| Be a Hero |
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| Written by Deborah Knight |
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“A bomb went off in Baghdad today, killing four soldiers and injuring…”
“Two soldiers were lost today in the Marjah offensive and several were injured when…”
“Three soldiers were killed in Peshawar today and more were injured…”
The news reporters deliver the message with so little emotion, they could be announcing the opening of a new local mall.
And we, their audience, have heard these reports so many times before that we’ve become immune to the horror. We’ve lost sight of the fact that when we’re hearing about events, we’re hearing about people whose lives have been literally blown apart by gunfire, a grenade or an IED.
These aren’t simply soldiers – faceless, nameless automatons. They’re brave young men and women who have chosen to put their own lives in danger in service to the countries they serve. America. Canada. Britain. Whether they’re serving on behalf of their own leaders, or as members of UN Peacekeeping forces, throughout the world these men and women have sacrificed a comfortable life at home for the dangers of military duty.
The reasons they make the decision to join the armed services are as varied as the individuals who’ve made them. Some believe in freedom so strongly that they want to ensure others around the world are granted the same basic human rights. Others desire peace so much that they are willing to march the road to war in order to ultimately achieve that goal. And others are bravely seeking a greater sense of purpose and a feeling of personal contribution.
Whatever their reasons, and whatever politics are behind any particular initiative, it’s important that those of us who depend on these soldiers remember to honor their sacrifice. It’s more than standing for a moment of silence once or twice each year when requested. It’s more than dropping a coin in a donation box and affixing a poppy to your lapel. It’s more than stopping to silently acknowledge the tribute to the Unknown Soldier as you’re entering the doorway of Westminster Abbey.
It’s actually doing something.
It could be as small as knitting up a few little rectangles for an afghan for one of our fallen heroes, or as big as adopting a platoon. There are so many opportunities to show your gratitude, and so many people who are working to make it easy for you, that it should feel harder to say no than to say yes.
The goal of the Wounded Warriors program is to raise awareness and enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help these severely injured service members assist each other, and to provide programs and services to meet their special – and urgent – needs.
This respected organization offers support not only to fallen soldiers, but also to their families and caregivers. From retreats to teach caregivers the skills they’ll need, to educational support to help the injured acquire new work skills, to social activities that help reintegrate soldiers into the world back home, the Wounded Warrior Project covers virtually every facet of rehabilitation after injury.
They’ve helped thousands of soldiers, including Marissa Strock who was featured on the cover of Newsweek magazine after losing her legs in a deadly blast in Baghdad.
Marissa first met the group when she recovering from almost fatal injuries, including brain damage and the amputation of her legs, at the Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Washington, D.C. When she awoke from a coma, she found a backpack full of clothing and other helpful items awaiting her in her hospital room, along with a WWP calling card. She’s been involved with the group ever since, and participates in activities they offer to help injured soldiers recover and re-enter society.
“It happened to me, but I regret nothing from my past. Everything that has happened to me up to now has formed the person I am today,” says Marissa who is hoping to become a parole officer to help others get a second chance.
Recently, Dr. Laura auctioned hand-crafted to raise money for the charity at her “60 Again” birthday event.
"I so appreciate that my listeners have a compassionate enthusiasm to support the charitable goals that I am committed to; like Wounded Warriors,” says Dr. Laura. “I have a son in the Army and understand all too well the difficulties these folks have when they return having paid some physical price for their heroism in serving our country.”
“I make jewelry, machine knit, and most recently, loom on an Ashford Rigid Heddle loom. My listeners enjoy purchasing these items as a direct financial contribution to WWF. I love being creative and love that my creativity helps others!"
In her first month, she finished one hat; in her second month, two. Amy decided she was going to need help from others so she set out to gather support for her cause.
“Hats For Heroes came to life in late December 2008, early January 2009,” she says. “I created a group on Facebook. The first month I had three members, then one day I woke up and had nine members. In the months to follow we grew to over 200 members!”
Today, over 600 members have joined her on the knitter’s social network, Ravelry.
Supportive of his wife’s efforts, and spurred on by her initial success, Amy’s husband designed a web site to help with her charity work, www.hats4heroes.org
Today, with the kind assistance of knitters from every walk of life, she supports our troops by showing them that those back home think about them and care about their comfort.
“This is a charity organization made up of every day men and women who just want to show our troops how much we love and appreciate all that they do for us,” Amy says.
Another homegrown effort that knitters and crocheters can participate in is the Handmade Afghans Project. This group collects 6” x 9” rectangles received from charitable hobbyists throughout the country. Volunteers gather the rectangles together and crochet them to create blankets for wounded soldiers at military hospitals in the USA, Germany and Afghanistan. You can learn more about this effort at www.rectangle6x9.org This group would be grateful to receive squares made from acrylic scraps of yarn. It’s a small effort that would do a world of good to a soldier half a world away.
If you’re interested in more of a challenge, helmet liners are always needed by the troops. There are some very specific guidelines regarding yarn (it must be wool, and Superwash is recommended because cold water can be hard to find in some of the warmer war zones) so it’s a good idea check online for colors and patterns. One recommended pattern can be found on the web site for Knit ‘n Style magazine. The social group, Ravelry hosts several groups knitting helmet liners so you’ll have no trouble finding one that would be able to send your donation to the appropriate location.
Even if you’re not a knitter or crocheter, you can provide a tremendous lift to one of our heroes by joining a group that brings cheer to the men and women who are far away from home. Organizations like Adopt A US Soldier, Adopt A Platoon, and Soldiers' Angels connect everyday people like us to soldiers who appreciate a letter, a postcard or the occasional “care” package from home.
These groups have lists of items that are so treasured by their recipients: phone cards, socks, hand-towelettes, cookies, playing cards, toiletries, batteries – items that we may take for granted but that make a big difference in a soldier’s life.
Whether you knit or not, there’s someone somewhere who needs you. Someone who may be tired, cold, frightened, injured, fighting for his or her life. Someone who took the harder road to make the world a better place.
Please express your gratitude in whatever way you can. Become a hero to our heroic soldiers.
Please Get Involved If your heart moves you to show kindness to our troops, please contact any one of the following excellent organizations. They are very grateful for any support they receive:
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One group who said, "Yes!" are veterans and brothers who wanted to help wounded service members returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. The 
The Wounded Warrior Project is among the more well-known groups that provide assistance to soldiers, and it’s supported by influential knitters, crocheters and weavers, such as author and radio personality, Dr. Laura Schlessinger (pictured right).
Another knitter, Amy Sessions (pictured left) of Hudson, FL, created her own charitable organization (Did you enjoy this feature? Make sure you never miss an issue of Knitch Magazine. To receive alerts for upcoming issues:
