Quilts of Valor of the Ozarks (QOVO) held their first veteran quilt award ceremony on April 10, 2024, at the Branson Area Christian Women’s Connection luncheon. Mr. Richard Collins was honored for his service with the presentation of a Quilt of Valor® by six members of the QOVO Chapter, from Kimberling City, MO.
Mr. Collins attended Richmond Senior High School where he was an honor student majoring in Architectural Drafting and Engineering. He volunteered for the Marine Corps in 1974 during Vietnam and served two tours in 1974-1978 and 1984-1988. While in the service Richard’s MOS (Military Operations Specialist) was Aviation Electrohydropneumatic Technician Organizational & Intermediate Levels of maintenance.
He was certified and supported several Fixed Wing aircraft, including the F4-Phanton and Rotary Wing aircraft including the UH-1E & UH-1N Huey, the AH-1J and AHIW Cobra, CH-46 Sea Horse and CH-53 Sea Stallion. Richard also was certified for Intermediate Level Maintenance on all aircraft. His tour stations in the Pacific included Okinawa Japan, Philippine Islands, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan serving on the following ships: LPH’s, USS Okinawa, USS New Orleans and the USS Tripoli.
Mr. Collins and his wife, Sandra, currently reside in Oak Grove, Arkansas.
What is a Quilt of Valor
A Quilt of Valor® (QOV) is a quality, handmade quilt that is machine or hand quilted. It is awarded to a service member or veteran who has been touched by war. These quilts are awarded (it is not a gift) and it must be recorded with the Quilts of Valor Foundation. The quilt says unequivocally, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.”
To use the term Quilt of Valor, Quilts of Valor or QOV, the quilt must be a specificsize, must have a label with required information, it must be awarded (it is not a gift) and it must be recorded.
All materials for these quilts are dependent on donations.
Eligibility for quilts
Who is eligible to be awarded a quilt? Any service member or living veteran who served in one of the following branches: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Members of the activated National Guard and activated or active duty-special work (ADSW) reservists are included. The Army National Guard and Air Force National Guard are components of the Army and Air Force respectively. Merchant Marines activated from 1941 to 1945. Additionally, anyone who serves at the Dover Mortuary Facility is eligible.• Served during declared war, conflicts, police actions, peacekeeping missions, and counter terrorism operations and/or times of peace.• Service during, but not necessarily limited to, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Panama, Beirut, Granada, Bosnia, the Cold War, Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Iraq, Afghanistan, anti-terrorism operations, and terrorism attacks against Armed Forces personnel is included.• Only veterans with an Honorable or General Discharge status are eligible.• QOVF does not award QOVs posthumously.
Individuals may be nominated by completing a form at https://www.qovf.org/nominations- awards/nominate_qov_tbw_info/#faq or emailing the local chapter at quiltsofvalorozarks@gmail.com for a nomination form.
How you can be involved
If you are interested in joining this work, or making a donation, you may contact the local QOVO Chapter through their Facebook page (Quilts of Valor of the Ozarks), email them at quiltsofvalorozarks@gmail.com or come to a meeting the first Monday of the month at 9 a.m.