Sunny Corner's last WW II veteran, Cecil Mullin, receives quilt of valour

At 98, Cecil Mullin is Sunny Corner's last surviving veteran of the Second World War.

That's why Terry Scott, president of the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Sunny Corner, wanted to make sure the man who helped get wounded soldiers to medical help received a quilt of valour to honour what he did during the war. 

"It was to thank him for his service and it's our way of appreciating what he done for us, well, the little that we can do, through this quilt of valour," Scott said.

Quilts of Valour Canada is an organization that makes quilts to honour the  "significant contribution made by injured Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans," according to its website. They are made by quilters all across Canada.

Mullin's daughter Faye Nowlan said the quilts are to be wrapped around the veterans to give them comfort from wounds or traumatic events they experienced.

Nowlan said after her father returned to Sunny Corner in 1945, he took a forestry course in Fredericton and became a forest ranger in his hometown. He then married and raised his family in there. 

"He loved being in the woods. He lived in the woods. Every forestry camp I think that there ever was he had us visiting it." 

The quilt Mullin received was made by a quilter from Fredericton. 

After COVID-19 delayed the presentation, Mullin's family recently joined him and legion members outside the Miramichi seniors residence where he lives for a short service. 

As the rain poured down, the handmade patchwork quilt was unfolded by his three children, Nowlan, Brad Mullin and Colleen Matchett. 

"We got to wrap it around my dad's shoulders," said Nowlan.

Scott read a short thank you before Mullin himself spoke. 

"You should have heard the speech he gave after," Scott said. "He said he couldn't 'appreciate it more, all the people coming here to do that for me' and he looked at me and he said, 'I know you had something to do with it because you always do.'"

Nowlan said her father thanked everybody there. 

"He said, 'I'm not quite sure how I came about getting this but I just want to thank you all for what you do for me'." 

Nowlan said the family still takes Mullin for trips into the woods when they can.

"We visit all the old places that he liked to go."