BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
On Saturday in north Omaha, serve Black Vietnam veterans were honored in a unique way to remind them that they are appreciated by their neighbors.
Seven Vietnam veterans including one Tuskegee airmen were gifted quilts made with love.
“I hope it helps with their healing of not being recognized being discounted, of not being important and I want to know that they are important," said DeShon.
Lynn DeShon has been making quilts for veterans since 2016. In 2021, she realized many of the quilts she was making weren’t being given to certain veterans.
“I wanted to reach out to Black war veterans because there were all nationalities serving in Vietnam," said DeShon. "I could not find any organizations… that were Black Vietnam war veterans.”
Anthony Weathers, a Vietnam war veteran has since worked with Lynn DeShon to bring recognition to Vietnam vets with a ceremony.
“We’ve helped these folks out. A quilt might just be just a piece of cloths but the touching of it and hearing the words they heard today it goes long a way and it will inspire them,” said Weathers.
Deshon also known as the Quilt Lady says every quilt has two things in common. An eagle and a sewn in heart so that every veterans know they are loved and appreciated.
Clarence Holiday a Vietnam veteran says when he returned he had many challenges.
“When we first came back from Vietnam we were criticized as baby killers and so forth and you know people looked down on us,” said Holiday.
Holiday says with time there has been healing and the recognition today demonstrates acceptance.
“Personally, I feel like I am being more accepted. It’s sorta of a band-aid over a situation that happened many many years ago,” said Holiday.
Weathers the one behind the event says he hopes to continue bringing recognition to minorities in who served and DeShon her goal continue making quilts and to highlight nurses.
