CRANE, Ind. –
A Naval Service Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) employee has volunteered for more than a decade to sew and award quilts to living service members and veterans all over the country.
Kay Miller, a Human Resource Specialist at NSWC Crane, recently celebrated 40 years of federal service—half of that time was spent as a United States Navy Chief Petty Officer. Miller started working at NSWC Crane in 2009, and the following year she enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program. She needed a community service project for one of her classes and came across the nonprofit organization, Quilts of Valor (QoV).
“A former shipmate told me about a program that honors living veterans, called Quilts of Valor,” says Miller. “The service project had to be something I was passionate about. I’m passionate about veterans, giving back to the community, and quilting. In October of that year, I put my uniform on and with two seabags full of quilts, I went to many rooms at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda where wounded Marines and Sailors were recovering from injuries and I awarded quilts until they were gone…when I left the hospital, I had to join the organization. The quilts have touched the lives of veterans over the years.”
Quilts of Valor is a nonprofit organization where volunteers hand make quilts for service members and veterans to honor them for their service. 
Miller says volunteering for QoV is a way to thank veterans.
“There are a lot of veterans who need to be honored who haven’t been,” says Miller. “World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans are a priority to recognize. I can almost remember every person’s name I’ve awarded a quilt to—it’s not just a name, they all have stories. Once they find out I’m a veteran—they know we have something in common and we have an immediate bond. No matter what branch of service, we all signed the same line. Sometimes family members will say, ‘I’ve learned so much about him—this is what it took.’ If it is just a quilt that shows I am grateful, I will never stop doing this.”
In 2004, she ‘reverse engineered’ a quilt that was given to a family member and taught herself the hobby. Now, she has been quilting for almost 20 years and has awarded with the help of group members more than 700 quilts to veterans across the country. Miller is the group leader for the local chapter of the Quilts of Valor that includes 22 members and is the District Coordinator for all of southern Indiana.
“The quilts are made locally. Last year, we awarded 107 quilts. We work with families if we get a quilt request for a veteran—the quilts can be personalized in the process,” says Miller. “I can’t do this alone; it’s been a group effort from the beginning.”
Each group of the organization is responsible for fundraising money for all their fabric and supplies.
“Each quilt is over $150 in material,” says Miller. “We do many things throughout the year to help raise money. Over the years, we have received many monetary donations which allows us to get the correct items we need to make a quilt and supplies needed to help us continue to honor our American heroes. From February through May is when we make most of our quilts.”
She says giving the quilts is meaningful.
“I have to give to the Veterans because they have given so much,” says Miller. “At first, I didn’t feel worthy—I have 20 years of service myself but when you see a severely wounded 19-year-old Marine with no arms or legs…I’m honored to be in this organization to honor these veterans from many generations of conflicts.”
To learn more about Miller’s local chapter’s efforts or with any questions you have, visit this link.
To learn more about the organization or nominate a service member or veteran to be awarded a quilt, visit this website.
About NSWC Crane NSWC Crane is a naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with mission areas in Expeditionary Warfare, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare. The warfare center is responsible for multi-domain, multi- spectral, full life cycle support of technologies and systems enhancing capability to today's Warfighter.
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