Calverton Meadows honored the two most senior veterans in its community — a World War II veteran and a Korean War veteran — with handmade quilts as part of the national Quilts of Valor program.
Jerome Shaw, a 96-year-old Navy veteran of World War II, and Adrian Mulder, an Army airborne veteran of the Korean War who turns 90 on Saturday, were presented with quilts made by Community Manager Lynn Lombardo and the ladies of Calverton Meadows.
“Thank you, Quilts of Valor, for putting this event together, it is greatly appreciated and every stitch that was put in this [quilt], is put in with the thought of some Navy members, and I thank everyone very much,” Shaw said, with tears welling in his eyes.
“I think it was very nice of these people to do this for a veteran, God bless them all,” Mulder said.
The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, whose son was deployed to Iraq, and entails volunteers creating a quilt for a service member or veteran. A total of 298,933 quilts have been given, according to the foundation’s website. Lombardo said Shaw and Mulder’s quilts may help to mark the 300,000 milestone.
The Calverton Meadows community was also joined by members of the Riverhead Town Board, who presented Shaw and Mulder with proclamations honoring their service and recognizing their significance in the community.
State Sen. Anthony Palumbo and Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio presented both men with letters of recognition for their service to the country from their respective chambers of the legislature.
Shaw received several medals of distinction, including the American Campaign Medal, Victory Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Medal, European Theater Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal and New York State Conspicuous Service Cross, according to Palumbo.
Mulder received the National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal for his service and is very involved in the parish of St. John the Baptist Church in Wading River, Palumbo said.
The two men also received certificates of special congressional recognition from the office of Rep. Lee Zeldin.
After the ceremony, Mulder was presented with a birthday cake in honor of his 90th birthday and Calverton Meadows community members enjoyed refreshments.
Lombardo said she hopes to honor more veterans with Quilts of Valor in the Calverton Meadows community in the years going forward.
Correction: This article originally incorrectly stated that Adrian Mulder’s birthday was on March 19. His birthday is on March 26.
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