Quilted Love

Published Nov. 16, 2010
By Senior Airman Andrew Caya
914th Airlift Wing

NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. -- Wounded Servicemembers being evacuated from combat into Germany may find themselves wrapped in a homemade blanket from the Buffalo, N.Y. area while in flight.

Women living at St. Isaac's living facility in Wheatfield, NY have knitted or crocheted more than 150 blankets to send U.S. troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After completion by the women, the blankets were hand-carried to Iraq and Afghanistan by Airmen of the 914th Areomedical Evacuation out of Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, N.Y.

The squadron's highest ranking officer had nothing but positive things to say about the effort the women put in to their craft.

I think it's awesome. For those women to take the time and effort to crochet and knit those blankets for the troops is a great thing said Lt. Col. Diane DiFrancesco 914th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron commander.

"We're just having a ball doing this because we feel we're helping the troops," said the head of the knitting group, Arlene Heisner. "There is a lot of love in these blankets."

"We felt bad that our [Servicemembers] are sacrificing for us, so this is just a little token of appreciation to them," said Heisner

That token means a lot not only for the Servicemembers getting the blankets, it means a lot for the Airmen giving the blankets.

"For us to take the blankets over [to Iraq and Afghanistan] for the troops is a real honor," said DiFrancesco.

According to Heisner, both the knitting and crocheting are not going to stop any time soon.

"We're going to keep doing it until all the troops come home," said Heisner

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