ED. NOTE: This presentation took place two days prior to Louis Bishop’s death April 9.
NORTH WILDWOOD ─ Louis Bishop, 98, knew the sounds of war for four years across Europe during World War II.
A cook in the 44th Infantry Division of the 7th Army, Bishop fed troops off and on the frontlines as Allied forces marched toward the heart of Germany.
Bishop understood firsthand the famous maxim of Napoleon: “an army marches on its stomach.”
According to North Wildwood Councilwoman Margaret “Peggy” Bishop, Louis’ wife, he witnessed the horrors of war throughout France, Austria, and Germany.
His son showed the Herald a snapshot of Louis, “mucking” about in the deep mud of France, just another day in the life of an Army cook.
Surrounded by family, Bishop received a Quilt of Valor, presented by Kathy Tweed of Court House, April 7.
Tweed explained how Quilts of Valor began. In 2003, the mother of an Iraqi War veteran wished to create something comforting for her son as he fought another war: a war within the mind.
Quilters across America rallied to the cause and, today, chapters are found in each state.
According to Tweed, 193,929 quilts have been made since the group’s inception.
Each quilt must meet a “strict criteria” and is valued at $250.
Tweed, part of the South Jersey Quilts of Valor, gathers with 40 to 50 women at the Cape May Ferry Terminal to create tangible tokens of gratitude.
Tweed draped the red, white, and blue quilt over Bishop and thanked him for his service all those years ago. Bishop’s family surrounded him. Although on hospice care, Bishop’s spirit has not dimmed, a reflection of a young man who answered duty’s call.
To contact Rachel Rogish, email rrogish@cmcherald.com.
