Ledyard — Six police department members were honored Tuesday at the Ledyard Senior Center with quilts commemorating their military service.

During the ceremony, police Chief John Rich read out the military service and commendations of Sgts. Craig Getter and Mike Ravenelle, Officers Rick McSwain, Bobby W. Kempke and Gary A. Butters, and dispatcher Jonathan Burbank.

They are former members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force or National Guard.

The quilts were provided through the Quilts of Valor Foundation, a nationwide organization that honors veterans by giving them handmade quilts.

The quilts presented Tuesday were stitched by a group of volunteers from local towns, including Norwich, Groton and Niantic, affiliated with the national group through the Stitch Chicks quilt shop in North Franklin. The group has all-day stitching marathons twice a month in Niantic and Norwich, said Jan Roberta, Quilts of Valor coordinator for Stitch Chicks. Members were on hand to give the quilts they made to the police department's veterans.

The quilts were emblazoned with familiar symbols of military service, such as the U.S. Air Force emblem and U.S. Navy boats.

"This type of gesture is greatly appreciated," Rich said.

It was the first time Stitch Chicks collectively had honored veterans from a police department. So many quilts at once can mean a couple of late nights, members said.

It takes a lot of time to construct even a simple quilt, but, as Danielle Meyers put it, "quilters need to quilt."

"You run out of people to make them for," another member added. 

"It's good to give back," member Opal Bovat of Ledyard said.

Dozens of the honorees' family members were on hand for the ceremony, including Alvin Butters, a veteran himself, who watched his son Gary receive a quilt.

Ravenelle, a U.S. Army Cavalry scout who served between 1984 and 1987, said it was the first time he had been honored for his military service in town in his 28 years on the force.

"It's very humbling," Ravenelle said, noting that Chief Rich had kept the honorees in the dark about the ceremony up until they arrived. "We thought it was a luncheon ... we were all really surprised."

A meal, drinks, cupcakes and cookies were prepared and served after the ceremony by Senior Center chef James Metcalf, Marie Metcalf and several other volunteers.

Senior Center Director Pamela Bessette said the facility has been making an effort to accommodate more community events in its cafeteria space.

"We're looking to expand ... it's a wonderful place to have these ceremonies," she said.

Other veterans with Ledyard police who were unable to attend Tuesday's ceremony were Officers Ernie Bailey and Ben Burbank as well as dispatcher Rich Kerlin.

n.lynch@theday.com