News : Former Ag and FFA teacher returns to Vinton for Quilt of Valor Ceremony

George Cummins, Army Veteran, received his Quilt of Valor from Rita Moore

Rita Moore was excited to present one of her latest quilts to a Veteran familiar not only to her but to former students in Vinton. You might have had George Cummins as

a Vocational Ag Teacher or as an FFA advisor in the Vinton School District during the 1970-73 school years.

Prior to teaching, Cummins served in the Army from 1967-70 as an Engineer OCS in South Korea and then as a Batallion Adjutant for nine months. As a Company Commander, he built roads during '68 and '69 then returned to Fort Belvoir where he handled low-level court marshalls.

Before his military serving, Cummins had also served in the Peace Corps. His battalion commander after he discovered that, said, "If there were more of you guys, there would be less need for us." Cummins said he believes that still to be true.

Cummins and Moore were connected via farming in Vinton decades ago, not too far from the VFW hall where the quilt presentation occurred. Cummins has spent all of his life in farming, having grown up on a farm he has been working to educate others in agriculture his whole life.

Cummins who is now living in Charles City came down for the ceremony at the VFW. The quilt that Moore made for Cummins, is her 102nd quilt for the Quilts of Valor program.

The Quilts of Valor program made their first presentation in 2003 at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in hopes that the quilts would bring healing to veterans injured there. There are now more than 11,000 quilting members and QOV organizations in every state. Australia, England and Canada are now duplicating the program to bring healing with quilts to their service members.

The quilt is a lifetime award made by civilians for veterans. If you or a veteran you know has been touched by war, you are eligible to receive a quilt from Quilts of Valor. The program was created by a mother who wanted to find a way to comfort those who had faced the realities of war and give those veterans comfort and healing, with a quilt.