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FRANKLIN- People in Franklin lined Loomis Road for an Independence Day parade Wednesday.

At the head of the parade -- a handful of veterans and people thanked them.

In sweltering heat like Wednesday's, a quilt usually isn't something you'd be carrying around.  In Franklin, residents had them in hand to show veterans their community is behind them.

91-year-old Richard Polsen has seen it all -- part of the Battle of the Bulge and the Invasion of Normandy.  His fellow veterans share similar stories from World War II -- but they won't take much credit for their actions.

"I'm not a hero. The heroes that were are buried over there," said Polsen.  "Those are all the heroes. We're just the survivors."

People like Karen Grochowski want to make sure these men know they're appreciated.  Karen Grochowski presented veterans young and old with 'Quilts of Valor' -- handmade, patriotic blankets.  A way to say thank-you to the people who gave so much.

"Being a military mom, I understand the sacrifice made by our service members and their families, and this is just a small token of appreciation for all that we owe them," said Grochowski.

Veterans don't want much in the way of thank-you's but they're amazed at the time and effort it took to make each gift.

"That's going to be on my bed. In the wintertime, I'll cover myself up with it. It's a very good deed that they did that for us," said Pearl Harbor survivor Walter Michalowski.

For younger military men, like Lance Corporal Austin Siegel and Specialist Derek McElroy, the quilts show that people still care about what they're doing.

"I know a lot of people are against the war and what's going on right now, so having people still show support, I get emotional. It's a nice feeling," said Spc. McElroy.

A feeling volunteers hope to bring to every serviceman and woman across the country.

Organizers are always assembling new quilts and looking for volunteers to help the cause. For more information on the program, click here.