Happy Tuesday Friends!
Well, another week of heartfelt gratitude letters and photo's. Hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did!!
Grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy some well deserved gratitude!
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Hi Jan-Maree,
Attached is a photo of the presentation of the AHQ quilt following the Vietnam 50th Anniversary Service yesterday. The recipient was lost for words and was honoured to receive the quilt.
Before the service I had covered his service record patch with black fabric and he had asked if I could make a quilt for ANZAC Day and numerous other questions which I was able to deflect.
His wife was very pleased to see him honoured in this way. Having recently lost his old Companion dog this gives him something to wrap himself in when his PTSD hits.
Thank you for the opportunity to give back in this small way to one of our worthy Veterans. Your assistance and direction is greatly appreciated.
Kind regards
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Quilt by Marilyn L which was recently presented to an Army Veteran
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Hi Jan-Maree,
I have just received my Aussie quilt and am so thrilled!
Please pass on my sincere thanks also to Philomena H, Joan B and the Garage Girls. I can’t believe how tailored it is to my state of origin (with the Swan for WA) and includes the Corp badge of my role as a Chaplain in the Army - with my name and service details on it as well!! Chaplaincy can sometimes be a lonely role in Defence and I am deeply grateful for your kindness. This token of your care is so great and I will treasure it forever.
Kind regards and thanks again
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I had a visit today from Chaplain's Patrick B and Andrew L.
It was a lovely catch up.
They presented me with the amazing quilt. Thank you so very much and please pass on my heartful thanks to all those involved.
It is taking pride and place in the family room. (which happens to have red decor) It is truly amazing.
I am doing well. It will have been a year in a months time and can't quite believe it still. I am lucky to have my boys and their families around me. I keep myself occupied most of the time , currently getting into the yard and garden with the help of my trusty shadow, Murphy.
Again, Thank You. It will be treasured always.
Quilt by Lynn F, Dorothy C, Philomena H and Joan B
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Dear Wendy B,
Thank you so much for putting in a massive effort to create my unique Laundry Bag, I really like the style, fabric choice, theme and the layout. I absolutely love it and I will treasure it forever. Thank you for taking the time to make my laundry bag unique to me, your letter describing the layout, details on fabric to enhance the Aussie Theme is greatly appreciated, you may not have formerly served in the Australian Armed Forces but to me you are serving your Country now by providing these special gifts to people you do not know. Thank you for your Service.
A little about me:
I have been in the Army since 79, serving as a full time soldier up to 2000 and still serving as a reservist today.
I am in the Transport Corps. When I was full time I spent a lot of time at sea on Ships like HMAS Tobruk, Jervis Bay, Navy and Army Barges. As a Reservist I drive a desk and Coach the Invictus Games Sitting Volleyball Team, a role I love to do as it is rewarding and allows me to pass on my knowledge to the people I have trained.
My IG journey started in 2017 when I assisted the Team prior to the Toronto games. I joined the Team as the Sitting Volleyball Coach just after the Toronto Games in preparation for the Sydney 2018 Games. Since then I coached The Hague Team and now the Dusseldorf 2023 Team. I am also involved with the Australian ParaVolley group of coaches working towards having an Australian team for Sitting Volleyball and Standing Beach Volleyball at the Olympic Games, this is a work in progress and will hopefully provide an opportunity for some of the Invictus Games competitors I have trained previously.
I started playing volleyball in 2004 and still play now, though a lot slower and less jump height from my younger days, volleyball has given me the opportunity to represent my Service, State and Country in many different ways so coaching "adaptive" volleyball allows me to give back to my fellow Service and Ex-Serving members and to my community. It keeps me active and more importantly, engaged with the community and like minded people who want to help others succeed.
Dear Jan-Maree,
A massive thank you to you and all your team for the effort and commitment to provide us all with beautiful Laundry Bags. The smiling and happy faces on all the competitors' as their bag was presented to them was brilliant and a joy to watch. I could tell that the team appreciated your gift based on the conversations, it generated a lot of discussion about the different designs and the high quality of the needlework, there was loads of positive feedback to the gift they received.
I wish you and your team all the very best and thank you for your generosity and time involved with making these beautiful gifts.
Thank you for your Service.
Kindest regards,
Today I recieved a beautiful laundry bag from the padre attached to the 19th squadron on my base & found a letter that you had enclosed inside.
I'd just like you to know that I greatly appreciate this laundry bag & your kind words enclosed in the letter.
Once again I'd just like to say thank you & I wish you all the best,
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G'day Sue G,
Our Brigade Padre sent out the Aussie Hero Quilt Laundry Bags
yesterday. We absolutely love them. I have the privilege of handing them out to our Soldiers
and Officers on your behalf. Your bag is 'as Aussie as they get'.
It sounds as though your family has a strong military history, a history that we are all grateful
and appreciative off. ANZAC Day is special and important to us also. Our unit's history
dates back to before WW1 and has strong links to Gallipoli. We have a sub unit in Albany,
WA that overlooks 'King George Sound' where the ANZACs left from over 100 years ago. It
is a special place.
I'm sure nursing throughout your lifetime would have had many challenges and you would
have seen many developments in that area. Thank you for giving to your communities across
Australia and Scotland. Nursing can be a thankless job, but is always appreciated.
Travelling in retirement is something I am looking forward to. I have many years to go but that
is the plan. I see you and your husband are caravaners. I am sure our family has passed you
on our travels, as my family and I love travelling also. We get out and travel as much as
possible, especially through outback Queensland.
Enjoy the rest of the Canberra Winter and thank you again for the Laundry Bag.
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Good evening, Barbara D,
This afternoon I received the laundry bag you made for me and I have to say, wow! You managed to put everything I asked for on there and then some. You have real talent, especially with your new embroidery machine! I'm pretty well chuffed with it if I do say so myself. I even showed it off to a few of my shipmates because of how good it looked just quietly 
Anyway, thanks so much for taking the time to make it for me. You do a really great job over at Aussie Hero Quilts and I couldn't be happier with the result.
Thanks again and take care.
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Bridget R,
I would like to start with a huge ‘thank you’ for the my quilt and introduction of your family.
You must be so proud of your family from what you/they have achieved and what the next generation will achieve, I also want to pass on to yourself a huge ‘thank you’ for your career as a nurse.
My wife is APS for Defence, my son and daughter in-law are both serving Army, My daughter is serving RAAF and her husband use to be Army, now Telstra. Any guess where the grand babies will end up.
I have five years left before retirement so hope the body can last that long lol.
We have a strong connection with Aussie Hero Quilts, specifically our daughter, and we look forward to their dinner later this year.
Regards,
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Dear Toni F,
I have just received my clothing for the upcoming Invictus Games for which we depart early next week, and I was delighted to receive your wonderfully crafted laundry bag.
I absolutely love it and thank you from the bottom of my heart for the work you have done and continue to do. The ANZAC theme resonates with me as someone who grew up in New Zealand moved to Australia at 15, and has now served this wonderful nation for 31 years.
Much like what you all do with your gifts, I see my involvement as a coach with the Adaptive Sports Program as my way of giving back to an organisation that has provided me wonderful opportunities throughout my career and I have seen many delighted smiles over the past few years when our people receive Aussie Hero Quilts and laundry bags.
I was fortunate to be involved in the 2018 games in Sydney but work saw me unable to assist with the Hague as Covid disrupted us all. I am excited to go to Germany next week and help our people be the best version of themselves they can be, and knowing we have wonderful people like you in our corner, always helps.
I am currently posted to the 4th Health Battalion and spent the best part of 2 decades as a Physical Trainer in the Army before changing roles in 2015. I can proudly say that my son is also in the Army, and at 22 he has just became a Physical Training Instructor himself. Our daughter is 19 and finished school last year and is working hard in a local cafe. My wife, who has steadfastly supported me throughout my career works in the front office at a local high school.
I just wanted to drop a quick note to let you know I got the bag and it will sit receive lots of TLC and be used with pride. Your commitment to sew over 500 of these since 2019 is absolutely amazing and you are a GEM. I will be sure to send some photos once the games are over...
Again, thank you for all that you and all the Aussie Hero team do.
It truly is appreciated.
Warm regards
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From a recipient of a laundry bag for the Invictus Games
We are getting ready to leave Sydney on the big RAAF aircraft. We are all very excited. We enjoyed a special event at Admiralty house last night with the Governor General. Also, we were on Sunrise this morning and I brought your laundry bag with me.
We wish them all the best on their journey and good luck at the Games!!!
Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in.
Tuesday's would be so totally boring without them!
💟💟💟💟💟💟💟
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