Home of the Brave Quilts

If you read my last post, you will know that I am an Army wife. I face the reality that my husband may be sent to Iraq. I face the knowledge that if he does go, he might not come back. Keep this in mind if you keep reading.

There is an organization out there called "Home of the Brave Quilts" that wishes to honor the dead by presenting a quilt to each of the families of fallen soldiers. Just Google it and you'll find links to many web pages of different states. Each state controls their own quilts. At first, I thought it was a good idea. Now, I'm an Army wife and my perspective has changed completely.

The original idea of the Home of the Brave quilts and the original patterns came from old Civil War quilts. They were quilts, made by loved ones, who were sent to soldiers out fighting. Those quilts honored the LIVING, not the dead. They served as warmth and comfort for soldiers who were far away from home. Many times, these quilts were the only blankets they had. Very few of these quilts have survived because many soldiers were wrapped in them and buried. So why did these people take this idea and turn them into quilts to honor the DEAD? Was it because the soldiers were buried in them?

I DO NOT want one! Why would I not want one? They're really "comfort quilts," but they're not described that way. They specifically state that they are "honoring the fallen." The very idea of taking one of these quilts, if my husband dies, literally gives me the shivers. There's no way I want one. Add in the fact that I find the patterns from most of the states to be hideous, and I can't stand Civil War reproduction fabrics... Well, you have a few problems there. I would much rather have a true comfort quilt from a group of close quilting friends than a quilt put together from a stack of blocks filled with names of people I don't know.

So, on with another idea. Why not honor the LIVING? While just over 4,000 soldiers have died in Iraq to date, over 55,000 have been injured. What is being done for them? Ahh... Glad you asked. There is a lovely project called "Quilts of Valor" that is available. Their goal is to cover every wounded soldier, either physically or mentally injured, with a quilt. What better sign of love and support is there, especially from quilters? Quilts can take hundreds of hours to create depending on the complexity of the pattern. Every time we create one and give it away, we are giving away a little bit of ourselves, our love and the joy of our craft. We should share it with one who will love it and appreciate it, with someone with whom it can bring great comfort during a process of healing. Not with someone who won't even want to look at it because it honors a loved one who is gone.

Needless to say, I couldn't make a single block for a Home of the Brave quilt and that was even before my husband joined the Army. However, I am getting ready to start creating quilts for 'Quilts of Valor.' Those men and women need all the support and love they can get. If they feel loved and appreciated and wanted, then they will heal faster and better. What better gift can you give?