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November 20, 2009

Reminders of home

By Christian Potts

The colorful quilts have a meaning that goes far beyond their look, or even the stories of tribute that accompany them.

They are part of a 33-quilt exhibit, "Thanking Our Troops: God Bless America Touring Quilts" that will spend Thanksgiving and Christmas halfway around the world on Iraqi soil, alongside men and women in the U.S. military spending their holidays far from home as well.

"Each quilt has an attached label, with a story of what inspired them to make the quilt," said quilter and author Judy Howard, who is leading the project. "It's their means of expressing their love of God and country to the troops. It's a tangible way to express that and also pay tribute to our heroes."

Howard published a book earlier this year with the same name as the tour. The book features photos not just of the quilts, but also stories of tribute to soldiers who have served or are serving.

Norman residents Eyvonne King, Kathryn Brooks, Lorraine Provine, Georjana Mauldin and Gloria Burris each have quilts featured in the book and also are part of the traveling exhibit.

The book ranges from out-of-state quilters to a number of local people, including schoolchildren from Nowata and Kay Herriott's fourth grade class from Moore's Plaza Towers Elementary School.

It also has a chapter with how-to patterns for several of the quilts featured in the book. Two of Provine's pieces are in that chapter, including "Proud to Be an American," which pays homage to family members who served.

"It will be something they can pass down from generation to generation, never forgetting the sacrifices made by family," Howard said.

Many of the contributors to the book also are part of the exhibit, which was shipped earlier this week and will be on display at Baghdad's Camp Striker Stables through the end of 2009.

The exhibit made its first trip to Baghdad last November, giving the soldiers not just the visual tribute but also the stories of Thanksgiving for their efforts that went along with it.

"They absolutely loved them, and we thought we'd send them back each year so they'd be cheered from thousands of miles away when they would rather be home," Howard said.

Several letters back to the quilters from soldiers told the story.

"The soldiers spent hours admiring the quilts and reading the stories that thanked them for their service," said Larry (Gunny) Sizemore, supervisor at Camp Striker Stables.

Sgt. First Class James Hine, of Ashland, Ky., responded to the quilters by remembering a story from his past.

"Coming from the hills of Kentucky where Grandma's quilts meant comfort and love, a quote came to mind: 'The love in your heart was not put there to stay, love is not love until you give it away,'" he said. "Your quilts are just that -- from your heart to ours. Thank you for caring."

After the exhibit's time at the base ended earlier in the year, Sizemore shipped it back to Howard, with a few added items -- medals from each military branch at the base, as well as an American flag that flew over the base in her name for a day in February.

The exhibit goes to various functions throughout the year, most recently at the 45th Infantry's recent Veterans' Day celebration.

Howard recalled the days after the Vietnam War when some returning soldiers were greeted rudely.

"This is my effort to make sure that doesn't happen again and that our troops are honored," she said. "Inside everyone is an innate desire to express their patriotism. With the quilts it's a permanent tangible way to express your feelings of patriotism.

"When we have exhibits, you can see even grown men crying as they read the stories. It's a real neat deal to see what happens."

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