At our June meeting Char Wenger gave a Quilt of Valor Presentation to Colonel Miriam Krieger, daughter of member Marcia Krieger. It was really special (at least for this writer) to see a woman be recognized for her service. Rather than summarize the presentation, it is written here in full with photos at the end. The quilt presented was pieced by Char Wenger. Enjoy!
My name is Char Wenger and today I am representing the Patriot Dames, a Quilts of Valor group based out of Maple Grove, Minnesota. Trish Timms is also a part of this QOV group.
The Quilts of Valor organization was started in 2003. The founder, Catherine Roberts from Seaford, Delaware, had a son who was deployed in the Middle East. She said she had a dream about a young man filled with despair and war demons surrounding him. Then, she saw that young man wrapped in a quilt. The message of her dream was that quilts equal healing. Thus, she started a grass roots effort through local quilt shops to make quilts for the wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The first Quilt of Valor was awarded in November 2003, at Walter Reed Medical Center to a soldier from Minnesota who had lost his leg in Iraq. Initially the organization was started to give quilts to injured soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The mission of Quilts of Valor has since changed to cover all service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing quilts. The total number of quilts awarded nationally has passed the 440,000 mark.
The Maple Grove QOV group has been presenting quilts for 10 years at a Veterans Day event held each year in November in Hopkins, Minnesota. We have had the privilege of having given out over 200 quilts.
Today, QOV would like to honor the service of Colonel Miriam Krieger, the daughter of Marcia Krieger and Mike Krieger, step-daughter of Harry Roberts. She currently serves as the Permanent Professor and Head of Department of Political Science at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. Miriam will be celebrating her retirement within the next month.
Miriam graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2004 with a bachelor of science in Aeronautical Engineering. She went on to earn several Masters Degrees and a Ph.D. in Government – International Relations.
She is an accomplished pilot having flown 700 hours in T-37s, T-38s and F-16s. She has been awarded many awards and decorations, including the Air Force Commendation Medal, National Service Defense Medal and Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for Valor Device to name a few.
As a special assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Colonel Krieger drafted and advocated for adoption of the policy change that now allows able women to serve in all military roles. She is also a long-time mentor to Air Force cadets who apply for and often receive, Rhodes and Marshall scholarships.
On the personal side, Miriam is married to Kevin Kenny and their family is complete with two pups – Ollie and Maeve.
