Seven veterans honored with Quilts of Valor in Chelan ceremony

CHELAN — Seven local veterans were honored with Quilts of Valor during a special ceremony June 10 at Heritage Heights Assisted Living Center in Chelan, marking a milestone for the Quilts of Valor Chelan Group.

The group, which has been active in the community for more than three years, presented seven quilts to seven veterans, including six Heritage Heights residents. The ceremony celebrated the veterans’ service and recognized the impact of their military contributions.

Representing the Quilts of Valor Chelan Group were Tracy Shaw, Jeanne Steiner, Christy Libbey, Adrienne Carpenter, Sue Freden and Ann Cooper. Heritage Heights Director of Life Enrichment Laurie Holmes served as the liaison for the event.

“This is such an amazing event, honoring six of our residents who served in the United States Armed Forces. We are very proud of them, and we thank the Quilts of Valor team for making this happen,” Holmes said.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation was founded after Catherine Roberts was inspired while her son was deployed to Iraq. Concerned about the invisible wounds of war, Roberts envisioned him wrapped in a quilt that offered comfort and protection. In 2003, she presented the first Quilt of Valor at Walter Reed Medical Center.

Since then, the foundation has awarded more than 447,000 quilts to service members and veterans nationwide.

Before the quilt presentations, five veterans in attendance were recognized as Vietnam veterans with lapel pins.

“This is an amazing day, and I’m so excited to meet the friends and families of our QOV recipients. Proud is the word I would use. So very proud of all our veterans, proud of the work we do as Quilt of Valor members, and proud of our community,” Shaw said.

The Quilts of Valor recipients represented decades of military service across multiple branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Joseph Beaulieu was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969 after earning his master’s degree from Seattle University. He served in Vietnam as a Communications Specialist, maintaining critical communication lines with the front. During his service, he earned both a Combat Medal and a Marksman Medal.

After his military service, Beaulieu and his family settled in Olympia. A lifelong Eagle Scout, he continued volunteering with the Boy Scouts for many years. He moved to Heritage Heights about a year and a half ago after his stepdaughter, Molly, brought him to Chelan.

Jerry Aaron joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 1959 in Everett, Washington. His service included weekend training and a three-month program at FBI Quantico in Virginia before returning to school.

Aaron later joined the Everett Police Department during his reserve service and retired as Deputy Chief. He and his wife raised two children, and he remained active with the Shriners through the Nile Temple Shurtah unit.

John Baier enlisted in Wenatchee in 1968 and served three tours in Vietnam. He spent four years on active duty, followed by service as a recruiter in Washington and later in the reserves. He received his discharge in Spokane in 1978.

During his Navy career, Baier served aboard the USS Shelton and the USS Wabash. After leaving the military, he worked as a contractor before retiring and later joining Habitat for Humanity. He has lived at Heritage Heights for three years.

Linda Tate enlisted in 1970 in San Diego and served in Vietnam for 14 months. She worked in ammunition duties, including delivering ammunition to the front lines by truck, before receiving an honorable discharge in 1973.

Tate later moved to Chelan to help care for her father and has been a resident of Heritage Heights for seven to eight years.

Donald Webb joined the U.S. Air Force in 1961 in Visalia, California. He completed boot camp in Texas and Tactical School in Mississippi before serving a year in Greenland.

After his military service, Webb worked for ComSat in Brewster and later GTE. He remains active in his church and is a member of the Manson American Legion.

Donald Hensley grew up in Wenatchee and was drafted into the U.S. Army at Fort Lewis on Aug. 14, 1951. He served in Germany as an Artillery Technician and was honorably discharged in 1953.

After returning home, Hensley married his wife, Gloria, and the couple raised five children. He worked at ALCOA for more than three decades.

Cynthia “Cindy” Kennel enlisted in the United States Army National Guard Reserve around 1984. As a single mother of three, she chose the Reserve so she could serve without being deployed overseas.

Kennel completed training in Mississippi and later served during a wildfire response near Entiat. She also completed a bachelor’s degree through an Army Reserve education program and later worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant. She moved to Heritage Heights in October 2025.

Following the ceremony, Heritage Heights hosted a reception with food and refreshments. Families, friends and community members gathered to congratulate the recipients and celebrate their service.

For more information about the Quilts of Valor Foundation, contact Sue Freden, Group Leader, at lakechelanqov@gmail.com. The group meets the first Thursday of each month at 3:30 p.m. at the Chelan Fire Station.

Norm Manly contributed to this report.