HAMLET — Two Richmond County veterans were draped with quilts during a special ceremony Wednesday at the Hamlet Senior Center.
Joseph Ingram Sr. and Alan J. Moss, both Army veterans, received the quilts from the Sandhills Chapter of Quilts of Valor.
Ingram served from 1971 to 1973, stationed stateside at Fort Dix, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and overseas in Germany, according to a bio read by Karen Marshall. While at Walter Reed, Ingram carried medical supplies to the hospital and retired officers in the area. While in Germany, Ingram served as the assistant to the adjutant.
Moss served from 1959 to 1962 as head of the message center headquarters while stationed in France.
“These Quilts of Valor were made for you by members of the Sandhills Quilters Guild as a small token from our grateful hearts for service you have rendered to America,” said Amy Maxon of the regional chapter. “While some may never meet you, you were on their minds as they pieced and quilted these gifts of thanks for you.”
Maxon said the Quilts of Valor Foundation is a grassroots group of thousands of quilters across the nation with a mission to “cover all servicemembers and veterans who have been touched by war with quilts to honor them for what they have done for all of us.”
More than 400,000 quilts have been made and distributed since the organization’s founding in 2003, Maxon said.
The quilts, Maxon continued, include a three-part message.
“First we honor you for your service, for your willingness to leave all you hold dear and stand in harm’s way in a time of crisis,” Maxon said. “Second, we know that freedom is never free, and our quilts are meant to say ‘thank you’ for your many sacrifices.
“And finally, these quilts offer you comfort, they are our quilty hug to you. And as we sew, we hope that our gratitude and caring will flow from our hearts, through our hands and into the quilts and eventually surround you with warmth and love.”
Maxon said the quilts were made by people in the Sandhills “who share your love of country,” and each one features a label with something about its beginnings.
“We hope you will keep them with you as a tangible reminder that there are thousands of women and men across this land who know that we are forever in your debt,” Maxon continued. “And it is our pleasure to honor you with a Quilt of Valor.”
While receiving his quilt, Moss gave the name of another veteran deserving of the honor.
Each veteran in attendance was also given a red plush blanket by REV Federal Credit Union.
Prior to the presentations, Trooper Jeff Nash with the N.C. State High Patrol was the guest speaker.
“You don’t see this in a lot of places…the community doing this for their veterans,” Nash said about the ceremony. “
Nash is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, and his father was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded in Vietnam.
“The military gave me a lot … I’m thankful for the opportunity that I had to serve and I hope a lot of you veterans also look at it that way,” Nash said. “The military did more for me than I ever did for it.”
Thanking the older veterans in the crowd, Nash said that their sacrifice paved the way for him to be able to serve.
The ceremony also included the posting of the colors by the Richmond Senior High School Army JROTC color guard, the singing of the national anthem by Courtney Vargas, a presentation of the 13 folds of the U.S. flag by the AMVETS Post 316 Honor Guard, and the singing of “America the Beautiful” by Senior Center Director Amanda Kempen.
Several local veterans were awarded Quilts of Valor in August 2023. Click here to read that story.
