{"id":1639100,"date":"2025-11-06T07:44:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T15:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quiltfolk.com\/?p=1639100"},"modified":"2025-11-08T20:34:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T04:34:02","slug":"vets-helping-vets-a-stitch-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quiltfolk.com\/journal\/vets-helping-vets-a-stitch-at-a-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Vets Helping Vets: A Stitch at a Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Veterans and their families have long turned to stitching for comfort, therapy, and simply to help others. Civil War families gathered and knitted socks to channel emotions into something productive. World War I soldiers who suffered from what we now know as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were taught embroidery as physical therapy. Many medical studies also document the health benefits of our repetitive and methodical hobbies to reduce stress and boost mental and emotional well-being.<\/span><\/p>

In honor of Veterans Day, here are a few notable veterans helping other veterans through quilting.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

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Before the Quilts of Valor (QOV) Foundation was established in 2003, to honor and comfort service members and veterans, Jerome Anthony Nedved, a World War II veteran from Iowa, had already made over 500 quilts not only for veterans but also for overseas church missions and, well, anyone in need.<\/span><\/p>

Born on July 31, 1922, Jerome was very proud of the things he had done in his life. He served in the Battle of the Bulge. He was also a father and a lifelong farmer. In his free time, he had a few hobbies, especially canning and quilting. His granddaughter, Staci Hansen, said, \u201cHis mother was in a wheelchair, so he learned at an early age to help around the house. As a child, he learned to sew.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Jerome Nedved with one of his quilts. Photo provided. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u201cAfter his retirement from farming in 1984, he and my grandma moved into town: Pocahontas, Iowa. My grandma continued to embroider quilt blocks and make quilts. With not a lot to do with himself besides garden, my grandpa decided to start collecting blue jeans from everybody he could, so he could help the church ladies make quilts for overseas missions,\u201d Staci said.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Jerome Nedved at his sewing machine. Photo provided. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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He sat for hours in his little room off the garage, cutting squares. He used little tiles as patterns for small, medium, and large blocks. He would cut all day long. \u201cThere was never much left of a pair of blue jeans by the time he was done,\u201d Staci said. \u201cHe would then start pinning his blocks and sewing. He was never one to quit once he got started. He would spend hours upon hours sewing until it was done.\u201c<\/span><\/p>

Each of his children and grandchildren also received a quilt from him. After over 500 quilts in about 20 years, he decided to be done. We lost this great American on March 12, 2005.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Valerie Baker, a retired Army officer and owner of Pound and Inch Fabric and Sewing Store in Moline, Illinois, donated six new sewing machines to the Quad Cities Veteran Outreach Center in Davenport, Iowa, to encourage activities that can help promote mental health. \u201cFor veterans who are adjusting to life after service,\u2014or with service-connected conditions such as anxiety, depression, and other situations\u2014sewing or quilting can be a positive experience. The Outreach Center moved into a great new location, and they deserved to have nice new machines to facilitate classroom instruction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The Quad Cities Veteran Outreach Center serves 4,600 veterans in the community. As a result of Valerie\u2019s generous donation, the Center now has a dedicated craft and sewing room.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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There, veterans take advantage of open sewing times or participate in volunteer-led quilting classes. All the fabric, thread, and batting are donated. Polly Graham, a veteran herself and a Center board of directors member said, \u201dThere is great comradery when vets gather in general. But the sewing room provides true therapy. This is their happy place.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Crafting and sewing room at vet's center. Photo provided. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u201cI find sewing and quilting to be very beneficial, from the physical aspect to the creativity of project inspiration, completion, and the giving or selling the project to someone who needs it or loves it as much as I did while creating,\u201d Valerie said. She made her <\/span>My Army Life<\/span><\/i> quilt during the final six months of her Army career. \u201cI served 21 years, and the quilt includes all the locations and facilities I served at. It was a way for me to process the experiences I survived\u2014from lowly Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant Colonel, from Fort Polk to Iraq. It hangs in my office and always reminds me of how far I have come and that I can do difficult things,\u201d Valerie said.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Andrew Lee, known as the Combat Quilter, found quilting as his personal comfort for PTSD. From Loudon, Tennessee, Andrew served two tours in Iraq. \u201cI tried everything the Army offered, but none of it helped me. Then, I discovered quilting,\u201d Andrew said. \u201cWhen I\u2019m quilting at the sewing machine, everything else goes away. It\u2019s therapeutic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Andrew Lee with his quilt Shock and Awe. Photo submitted.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Andrew Lee with a Quilts of Valor quilt. Photo provided.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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He began quilting in 2016 when a flyer appeared in the mailbox offering a quilted table runner class at the local quilt shop. \u201cI thought this might get me the \u2018good husband award,\u2019\u201d he said. On the shopping trip to buy fabric for the project, Andrew met the husband-and-wife team for the North Knoxville QOV group. They invited him to their Wednesday night men\u2019s quilting group.<\/span><\/p>

He has made great strides, both with his mental health and his newfound skills. Now Andrew works on a QOV quilt every day. So far, he\u2019s made 687 quilts and gifted all but four. His Iwo Jima quilt <\/span>Shock and Awe<\/span><\/i> has been displayed at Houston\u2019s International Quilt Festival. He has also designed fabric lines for Timeless Treasure.<\/span><\/p>

Andrew hopes his story helps others. \u201cYou are not alone. Try things out of the box to find your peace and happiness,\u201d Andrew said. \u201cSometimes, God\u2019s light is a candle behind a bush, and other times, it\u2019s a Batman signal in the sky.\u201d As a kid, going to church with his grandmother, they would pray to \u201cbe a light to the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Quilt by Andrew Lee. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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About the Author<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Diane L. Murtha is an award-winning quilter, fiber artist, author, and international lecturer and instructor. Quilting for over 30 years, she gravitated to art quilts and discovered she loves challenges. Her quilts and articles are included in books, 30 + magazines, and multiple juried exhibits and international shows. Diane published her first book,\u00a0Artful Insights in Fiber: Quilted Bits of Wit & Wisdom<\/i>\u00a0in March 2023. She currently resides in Iowa. Learn more at\u00a0www.dianeLmurtha.com<\/a>, or follow her on Instagram\u00a0@dianelmurtha<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For generations, veterans and their families have turned to stitching as a source of comfort, therapy, and connection. From Civil War knitters to modern quilters, the act of creating has offered both healing and purpose. This Veterans Day, we honor those who continue that legacy\u2014like WWII veteran Jerome Nedved, who made over 500 quilts for those in need; Valerie Baker, who donates machines to help veterans find peace through sewing; and Andrew Lee, the \u201cCombat Quilter,\u201d who transformed his PTSD recovery into a mission of hope. Their stories remind us that the thread of service doesn\u2019t end when the uniform comes off\u2014it simply takes a new form.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18798,"featured_media":1639101,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[232,235,85],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-1639100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews","category-off-the-pages","category-quilters"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nVets Helping Vets: A Stitch at a Time - Quiltfolk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quiltfolk.com\/journal\/vets-helping-vets-a-stitch-at-a-time\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Vets Helping Vets: A Stitch at a Time - Quiltfolk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For generations, veterans and their families have turned to stitching as a source of comfort, therapy, and connection. From Civil War knitters to modern quilters, the act of creating has offered both healing and purpose. This Veterans Day, we honor those who continue that legacy\u2014like WWII veteran Jerome Nedved, who made over 500 quilts for those in need; Valerie Baker, who donates machines to help veterans find peace through sewing; and Andrew Lee, the \u201cCombat Quilter,\u201d who transformed his PTSD recovery into a mission of hope. Their stories remind us that the thread of service doesn\u2019t end when the uniform comes off\u2014it simply takes a new form.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.quiltfolk.com\/journal\/vets-helping-vets-a-stitch-at-a-time\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Quiltfolk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/quiltfolk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-06T15:44:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-09T04:34:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/quiltfolk.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20251106075449\/0075melaniezacek.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1282\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Diane L. Murtha\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.quiltfolk.com\/journal\/vets-helping-vets-a-stitch-at-a-time\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.quiltfolk.com\/journal\/vets-helping-vets-a-stitch-at-a-time\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Diane L. 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This Veterans Day, we honor those who continue that legacy\u2014like WWII veteran Jerome Nedved, who made over 500 quilts for those in need; Valerie Baker, who donates machines to help veterans find peace through sewing; and Andrew Lee, the \u201cCombat Quilter,\u201d who transformed his PTSD recovery into a mission of hope. Their stories remind us that the thread of service doesn\u2019t end when the uniform comes off\u2014it simply takes a new form.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.quiltfolk.com\/journal\/vets-helping-vets-a-stitch-at-a-time\/","og_site_name":"Quiltfolk","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/quiltfolk","article_published_time":"2025-11-06T15:44:12+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-09T04:34:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1282,"url":"https:\/\/quiltfolk.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20251106075449\/0075melaniezacek.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Diane L. 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