Quilt of Valor envelopes veteran Eddie Mindlin
Franklin. Mindlin is a World War II Navy veteran who served from January 1944 through June 1946 with the Occupation Force in Japan.
| 16 Nov 2021 | 09:13
Ceremony organizer Judith Williams with veteran Eddie Mindlin, who appreciates his comforting Quilt of Valor. (Photo courtesy of Carol Johnson)
On Veterans Day, the Sussex County Quilters, a local division of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, presented a beautifully comforting red, white, and blue quilt to this year’s recipient, Eddie Mindlin, at the Franklin Fire House.
Mindlin, 95, is a World War II Navy veteran who served from January 1944 through June 1946 with the Occupation Force in Japan. He is still very active in the fire department and marched in this year’s Sussex County Fireman’s Parade held in Sussex.
An extremely grateful Mindlin accepted the quilt, immediately wrapping himself in its warmth and comfort. The quilt was made by Billie Blakeney , Quilts of Valor’s Pennsylvania state coordinator.
Quilts of Valor is a nationwide organization formed in 2003 by founder Catherine Roberts, whose own son Nat was deployed in Iraq.
According to the group, “The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing quilts of valor.”
During October, the foundation nationally distributed 2,415 quilts. During 2021, the group distributed 20,918 quilts and its lifetime total quilt distribution since 2003 has been an amazing 286,178 quilts to service personnel and veterans.