Four veterans have received “a hug from everybody in Canada” after a community group partnered with a national organization to award the men colourful and decorative blankets.
Moose Jaw’s Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans (ANAVETS) Club No. 252 recently held an awards ceremony and handed out pins recognizing long-service memberships. It also honoured Ed Webb, Ed Land, Ron Johnson and Don McDonald with a Quilt of Valour, a national program that honours veterans’ service.
This was the first time the club had given out Quilts of Valour, while it chose these men because they were the most deserving or have been members for decades, said Ron Roy, sergeant-at-arms.
One veteran was pleased with the accolade.
“This is one of the greatest honours I’ve ever gotten in my life. I never expected to be nominated for this,” said McDonald.
McDonald, 73, has been with the Legion for more than 30 years, while he served in the military from 1969 to 1999 and did tours in Egypt, Cyprus, France and Germany.
He is also a member of the Moose Jaw United Nations NATO Veterans Group, which meets regularly, engages in community service and supports needy veterans.
That service is important because members are “old school” and believe it’s vital to “give back, give back, give back” to their communities since the latter supported them during their careers, McDonald said.
McDonald added that he loved his time in the military, especially since he attempted to climb a pyramid in Egypt.
“It’s hard, and if you don’t get too far (up), you get tired,” he chuckled.
One negative of military life is being away from family, and while that’s a “downfall” of the job, the upside is serving one’s country, McDonald continued. When members enlist, they “write a cheque (with) a value up to and including” their lives — and it’s redeemable at any time.
“You can always take the man out of the uniform … but you can never take the uniform out of the person,” he added. “And that’s the way I’ve lived my life.”
Elizabeth (Beth) Andrews, the Saskatchewan rep for Quilts of Valour Canada, thought it was wonderful to present four blankets to deserving veterans since it’s similar to receiving “a hug from everybody in Canada.” She also appreciated the provincial volunteers who crafted the colourful items with interesting designs.
“There’s just so much need in the country … (so) it’s just nice that we’re able to do our little thing for somebody,” she said, noting she sends excess quilts from Saskatchewan to Eastern Canada because of the demand.
Andrews says she becomes emotional speaking with veterans and learning about their experiences. She recalled one discussion with one man who loved hockey but couldn’t attend games anymore because every time the puck hit the glass, he was on the floor — a reaction acquired during his service.
When Andrews began five years ago, she didn’t know how many quilts were required in Saskatchewan, while she assumed it was mostly veterans of the Second World War and Korean War who needed one. However, she soon realized many other veterans had served in places such as Bosnia and Afghanistan and had acquired post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Speaking with those veterans is special for Andrews because she now understands that many feel left out. So, she regularly contacts legions and veterans’ groups to identify possible quilt candidates.
Andrews usually distributes 20 to 30 quilts annually, and so far this year, she has given out 15, which she sees as positive since that shows the word is spreading about the Quilts of Valour initiative.
