Quilts of Valor

- You're supposed to be a veteran and you're supposed to be strong.

When this was presented, it will bring tears to your eyes.

(heroic music) We like to consider it as the highest award a civilian can present to a veteran.

I have had generals, Medal of Honor recipients, high ranking, low ranking officers cry on my shoulder.

I cry with them.

- I prefer to hand stitch my labels on and my binding because that makes it more personal.

- [Mayhill] A quilt represents love, represents thank you, represents appreciation.

It represents respect, honor, and dignity.

(sewing machine running) - It's a way that I can help a veteran, hopefully.

My husband was a veteran in the Navy.

- This is a quilt that my wife made for me.

It was awarded for my time in the service and these were the ships I was on.

- Quilts of Valor is a 501(c) foundation.

We make quilts and award them to our veterans as a thank thank you for the military service.

it's evolved into over 6,000 people today volunteers making quilts for our veterans.

Over 336,000 veterans has received this lifetime achievement award.

Our group is called Old Glory Quilters of Rock Hill.

We have made probably close to 3000 quilts and this is a way that a civilian can say thank you to a veteran that's been touched by war.

It's not our job to define how that person has been touched by war, but every veteran has been touched by war in one way or another, and these veterans carry burdens with them the rest of their life.

They will never share with the general public what they have gone through, what they have seen, what they have had to do.

- My name is Harold Schoepflin.

I'm 96 years old.

I served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam twice.

- First thing I thought was, here's a perfect nominee.

He's been in three conflicts.

Holy cow.

It's my contribution to my hero.

- Oh, I was taken aback.

I just couldn't imagine that.

I'm just a humble guy, didn't think I did anything special.

It was just an honor and overwhelmed.

- Quilts of Valor is so important to me and to other veterans.

As you get older, you have more time on your hands, and you think a lot more about the things that happened in your career and in your life, and those are a burden and a quilt presented to you is something that you accept as a comforting thing to put a quilt on you.

It's very warming and giving these to veterans who have done so much for our country is just a great honor for me to be a supporter of my wife and the Quilts of Valor, I'm very proud to be a part of it.

I have a quilt of valor.

It was a surprise, it was well received and I appreciate it.

- Hopefully it will bring them a little comfort if they have hidden demons or suffer from PTSD or help them in some way.

- I think it's just a way for me to present myself to them to let them know how much I love them.

It means the world.

It's just, it's all about doing for others in this world.

(sewing machine running) - So I do this for the veterans that went in my place.

I do this for the veteran that may have taken a bullet for me.

Can I ever repay that?

No, I can't.

But I sure can try.