CULLMAN, Ala. – Sgt. Candace Reppond, an Army veteran, was honored with a Quilt of Valor during the Dec. 8 meeting of the Dripping Springs Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). The presentation recognized her military service, including a deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan, from October 2013 to June 2014, and her contributions to military intelligence and electronic warfare operations.
Sgt. Reppond entered service in April 2010 and was medically discharged in November 2017. During her time in the service, she held numerous critical responsibilities, including personnel accountability, military intelligence operations and electronic warfare specialty training. She also served as a non-commissioned officer in charge of communication security. Reflecting on her military lineage, Reppond proudly noted her ancestral connections to family members who served in every U.S. war.
The quilt, pieced together by members of the Dripping Springs Chapter as part of the DAR Day of Service in October, was later machine quilted and officially registered with the Quilts of Valor Foundation. According to the foundation, “A Quilt of Valor 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. It says unequivocally, ‘Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.’”
The Quilts of Valor Foundation began in 2003 after founder Catherine Roberts, a Blue Star mother, envisioned in a dream the comforting impact a quilt could provide to service members struggling with the emotional and physical scars of war. Her vision has since grown into a nationwide movement, providing thousands of quilts to veterans as a gesture of gratitude and healing.
“The dream was as vivid as real life. I saw a young man sitting on the side of his bed in the middle of the night, hunched over. The permeating feeling was one of utter despair. I could see his war demons clustered around, dragging him down into an emotional gutter. Then, as if viewing a movie, I saw him in the next scene wrapped in a quilt,” Roberts shared. “His whole demeanor changed from one of despair to one of hope and well-being. The quilt had made this dramatic change. The message of my dream was: Quilts = Healing.”
This special quilt has become part of a broader initiative by the NSDAR to honor and support veterans. The organization’s Service to Veterans and Project Patriot committees play an active role in recognizing military service and aiding active-duty personnel and their families. “The NSDAR has long prioritized patriotism, one of the organization’s core missions,” said a representative of the Dripping Springs Chapter.
The Alabama Society Daughters of the American Revolution (ASDAR) consists of 70 chapters, each actively contributing to community projects, educational programs, and preservation efforts. The Dripping Springs Chapter exemplifies this commitment through its participation in initiatives like Quilts of Valor and Wreaths Across America, furthering the DAR’s mission to preserve heritage and honor those who serve.
For more information about the Dripping Springs Chapter of the NSDAR and its ongoing efforts, contact Athelia Gibbs at 256-502-2040 or awgibbs65@gmail.com. The chapter meets on the first Sunday of each month — September through February and April — at First United Methodist Church, located at 320 Third St. SE, Cullman, in the choir room beneath the sanctuary.
