Grant Regional Health Center Honors Staff
for Serving our Country with Quilts of Valor
Grant Regional Health Center and Dr. Erin Huebschman were honored to recognize fellow co-workers for serving our country. Those recognized as veterans in our midst, included David Bainbridge, Carrie Blessen, Jerry Fushianes, Scott Murray, Louise Nebel, Jim Reynolds, Nicole Seippel, Isaac Wall, and Joyce Walter. “When I started doing the QOV presentations Stacy and I discussed how we should decide what order to make the presentations and we decided it would make sense to award them in order of service to the GRHC organization. This year Inez Martin agreed to team up with me and she provided her time, expertise and long arm quilting machine to do the long arm quilting,” explained Dr. Huebschman.
Presentation by Dr. Erin Huebschman:
Quilts of Valor was founded by Catherine Roberts, a military mother, in 2003. Catherine saw the possibility of Quilts equaling Healing. From the beginning, Catherine Roberts had definite ideas about standards of excellence for Quilts of Valor. For instance, she knew a Quilt of Valor had to be a quality-made quilt, not a “charity quilt.” A Quilt of Valor had to be quilted, not tied. Quilts of Valor would be “awarded,” not just passed out like magazines or videos. A Quilt of Valor would say unequivocally, “Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and valor” in serving our nation in combat.
The first QOV was awarded in November 2003 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. As of recent, 202,108 quilts have been awarded in all 50 states. With more than 30K since we gathered together last year.
Over the past 15 years the foundation’s mission has come into focus such that, “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.”
This year Inez and I are honored to award Quilts of Valor to Nichole Seippel and Carrie Blessen.
Nichole served in the Army National Guard for 8 years as a Heavy Equipment Operator. She was a part of the 229th Combat Support Company out of Prairie du Chien and Platteville. During her military service, she spent 14 months on active duty in the Operation Iraqi Freedom War; 11 months of those were spent in Iraq. She was a part of many projects that involved the rebuilding of Iraq, including repairing airstrips and construction of causeways for bridges and missions that focused on security for soldiers. She also had many other experiences during her service such as building clinics in Nicaragua, road construction in Alaska and border patrol project in Arizona. She was honorably discharge as an E-5 Sergeant in 2009.
Nichole says that “It was an honor to be a part of the Army National Guard and serve in Iraq. I feel thankful that everyone in my unit came home and my military experience will always be a part of me. During my service, I was introduced into the medical field when I became certified as a Combat Lifesaver. I have learned to be thankful for our freedom in the United States and grateful for all members past and present who served to keep us free.”
Carrie spent 10 years in the Marine Corps from 1992 to 2002. Her first six years she worked in Aviation Electronics. She went to school in Tennessee and Virginia. Then she was stationed in South Carolina for four years. When her children were 11 months and 3 years, she went to Japan without her family for just over a year. She re-enlisted and made a lateral move to war planning. She was then stationed in New Orleans, LA for four years.
Carrie said that “I made lifelong friends and as I am writing this, I am on my way to see a Marine buddy who I studied with in school and I haven't see in 21 years. Just this past summer, I went to a retirement ceremony of another Marine who I served with and hadn't seen in over 20 years. We worked hard. We also had fun like the time we sent the new Marine to supply to get 10 feet of fallopian tube!“
“The Marines I served with became my family for life.“
Please use these quilts on your bed, snuggle up with them on your couch or wrap your loved ones in it. We would like you to use it to keep you warm and feel comforted by it.
It is with sincere gratitude that we extend to you are many thanks for serving our country.