I am currently on deployment in the Middle East region with the Australian Army. My job here is a support role in logistics, working in the main armoury as a weapons handler and responsible for the distribution of weapons across the whole Middle East region.

Today I was handed a laundry bag and personal letter addressed from both of you, and I just wanted to personally thank you both for the time and effort you have put into the bag and let you know that it means a lot to me. It's amazing how something simple such as a laundry bag can brighten up my time here, and it meant I could throw my plain white one out that I was given 4 years ago at basic recruit training that I've been lugging around everywhere with me.

I've been away for 3 months now, and today actually marks exactly the 50% halfway mark of my trip until I return home in August. My hometown is Old Beach, Tasmania so I will make sure the laundry bag makes a safe trip home with me, until I undertake my next training course, exercise, deployment, wherever it may be, and be sure to take it with me.

The laundry bag was the one stitched with the 'Australian Fly' on it (in case you have sent multiple bags) which I found quite humorous.

Again, thank you for your generous gift.

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Till next time...................keep spreading the word and happy stitching!

Jan-Maree  xx