Quilt of Valor #61

Wow, it had been a long time since I have quilted a Quilt of Valor.  I have had this top made by Al Lind on my shelf for over a year.  Al was a WWII Veteran and POW.  He was a prolific piecer: having pieced over 500 quilts. When he passed away in 2010, at age 92, he left a legacy of over 80 tops yet to be quilted.

I have had the honor of quilting my 18th top of Al Lind's today: 

Sent to Afghanistan to the 932nd Forward Surgical Team

Each of his finished quilts are sent packaged with his 7 page story.  Here is a small excerpt from his story:

"Al Lind: Drafted in 1942, the work hardened farm boy from South Dakota had entered the army strong and fit at 160 pounds.  June 18th, 1945, he returned to American soil, a survivor of 23 months and 11 days as a POW--he was 80 pounds of rawboned courage. 

He married and returned to a life of farming. When he retired he was always looking for something to do. That’s how he began cutting cotton strips for his neighbor, a quilter. She told him about Quilts of Valor.  When Al found out more about the effort, he put hours in each day cutting fabric for others as well. Within a few weeks, he was taught to make foundation string pieced blocks with a borrowed sewing machine. He now has his own machine and makes 10-12 quilt tops a month.

For him, service to country is a lifelong commitment. His quilts now honor those who followed in his footsteps: the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who each day stand ready to risk lives to protect the freedoms all of us enjoy."

What a legacy this American Hero has left to so many other veterans.
I never got to meet him but did speak to him on the phone, of which I am thankful.

Check out his video: Al Lind