Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Quilts

America went to war fighting terrorism, first in Afghanistan, then Iraq. With today's technology, journalists were present, streaming live feed from the battle zones. We were all aware of the faces of the men and women who were fighting and dying in the Middle East. We were connected, a part of the war, a part of the soldier's lives.

America is a fickle nation. We soon lost interest in the war that was dragging out longer than anyone expected. Journalists moved on to topics more interesting. War became a controversy. The faces of the soldiers were no longer broadcast for all to see. They soon became nothing more than a statistic. One killed in battle. Six killed in roadside bombing. They were nothing more than numbers in a war that no one wanted. Only the friends and family of the fallen were effected. No one else noticed or cared.

To Elaine McDonald that was unacceptable. These were Americans, part of the national family that we all belonged to. They were loved by someone. They were husbands, fathers, mothers wives, children, brothers, sisters, friends. They deserved better. They deserved to be remembered. Elaine decided to do something to honor the fallen heroes. She decided to make a quilt.

So in April of 2004 she started. She first went on several websites to find the names of the men and women whose lives were lost, such as fallenheroes.com, cnn.com, departmentofdefense.com, as well as others. She triple checked every name, making sure there were no mistakes. Then she began the quilt. She was 1800 names behind when she started. Today she has a lag time of about a week.

She made the quilt from a World War II pattern called "Marble Quilt". The pattern was made in World War II for soldiers going off to war. The quilt is made of 6 1/2 inch squares of plain muslin with a quarter circle of brightly colored fabric in the corner. Around the circle Elaine writes the name and age of the soldier on one line. Line two lists the rank of the soldier. Line three gives the date the soldier died. Line four lists the hometown.

To date she has two quilts for the fallen in Afghanistan. The quilts are 10 blocks by 12 rows for a total of 120 blocks per quilt. Each block has four names. There are 480 names per quilt, with a total of 960 names written to this date.

The Iraq quilts are larger, 14 blocks by 16 rows, with a total of 224 blocks per quilt. Each block also has four names, with a total of 896 names per quilts. So far there are four completed quilts for soldiers killed in Iraq, with a fifth quilt under way.

As of March 2010 the total casualties posted for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom has been 5,412, with 5,336 written on the quilts. This is a labor of love from someone who feels the sacrifice of these men and women should not be forgotten. The quilts are not pro war. They are not anti war. They are simply reminders that we truly are our brother's keepers.

Elaine made the quilts because she wanted everyone to stop, look, and think.

Stop for a moment. Be a part of the world of the family and friends of the service men and women.

Look. See what is written on the quilt. Learn the basic information about each soldier's life.

Think. Each person who died gave themselves for an ideal. They sacrificed themselves for others to be free. Regardless of whether we support the war or not, these people deserved to be honored for giving all they had for something they believed in. They left a permanent footprint in all our lives. They need to be remembered.

Elaine doesn't have a website for the quilts. She's a nice grandmotherly lady, too busy making the quilts to take the time to set up a website. But she will proudly display them, transporting and setting them up by herself whenever she gets the chance. It's the least she can do for the lives of these men and women.

If anyone is interested in having the quilts on display, Elaine can be contacted at her email address, rockfish@gobigwest.com. The quilts are moving to see. Elaine has stories to tell from family and friends who have viewed the quilts and wanted to share something about their family member. You won't walk away untouched.

We are all a part of the family of man. Elaine McDonald hasn't forgotten that.