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By Sean Hart
Argus Observer
SeanH@argusobserver.com
Saturday, February 20, 2010 10:48 PM PST

VALE — On Sept. 12, 2001 — a day after terrorists flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon — a group of people came together in Oregon to form Operation Quilts, an organization that provides support to servicemen through the gift of a patriotic blanket designed to military specifications.

Since that tragic event in American history, the organization has distributed more than 5,500 “government-approved” quilts to men and women of the United States military, according to Judy Carothers, who has been involved with the organization since it began in Merrill, Ore., south of Klamath Falls, near the Oregon-California border.

Carothers moved to Vale four years ago, she said, and brought with her the knowledge necessary to continue and further Operation Quilts on this side of the state and the stalwart determination that has kept her quilting for the troops for nearly 10 years.

“It is really close to my heart,” Carothers said of Operation Quilts. “It makes me tear up every time I think of somebody over there. My husband asks me every week when I’m going to stop, and I say, ‘when the war is over and the troops are all home.’ ”

Carothers has no children in the military but was raised by “patriotic grandparents” in a different era, when wars caused the rationing of goods to the general public and when the general public had a greater appreciation for the soldiers’ sacrifices, she said.

“They just don’t feel anybody is supporting them,” Carothers said of today’s servicemen. “It’s heartwarming when they get something out of the blue from somebody they don’t know.”

NEW RECRUITS

Carothers is not alone in her passion to support the troops. A quilting group from the Vale Christian Church heard about the program last year and pledged to donate 50 quilts. Between May and October of 2009, the group actually completed 58 quilts for servicemen, Carothers said.

Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida also offered its services to help spread the word about and advocate for Operation Quilts, but Carothers, members of the church group and VAOI representatives all challenged more people to step up and help with the program — through the donation of fabric, money for fabric or time — whether or not they even know how to sew. People can also sponsor a quilt for the $40 it costs to produce one, Carothers said.

“Church organizations can easily get a group together,” VAOI Administrative Assistant Charlene Pelland said. “They usually have the place to do it, and that way one person doesn’t have to sit at home and do it all.”

If a collection of churches or other groups pledge to donate just two quilts apiece, Carothers said, the local arm of Operation Quilts will have a much easier time reaching its goal of providing blankets to each of the members of Ontario’s Guard unit, Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, pending a possible deployment overseas later this year.

To facilitate the process for other volunteers, Carothers has made kits that contain all of the government-approved, pre-cut pieces necessary to make the quilts , she said. These kits, along with directions, and information about the government requirements can be requested by calling Carothers, (541) 473-4066, or VAOI, (541) 889-1978. VAOI also has kits and information about the program available at its new location, 484 S.W. Fourth Ave., Ontario.

“Judy (Carothers) really is Operation Quilts,” Ron Verini, of VAOI, said. “She sees to it the churches are contacted and that the program is fresh every day. She’s a one-woman army.”