Local veteran Marie Cannon honored with Quilt of Valor

CHELAN – Marie Cannon, a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major and member of the Manson American Legion, was presented with a Quilt of Valor by the Quilts of Valor Lake Chelan group during a gathering at Bivouac Winery in January.

Gail Shaw, Tracy Shaw and Sue Freden, with the Lake Chelan QOV group, presented the Quilt of Valor to Cannon. Quilts of Valor is part of a national effort to recognize and thank veterans for their service and sacrifice. The Chelan group, established in 2023, has awarded 15 quilts since its inception.

“Crafting this Quilt of Valor for Marie over the past six months has been an incredible honor,” Shaw said. “These quilts represent pure acts of love, and I’m proud to be part of a wonderful group of QOV members who create these quilts as a sincere ‘Thank you for your service and sacrifice for our nation.’”

Marie Cannon, originally from Seattle and a 1971 graduate of Interlake High School in Bellevue, had initially planned to join the Navy as a hospital corpsman. When that path didn’t materialize, she joined the Army Security Agency, though she was later reassigned as a clerk/typist at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

“The most important lesson I learned in the military is, you can fail, but you need to stand back up and achieve your goal,” Cannon said. “No one is standing in your way but yourself.”

Cannon’s administrative expertise led to roles in personnel, logistics, and communications, eventually culminating in her selection for the White House Communications Agency. She spent 20 ½ years in the Army, providing support to Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Vice President Dan Quayle. Her work included overseeing telecommunications infrastructure on domestic and international trips and establishing a new operations and maintenance unit, which included four remote detachments across the United States. 

Cannon achieved the rank of Sergeant Major, a distinction earned by less than 1% of Army enlisted personnel. She received numerous accolades during her career, including two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, an Army Meritorious Service Medal, and the Expert M16 Marksmanship badge. 

During her service, Marie completed numerous military correspondence courses at night and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She also graduated with highest honors from the US Army Sergeants Major Academy, renowned for producing agile and adaptive senior enlisted leaders.

Cannon is proud of her career in the Army.

“There is no greater honor than to serve the Lord and this great nation,” Cannon said.

Since retiring, Cannon has embraced life in Chelan, where she enjoys photography, watercolor painting, and relaxing on the lake.

“Receiving this beautiful Quilt of Valor is a true honor, which I am very proud to

accept,” she said.

For more information about the Quilts of Valor Foundation, contact Sue Freden, Group Leader at lakechelanqov@gmail.com  Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Chelan Fire Station.

Norm Manly contributed to this report.

Quinn Propst: 509-731-3590 or quinn@ward.media.