Photo By Scott Sturkol | A Quilt of Valor presented to Fort McCoy dispatcher and Air Force veteran Aaron...... read more read more
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Dispatcher Aaron Demarte with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services was the recipient of a Quilt of Valor connected with the Superior Quilt of Valor group at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9084 in Wakefield, Mich. — Demarte’s hometown.
Demarte has served on multiple military deployments for the Air Force as a military working dog handler and has 12 years of active-duty military time and more in the Air National Guard. He has also completed years of service as an Army civil servant at Fort McCoy.
Demarte also is active is supporting veteran's causes and more. This ceremony was led by Michelle Royal, Demarte’s cousin and a quilter and also a Wakefield native. She was supported by Heather Spring, a longtime Air Force family member and quilter and member of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, and by many others who helped make the quilt in the Superior group, Royal said.
“Our Quilting Friends Facebook group was formed on May 1, 2022,” Royal said. “We all met through various virtual quilt retreats. Friendships formed, and we wanted to quilt together. So, the group was formed and has grown to 130 members all over the United States.
“We have Zooms once a week and some have gone on vacation together,” Royal said. “We enjoy participating in Quilt of Valor events as well as quilts for children in need. We also participate in group challenges to grow our skillsets. Through quilting, we have formed friendships that will last a lifetime.”
In building the quilt for Demarte, Royal said 20 quilters from eight states combined to make one beautiful piece of quilted art. Those people include Royal, Mary Lou Anderson, Lee Baker, Kathy Bartel, Linda Bigelbach, Dawn Bigelbach, Kathy Clancy, Christine Eid, Linda Fergusun, Kathy Flynn, Cyndy Fremling, Linda Grabow, Pam Hennessey, Linda Hinde, Judy Hunter, Kay Kammeyer, Lori Lizak, Michell Shook, Nancy Simonson, and Lore Stanley.
During the ceremony, Royal reviewed Demarte’s Air Force career and his accomplishments during several deployments. Spring also discussed Demarte’s many medals. She also discussed the Quilt of Valor Foundation.
“The Quilt of Valor Foundation has been a mission of mine,” Spring said. “I have been a part of Quilts of Valor for over seven years now. And when we finally made the move to the U.P., I was amazed there was not a Quilt of Valor group representing the Upper Peninsula yet. So as of January this year, I started the Superior Quilt of Valor group.
“And it’s amazing the first person I worked with was Michelle,” Spring said. “I’m grateful that she reached out to me, and I’m grateful to be here today. Quilts of Valor is a national organization that was founded by a military mom who wanted to give back, who wanted to say thank, and she wanted to give a hug to everybody who supports our nation and defended our freedom.
“Volunteers from around the country actually take part in making these quilts,” Spring said. “They are made with love, and they are made at no charge to any of the veterans. They are given free of charge, and we do not expect anything in return. So today it is my honor, to present this Quilt of Valor, made with love by a wonderful group of quilting friends, to Aaron Demarte.”
Demarte’s daughter Zoey Demarte and mother Judy Kahila officially presented Aaron with the quilt, holding it out for full display for the ceremony audience. They then folded the quilt and placed it over his shoulders.
Demarte later stated his appreciation, “Thank you to everyone who was a part of making this happen. I felt extremely honored to receive the quilt. To be recognized by such a prestigious and wonderful group of organizations with the most important people who mean the most to me in my life. I’m very grateful to be amongst part of the 500,000 and counting veterans who have been honored as well.
“And as far as what the quilt means to me, when I see and think of the quilt, it made me think of how kind and special that these members from the Quilt of Valor organization are,” Demarte said. “How important they are to all of us veterans. And how are they important? They provide support and continue to provide the warrior ethos inside of us veterans to never give up no matter what we have been through and to always stay strong defeating what evil is thrown our way. I think of the previous generations of veterans and specifically the generation of veterans around my two heroes growing up. My grandfather Renaldo Boetto and my father John Kahila are both veterans of different wartime eras who inspired me to serve at such a young age.”
According to the Quilts of Valor Foundation website, https://www.qovf.org, the mission of the foundation is “to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.”
The website also shows Catherine Roberts is the founder.
“Founder Catherine Roberts’ son Nat was deployed in Iraq,” the website states. “According to Catherine: The dream was as vivid as real life. I saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. I could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional gutter. Then, as if viewing a movie, I saw him in the next scene wrapped in a quilt. His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. The quilt had made this dramatic change. The message of my dream was: quilts = healing.”
Royal said her group will continue to support Quilts of Valor efforts. Spring also said the Superior Quilt of Valor group is also growing, which people can learn more about by visiting https://www.facebook.com/groups/293910897061704.
Demarte continues to serve in one of the busiest jobs in the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services 911 Communications/Security Center. In a past news article, he described how he enjoys what he does.
“Working as a 911 dispatcher has been very rewarding to me,” Demarte said. “Getting people the help that they need has been challenging at times, but also knowing that you can help save someone’s life can be very rewarding.
“I love coming to work every day and really enjoy it here at Fort McCoy, especially with my fellow dispatchers,” he said. “In my opinion, this dispatch section is the best I have experienced throughout … my career in both law enforcement and dispatching.”
Demarte’s Quilt of Valor ceremony also included a special color guard from members of VFW Post 9084.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
| Date Taken: | 07.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2024 03:09 |
| Story ID: | 475353 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 7,413 |
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