Veterans honored with Quilts of Valor

During Branson’s Veterans Week, Quilts of Valor of the Ozarks was privileged to honor veterans with a comforting, healing Quilt of Valor, with one presentation made at the IMAX Entertainment Complex and one at the Keeter Center on the College of the Ozarks campus. 

On Monday, November 10, 2025, Jim Wilhite was awarded a Quilt of Valor during the Branson Veterans Film Festival at the IMAX Theater. Col. Wilhite served 40 years in the U.S. Army Infantry, at duty stations including Fort Polk, Fort Leavenworth, Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Benning and Afghanistan. While in Afghanistan, he built a university for the Afghan students using the United States Military Academy as a model. 

In 2012 Col. Wilhite founded the Branson Military Film Festival. The information for these films was once classified material, but is now unclassified. Each November during Veterans Week, films are shown at the IMAX in Branson at no cost to veterans, made possible by the generous support of the Bluto family. Tanya Bluto said it is a privilege to make the space available for the showing of these educational and informative films. The making of these films is made possible by donations from different film companies. QOVO members thank Tonya for helping coordinate the presentation, as well as IMAX technician Trent Holloway, who dedicated the reading of Shawn Murphy’s poem, “The Parade,” to all the Vietnam veterans.

On Tuesday, November 11, a Quilt of Valor presentation took place in the Keeter Center, honoring Myron Johnson and Pete Jennen. Johnson served in the Army from 1952-1955 during the Korean Conflict as a sniper infantry man; and Jennen served in the Air Force from 1984-1994, working in Satellite Communications during the Gulf War with duty stations in Colorado and North Dakota. Both men were proud to serve their country and very appreciative of the quilts they received. 

Kathy Dice, Terry Murphy, Linda Randolf, Ginger Beach, Gana Honn, Tracey Mills and Betty Thomas assisted in the presentations, with Mary Ryder serving as photographer. 

Quilts of Valor of the Ozarks is a nonprofit organization based in Kimberling City, one of over 600 groups which make up the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Since its founding in 2003 through the efforts of a woman who recognized the healing power of quilts, QOVF has awarded over 427,000 quilts to veterans and service members who have been touched by war, whether physically, emotionally, or in other ways that are the individual experience of each veteran. 

To nominate someone for a quilt as a “thank you” for their service and sacrifice, go to www.QOVF.org/nominate, or contact Quilts of Valor of the Ozarks at PO Box 334, Kimberling City, MO 65686 or via the Quilts of Valor of the Ozarks page on Facebook. New quilting members are always welcome.