My Quilt of Valor

Two days ago, I had the pleasure of 'capturing' an event where the Quilts of Valor presented over 500 quilts to soldiers in 4-4 CAV at Fort Riley.  Their unit experienced significant loss in way of both KIA soldiers and wounded.  It was an amazing experience and watching each of the soldiers hold their quilt close, the memories of the day I received my quilt from the QOV came back.

I received mine about six months after I was medically retired out of the Army and was still struggling with no longer being a soldier.  It also happened to be during our baby shower as we were preparing for our first child.  In the recent months, I still hadn't wrapped my head around being out of the Army.  I had loved it, I loved being a soldier, I loved flying and I greatly missed it.  Since my husband was still active and we had been in the same unit, I still saw my soldiers generally at least once a week.  They struggled with what to call me, was is SSG King or do they dare call me Mindy...  I struggled with not correcting a soldier when I saw their hair being out of regulation or them doing something else they shouldn't be doing.

As we were leaving Germany, even though I had been out for a number of months now, the finalization of everything hit when we moved back.  The last part of me being a soldier was being left behind.  When we arrived home, I was happy to be there, but a part of me still longed for a place where I was still seen as SSG King.  Then the day of the baby shower arrived.

I had seen pictures of quilters from the Quilts of Valor presenting quilts, but I never imagined I would be on the receiving end of one myself.  As my mom was announcing to our family and friends what was going on, I was overwhelmed with emotions.  My family has told me so many times how proud they were of my service, my friends had morally supported me through those years, and my soldiers had known I was always there for them - but here was a group that I didn't know besides mostly through pictures had pieced together an amazing quilt for me.  Around the border, the words 'We are Grateful' are stitched and in an instant that longing for a former place left me and I knew that even in the big scheme of things and the huge Army - that I mattered and my service mattered to someone outside of those close to me.  I've struggled to put this into words since the day I was presented my quilt, but the other day seeing those soldiers and looking back at the pictures - the words finally came.

Thank you to the quilters of the Quilts of Valor for helping me find that closure and letting me know that I mattered!

The day I received my quilt:

I wanted to do some pictures of my son that was symbolic of both my husband and my service, in the first picture he is laying on my quilt with daddy in the background, playing with daddy's dog tags.  The second picture he is laying on the quilt wrapped in one of my old BDU tops.