You Can Make an Airborne Quilt for Wounded Soldiers

Here is a special invitation to quilters across the U.S. and around the world to make quilts and send them to our wounded soldiers at Ft. Bragg, Walter Reed, and Brooke Army-Medical Center. See the note below from Rachel Gullixson, the contact for the Quilts of Valor Foundation and the coordinator for a group of quilting wives here at Ft Bragg, NC, specifically the 82nd Airborne.

"Just recently our Ft. Bragg Army wives quilting group was featured in our base newspaper, "The Paraglide" for being inspired by the Quilts of Valor Foundation motto "quilting honor and comfort" to make quilts and send them to our wounded warriors here at Ft Bragg, Walter Reed and Brooke Army Medical Center.

Every May here at Ft Bragg, the 82nd Airborne Division holds what it calls "All-American Week," right before Memorial Day to celebrate the "All Americans," the nickname of the 82nd Airborne since WWII. Former paratroopers come from all around the country to take part. And the National media is here. What a great opportunity to spread the word and mission of QOV. However, this year we are planning something different in conjunction with All American week, and the 82nd Wounded Warrior Committee, we are inviting all Quilters to be a part of "82 for the 82nd." That is, 82 Airborne Quilts of Valor for wounded 82nd Airborne. You see our soldiers are paratroopers- they jump out of planes. And we thought 'well, if our quilts are going to wounded 82nd Airborne paratroopers then our quilts should be Airborne, too!' Are we serious? Yes, we are!

By donating your quilt of Valor to an 82nd Wounded Warrior by May 14, 2009, it can be jumped with an 82nd Paratrooper here at Ft Bragg, NC during a pre-scheduled practice jump and become a true Airborne quilt. It will receive a special commemorative label or what we call a "jump log" that includes the jump date and place, the type of aircraft jumped out of and signed by the paratrooper who jumped in with it. These Airborne quilts of valor will then be donated through the 82nd Wounded Warrior Committee to a wounded 82nd Airborne paratrooper here at Ft Bragg, Walter Reed, or Brooke Army Medical Center aka BAMC.

Will your quilt history include a 100% certified Airborne quilt? Send it to us to arrive by May14, and it will! Standards for QOVs:
Minimum size: 50" x 60"
Ideal size: 54" x 67"
Maximum size: 72" x 87"
Tops and backs--new 100% cotton fabric (preferably quilt shop fabric) good, high-quality thread count; "good quality" means it will hold up for years through washings (nothing stretchy or scratchy or metallic, no juvenile prints or flannels)

Most popular colors are red, white, and blue, and patriotic, but QOVs are like Americans, all different. Purple or orange or red, white and blue...make it from your creative quilter heart and it will be just right!

Also please note, we are in the discussion stage with a publisher for this to become a commemorative, not-for-profit, but a fundraiser coffee table book which include pictures of the 82 quilts and the stories behind them.

Please send Quilts of Valor to:
Wounded Soldier Quilts
P.O. Box 72830
Fort Bragg, NC 28307

We hope this answers any questions and that you are as excited as we are! Please feel free to e-mail us with any questions at woundedsoldierquilts@yahoo.com. We hope to see your quilt become Airborne.

Rachel Gullixson
woundedsoldierquilts@yahoo.com