Honoring Our Veterans: A Quilting Bee of Knowledge
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March 4, 2010 • Emily Norris, Staff Writer
Filed under Features
Since mid-February, two 10′ x 8′ quilts have hung on the walls in the Middle School foyer. These are no ordinary quilts, they have history and truly remarkable stories attached to them that make our country proud. The quilts honor our veterans who have fought for our country, each piece of the quilt holds a face, a story, or a name. Although each piece of the quilt may have a different story, each story holds the pride of America.
This quilt does not only connect us to all of America, but it holds a special connection to our school. Our Principal, Mark Diefendorf is a Vietnam War veteran and his picture can be seen on one of the quilts. Surrounding the piece of quilt honoring him are also his niece, a medic in Iraq, his brother-in-law, a Korean War veteran, and his father who fought in World War II. When Mr. Diefendorf talked about the quilt he seemed humbled by the fact he was on it, but what made him most proud was to see his father. On his mother’s 85th birthday, Mr. Diefendorf brought her to see the quilt. This was a very emotional moment for them to share, remembering and honoring his father who died in 1968. He was proud to share that moment with his mother.
The idea of the quilt was that of Lauren Dunn, a nurse at Stratton VA Medical Center. The stories were collected by volunteers who work at the hospital. Mr. Diefendorf and his family are on the quilt because his wife, Barbara White Diefendorf, is a nurse at the VA Medical Center. The quilt recognizes 189 US Veterans. In addition to the quilt, the Sage Colleges made a book with the biographies of these veterans. The book cost $15 plus $2.50 for shipping and handling, it can be purchased through the Sage website: www.sage.edu/VAQuilt. All proceeds will go to scholarships for US veterans and their children enrolled at Sage in the Health Sciences.
The quilt will be leaving the lobby Friday, March 5th to go back to the hospital. Mr. Diefendorf says that nobody really talks about being a veteran but seeing him and his family on the quilt makes him proud. This quilt serves as a reminder for all the men and women who have put their lives on the line for our country. We should be grateful for what they have done for this country at all times, and should remember, honor them, and pay tribute to them everyday.
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