Wyoming Breezes

USS Arizona Memorial Pearl Harbor, Hawaii June 1976 Today, we honor those who served and defended our country at home and abroad. We honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. USS Arizona Memorial Pearl Harbor, Hawaii June 1976 Punch Bowl National Cemetery of the Pacific Hawaii June 1976 Currently, the United States has 147 national cemeteries. The US Department of Veterans Affairs website has a cemetery locator and a grave locator  available. America's fallen have also been buried abroad: a list of those sites can be found on the American Battle Monuments Commission website.

Freedom is Not Free Memorial Day 2014 Mountain View Cemetery Riverton, WY  Volunteers place an American flag on the grave of every veteran buried in Mountain View Cemetery as a reminder of the sacrifice paid for our freedom - a small gesture to honor those who gave their lives for their country. Mountain View Cemetery Riverton, WY God Bless those who died defending Freedom.

Every Spring, my colleagues and I gathered at the airport to say "good-bye" to teachers transferring to another country/base or going back to the USA. We toasted the individuals to wish them safe travel and good fortune in their new assignment.

P-3 Orion "Big Red" VP-19 Misawa, Japan 1980 The P-3 were frequently seen landing and taking off, but they were not as noisy as the F-4s . The P-3 planes and crews rotated in and out of Misawa AFB, too. Their mission was surveillance . "Big Red's" tails were gorgeous, and we lovingly called them "Red Tails in the Sunset." Steve, one of the P-3 crew members (shown on the right) became a good friend with several of the teachers, and we were invited to his celebrate his promotion to LT-JG. To commemorate the occasion for Steve, I enlarged, crewel-embroidered, and framed the "Big Red" emblem. I can't find a photo of the finished project anywhere, so I must have neglected to take one.

Navy F-4 Phantoms USS Midway Misawa, Japan 1980 The flight-line at Misawa Air Force base was always busy, often with F-4 pilots practicing touch and go runs. It was a busy and noisy place. The end of this hanger reminded all who saw it that the noise was essential. I can't remember the specific squadron of the planes pictured above, but each squadron had a distinctive tail design. On the back of the photos, I did write that these planes were from the USS Midway. The squadrons rotated in and out of Misawa AFB frequently. The world has changed considerably since the late 70s. I doubt anyone other than authorized personnel would be allowed in this area to take random photos anymore; however, the sound of freedom is still heard thanks to the crews who are in the air and on the ground. I am grateful for their service.

A small bit of yarn (too small to be of use) remains from a wool, thrift-shop sweater. The sweater's yarn was used to make two helmet liners, one neck gator, and six hats. All were made for the troops.

Prayer from Ministry to the Armed Forces Heavenly Father, we cannot adequately express our gratitude to our military men and women whose selfless service and sacrifice continue to provide safety and security to our Nation. We can, however, ask for Your divine protection as they face adversity in places of conflict. Lord God, protect these men and women from all harm and danger. Guard their families from worry, fear, and anxiety in times of separation. Eternal God, as veterans return to their homes, many bear physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds and scars. We ask You for special care and healing for these, Your servants. Gracious Lord, grant wisdom, strength, and courage to our chaplains as they serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard. For our Veteran's Administration Hospital chaplain, we ask You to grant patience and determination as they seek to care for the sick and injured. O God, throughout our nation's history, we have relied on Your divine protectio...

One reclaimed wool sweater is finding a new purpose as hats, helmet liners, and a neck gator for the troops serving overseas. These two hats are for a hat drive at High Prairie Quilt Shop in Parker, Colorado. I hope to knit at least two more before the first of June. The pattern link is given on the shop website. I made the ribbing 1 1/2 inches long instead of the 3 row rib, given on the pattern. These three items were sent to the Citizen SAM project , based in Illinois. Scroll to the bottom of the Citizen SAM page for the gator and helmet liner patterns. These items will no doubt be subjected to rough conditions, so I attached some extra yarn to make necessary repairs. I pray that these items made from a thrift shop sweater will protect the soldiers from harm and bring them safely back to their families.

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the military, and I simply melt at the sight of a man in a crisp dress uniform. So answering the call to knit for the troops was an easy decision. I read an article in the Winter 2008/2009 issue of knit simple about Operation Helmetliner . When I checked out the pattern , I knew that it was something that I could knit without any trouble. I used wool reclaimed from a thrift shop sweater. After I washed the wool last summer, I labeled it Silver Birchwood because the color is so intriguing. I think it makes a perfect helmet liner and neck gator. I have three more skeins of this yarn, and I plan to use all of it for this project. Earlier this week the Wyoming National Guard deployed nearly 800 guardsmen for duty overseas. The gators and helmet liners will be knit in their honor. If you have appropriate wool (color, weight, and yardage), please consider making at least one item for this cause.

This morning I finished thirty neck coolers, in time to take them to my church. A group will be gathering there this afternoon to make even more coolers to put in the care packages that will be sent to troops in Iraq. These coolers offer the soldiers some relief from the sweltering temperatures. About a month ago, I found nearly four yards of unbleached muslin at a thrift shop for 25 cents and purchased it with the intent to make some neck coolers, but when I got the call yesterday about the care packages I knew I had to get busy. I tea-dyed the muslin, and began working on the coolers. Once I got into the rhythm of assembly sewing, it went pretty quickly. It is hard to believe that these ties only use 1/2 tsp. of the Watersorb crystals . The cooler pattern that I use, requires "medium" crystals. If you decide to make some neck coolers, make sure the crystals that you use do not have fertilizer on them. I am sure the troops appreciate every neck cooler that is sent to ...