Veterans Hospital Quilt Carries Names Of Iraq War's Fallen Soldiers
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A quilt at a local veterans hospital shows the names of the thousands of fallen soldiers in the Iraq War.
At the Northern California Veterans Hospital, every day is a day to remember the heroes making the ultimate sacrifice for our country. But on this Memorial Day, veterans have a new gift—sewing together stories of sacrifice.
"I decided that the fallen soldiers of Iraq needed the quilt more than I did," said Jennifer Ralphs. "You have to make sure that they're all spelled right."
She's dedicated five emotional years sewing five service quilts, a bittersweet project that's impossible to keep up with.
"By the time I finished the first quilt, I was already 2,000 names behind," she said. "So I knew that wouldn't be my last one."
Once she started, there was no going back.
"The old soldier's saying is, you don't ever leave a soldier behind," she said.
Veteran John Garrett proudly dedicated his skills to building the frames for the quilts.
"I just wanted to do my small part to honor our fallen soldiers," he said.
There are Army sergeants killed in action, in IED explosions, tank rollovers or friendly fire. All are heart-wrenching reminders of the true costs of war.