Cherished Quilt of Valor presented to WW2 veteran Earl Aremburg

Bernie Marvin

Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary member Bonnie Burroughs, who created the Quilt of Valor that was presented to WW2 Sailor Earl Aremburg last week, displays the quilt for all to see and admire. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.

North Haverhill, NH – The honored Quilt of Valor (QOV), a homemade quilt presented to WW2 Veteran Earl Aremburg as a way to say "Thank You" for your service to our country by members of the National Quilts of Valor organization, was presented at an impressive service at the Veterans of Foreign Wars building on Thursday evening, August 20, 2026.

Aremburg, a popular and well-known lifelong resident and retired businessman in the area who is approaching his 100th birthday, was there with a large group of family, friends, and veteran well-wishers, including his daughter Marie Bigelow and son Raymond Aremburg.

The large quilt, resplendent in bright and patriotic colors, was hand-stitched by VFW Auxiliary member Bonnie Burroughs. She was present for the ceremony, as were Jane Graham and Carolyn Bruckner of the QOV organization.

Members of the Sew Far North Quilt of Valor group of Littleton displayed and presented the quilt. The QOV organization was founded in 2003. The organization's mission is to honor veterans and active service members who have been touched by war, with a quilt to say thank you for your service to our country.

The local group was organized in 2021, and to date they have awarded 130 quilts; nationally, 454,000 quilts have been awarded, and more than 11,000 QOV members make and award these highly praised quilts.

A Quilt of Valor is a reminder that those of us who made them remember all who have made the sacrifice of service for our freedoms. The QOV has three layers; the top layer has many colors and shapes of fabric. These represent the communities and the individuals who stitch the quilts, representing the love, gratitude, and sometimes the tears of the maker.

The center layer, the batting, provides warmth and represents hope, comfort, and peace, offering healing to the individual who receives the quilt. The back layer, called the backing, is the strength of the quilt, and the binding that holds all the layers together.

The Quilt of Valor is priceless; it cannot be bought, sold, or raffled. It is not a birthday or Christmas gift. The value is a thank you for your service and your sacrifice.

The VFW Honor Guard, under the command of Jr. Vice Commander Bill Burroughs, began the ceremony; there was a call to order, and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Chaplain Fred Delman offered prayers, with the ceremony being conducted by Jane Graham and Carolyn Bruckner of the Quilts of Valor organization. Assisting in the ceremony and with the display of the Quilt of Valor, Bonnie Burroughs was the VFW Auxiliary member who created and sewed the Quilt of Valor that was presented to Earl Arenburg.

During the ceremony, Earl Aremburg was wrapped in the quilt to symbolically show how it will provide warmth and comfort to the recipient.

Fireman First Class Earl Arenburg joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 at the age of 17. He trained as a gunner in Norfolk, Virginia, and was assigned to a 36-man unit on the SS Taylor, a cargo ship. His first trans-Atlantic trip was in a convoy of 100 ships carrying troops, equipment, and supplies to the Mediterranean. During the 30-day voyage, German submarines posed an ever-present danger and sank many of the convoy's vessels.

His ship was then assigned to carry cargo around the Mediterranean from North Africa to Naples, Italy, before returning to the United States. In Baltimore, he was transferred to a second Liberty ship with a mission to refuel ships that were on their way to action in northern Africa.

After the war in Europe ended, Earl was transferred to the Pacific theater in advance of the planned invasion of Japan. He served as a gunner and a machine gunner aboard the USS Manila Bay. Earl continued his service in the Marine Corps Reserves until August 1956, when he retired as a Sergeant of Marines.