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Quilts of Valor Honors East Haven WWII Vet Ralph Milione

In May, a group of local veterans were honored at the Willoughby Wallace Library in Stony Creek. The event, hosted by the Willoughby Wallace Quilters working with the Quilts of Valor Foundation, saw seven veterans given a handmade quilt in appreciation of their service. One prominent veteran, East Haven’s Ralph Milione, was unable to attend the ceremony—but he was not forgotten.

Last month, Jane Dougherty, Connecticut state coordinator for the Quilts of Valor Foundation, personally delivered the quilt made to honor the World War II veteran.

Milione is a retired pharmacist and now artist who created a non-profit organization, Care for the Living. His service during World War II began when he was drafted into the Navy out of high school. He served in the South Pacific and participated in the Borneo Campaign, and has the medals and ribbons to show for it.

Now, he also has a quilt made by the Willoughby Wallace Quilters, who meet up on Tuesdays to sew together.

“These quilts come with orders,” Dougherty tells the veterans who receive the quilts. “You are to use them. They are not to be put away; they go in your favorite place, wherever you hang out the most...use them, use them, use them.”

To learn more about Quilts of Valor, visit www.qovf.org.

Pam Johnson and Matt DaCorte contributed to this story.