So, the General Davie Chapter in Durham decided they would warm the heads and hearts of Fort Bragg soldiers and Seymour Johnson airmen in Afghanistan. They're knitting hats.
"It had to be in camouflage yarn," explained Fran Ferrell, Gen. Davie Chapter Regent.
Volunteers have put in hundreds of hours to knit and crochet the wool toboggans.
Since 2010, the chapter has packed up and shipped about 500 hats to soldiers in Afghanistan.
Sherry Handfinger got the idea after talking to a DAR member in Virginia. Now, she heads up the effort in Durham.
"There's a lot of love that goes into each hat," she said.
Once a month, the women gather to knit and crochet, but the effort is not limited to the Durham group. They've enlisted the help of family and friends, some as far away as South Dakota.
"Just having something homemade from the ladies in your, you know, your hometowns or whatever and it also keeps them warm," said Handfinger.
"I'm not sure I can adequately describe the looks of delight on the faces of the men and women who received the knitted hats," Ferrell explained.
The soldiers often send letters and pictures of them wearing the hats to thank the women for their work.
"They were very touched that we thought so much of them to send these to them and show our support," said Handfinger.
This week's Armed Forces Salute goes to Sherry Handfinger and all the volunteers who've contributed to the Daughters of the American Revolution's Hats for Heroes project.
They also include: Veronica Lall, Toni Fuller, Debbie Mangum, Melanie Crain (DAR), Cherie Siewert, Rachel King, Shirley Price, and Jo Ellen Blaine.
If you would like to help knit or crochet hats for the troops in Afghanistan please email Fran Ferrell, the Regent of the General Davie Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution at ferrellfran@aol.com.
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