Canonsburg vet surprised with Quilt of Valor
Courtesy of Rachel Redinger
From left, Cass McMahon, Susan Cook, Paul McMahon, Ann Foster and Wendy Redinger stand around their brother, Larry Kaucic, of Canonsburg, after surprising him with a Quilt of Valor.
Courtesy of Rachel Redinger
Larry Kaucic, of Canonsburg, wraps himself in the Quilt of Valor that his siblings surprised him with in March.
Courtesy of Rachel Redinger
Larry Kaucic, wrapped in his Quilt of Valor, served in Vietnam with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Courtesy of Rachel Redinger
From left, Cass McMahon, Susan Cook, Paul McMahon, Wendy Redinger and Ann Foster stand around their brother, Larry Kaucic, of Canonsburg.
When Larry Kaucic was invited to his sister’s house for a family get-together earlier this month, and told to wear red, white and blue and bring a flag with him, he didn’t think anything of it.
“I just thought, you know, my family is very patriotic,” the Canonsburg man said in a recent interview. “We haven’t been together because of this coronavirus thing, so I just thought, you know, we were getting together.”
Larry is number three of six siblings, Ann Foster, Susan Cook, Chuck Kaucic, Cass McMahon and Wendy Redinger. They surprised him with a special gift at this family gathering March 12, which they called a “patriot party.”
“I walked into the living room, and I realized something was going on,” Kaucic said. “My brother and his wife were on Zoom on the computer and that’s when they presented me with the quilt.”
Larry’s sisters live in the Bridgeville area, but for the past 39 years, his brother, Chuck, has lived in Palmer, Alaska. Chuck discovered a group where he lives that make “Quilts of Valor” for veterans. He decided to nominate his brother for a quilt.
Quilts of Valor, Chuck learned, is a nationwide organization made up of people who volunteer to sew personalized, patriotic quilts for veterans. He found a chapter in Chambersburg, whose members accepted the challenge of making a quilt for Larry.
“These people do this out of passion for our men and women in the service,” Chuck said.
In a news release, the leader of the quilting group that made Larry’s quilt, Jackie Karavias, said they “believe passionately in the recognition of our service members and are honored to be able to give back in this small way.”
Chuck said he was honored to nominate Larry, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1970-74.
“He was just doing his job like so many military veterans do,” Chuck said. “My brother was the proverbial toughest kid in the neighborhood. If anything happened in this country, I’d want to be behind my brother.”
When Larry received his draft notice at the beginning of the Vietnam War, he decided to join the Marines, “to prove to myself I could do it,” he said. His father, Lawrence A. Kaucic Sr., was also a veteran, who joined the U.S. Army at age 30 and was stationed in Germany.
Larry’s quilt was hand-stitched and had his name and service information on it.
“I opened up the quilt and that thing was all handmade,” he said. “It’s beautiful. I was really set back by it. I’ve had other quilts, but nothing like this one. It was very humbling.”
After he opened the quilt, his family had a little ceremony, during which they recited the Pledge of Allegiance, read the “Soldier’s Prayer” and “talked about how lucky we are to live in America.”
To maintain the surprise, the quilt was initially shipped to Cook’s home in Moon Township. She said it took about six weeks to plan a day they could all be together.
“I was so impressed that these women were so dedicated to honoring veterans that they did this,” she said. “I’ve never made a quilt, but I know it takes time and money. I just thought it was terrific, and I think Larry was pretty awestruck. He had even read the instructions, which tell you how to hang it on a wall, but he said, ‘No, it’s to be used.'”