Hand-made quilts were offered up to local veterans by the Central Florida Chapter of Quilts of Valor
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The Central Florida Chapter of Quilts of Valor presented quilts to five local veterans Saturday in honor of their armed forces service. PHOTO/TERRY LLOYD
As a prelude to Memorial Day, May 18 is Armed Forces Day, and the Museum of Military History went all out Saturday by opening the museum free to all visitors and inviting veterans’ service organizations and veteran-related businesses to exhibit displays at the museum.
Armed Forces Day began in 1950 when President Harry S. Truman declared a single holiday for citizens to thank military members for their patriotic service in support of the country and national interests. Since that time, it has evolved into Armed Forces Week, with signature events such as Fleet Week celebrations in New York, San Francisco, Miami and many other port cities.
The highlight of Saturday’s museum celebration was the presentation of Quilts of Valor to five Osceola area veterans by the Central Florida Chapter of Quilts of Valor. The veterans receiving quilts Saturday were Vincent Monitto, Stan Hope, Teresa Mailhot, Bob Mailhot and Steve Montiero, a Kissimmee native known better as “Trooper Steve” on WKMG Channel 6’s morning news show. Stan Hope was also presented with a Vietnam Veteran lapel pin issued by the U.S. Department of Defense and presented by partner organizations such as Quilts of Valor.
Each quilt is hand-made by a chapter volunteer with donated materials and input from the intended recipient for the design. Each quilt takes about 100 hours to make. Recipients must have been nominated by an individual or organization and served honorably in one of the six branches of the U.S. military.
“Quilts equal healing, and we want the recipients to know this is coming from our hearts and our love. Our respect for their sacrifice,” said Melissa Matthews, group leader and founder of the Central Florida chapter.
Since presenting their first Quit of Valor in January 2020, the chapter has created and presented over 500 quilts across Central Florida.
Organizations on hand to support the museum’s events included the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and Navy Federal Credit Union. Aces in Action, a new military-themed art gallery in Orlando, and local author Peter LaPorta, whose book “Normandy Nights” is based on his grandfather’s experiences in World War II, also displayed at the museum.
Saturday evening, the Museum hosted a dinner in honor of Korean War veterans, while another Armed Forces Day event took place at the Kissimmee Civic Center. The Osceola Veterans Council hosted their annual Veterans Tribute Dinner, with over 170 attendees. Due to generous sponsorships, the cost to attendees was free.
For more information on the Museum of Military History see https://bit.ly/4aqCseW
For more information on the Quilts of Valor Foundation see https://bit.ly/4bjEbUy
For more information on the Osceola Veterans Council see https://bit.ly/4ar2ej6.
