Back in Early 2005,

as a Baby Boomer nearing retirement, I wanted to find a way to use my life-long skills of crocheting and crafting as a way to be productive. Not having much in the way of direction, yet still a passionate crochet-er, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands, but not a lot of funds. My son and his wife are team truck drivers and they often transport for the military. When my daughter in law suggested that I make blankets for retired soldiers, I took it a step further and received direction through prayer to do what I do best for the glorification of God, with a particular focus on purple heart veterans.

The lapghans I make (assemble) are free, the only requirement is that the recipient be a purple heart recipient. To date we have given out over 800 to veterans coast to coast, from WWII to the Gulf War. I have women from all over the country (one as far away as Hawaii) who either contribute yarn for making them, or send me granny squares that I will then assemble into lapghans and add a custom made purple heart square with a thank you written on it.

This has been very gratifying to be able to send a personal thank you to these men and women who fought for our freedom. May of whom never even heard a single word of gratitude. Some wars have been more popular than others. The men from WWII came home to much fanfare and open arms. The men from Vietnam came home to a very different attitude, and disrespect. Regardless of what the general population may have thought at the time, these guys went to war with a loyal heart—some were drafted, some volunteered. Either way, their lives were changed forever, and they deserve our gratitude and respect.

If you would like to contribute, here is the pattern for the squares. We also have need of materials and postage or even travel funds to visit and deliver lapghans to various functions.