Quilt

Honoring Heroes

Description

Handmade quilt, titled Honoring Heroes created by Betty Nielsen and the Freedom Quilt project. The red, white, and blue patchwork quilt features twelve traditional quilt squares. The top row of three squares features the emblems of the United States Armed Forces branches of the Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. The second row features two squares with imagery of eagles and American flags. The square in the center includes printed text that reads: "In Memory of Our Unsung | Heroes Who Gave Their | Lives For Family and Country | So Our Freedom Would Be | Protected Forever." The third row features a square with an eagle, American flag, and text that reads: "THESE COLORS | DON'T RUN." The center square features the emblem of the United States Air Force. The third square is the "Fallen Soldier Battle Cross" image of the helmet, rifle, and boot. Printed text above the image reads: "I'd Bleed On The Stripes To Keep them Red." The bottom row features two squares with imagery of eagles and American flags. The square in the center includes printed text that reads: "Not All Heroes Die A Heroes | Death But All hero's Live A | Hero's Life. Let's Remember | Their Life More Than Their | Death." Six smaller patches join the twelve large squares at the corners. The images on these smaller squares include the emblems for the National Guard, Coast Guard, and Coast Guard Reserve, as well as dog tags and military boots. The primary fabric surrounding the squares is blue with stars, and the border fabric is a pattern of American flags.

Historical Notes

U.S. Air Force veteran Betty Nielsen watched the 9/11 attacks unfold on television in Iowa. Determined to offer comfort, she rallied her community to create five memorial quilts. That effort grew into Freedom Quilts, a volunteer network that made quilts for every victim's family. In 2004, Nielsen expanded the mission to include families of military members killed in the post-9/11 wars. She and her team have delivered more than 6,700 quilts to families around the country.