Sixteen men and women who served their country are the new owners of hand-made quilts, designed specifically for each one to honor them for the sacrifices they made.

Quilts of Valor provides these quilts to veterans; volunteers make each one, and they are presented to the recipients at ceremonies in their honor.

These Knoxville-area veterans were presented with their quilts on Sunday at Knoxville High School, as part of the weekend’s Memorial Day tributes.

Quilts of Valor was founded in 2003 by Katherine Roberts; while her son was in the service, she had a dream about a serviceman sitting on a bed, seemingly alone…who was then draped with a quilt, which made him look stronger.

This inspired her to begin providing similar quilts to others who have served their country, as a reminder that they are not forgotten and not alone.

The recipients from this week’s ceremony include:

Calvert L. Ball

Bobby Gene Bingham

Robert “Bob” Brooks

Lana D. Gillaspie

David Harrison

Roland Horn

Shirley Horn

Gordon Mecham

Conrad Nelson

Lawrence Nickel

Norman Robinson

Carole A. Rowland

Mike Spolar

Derald Swisher

Edgar Willer

Harold Wright