Framed With Honor: Local War Veteran Gifted Quilt for Service

At Eastlake Framing, we frame some pretty fascinating and special pieces from our clients. Many of them have stories to tell, and this quilt from Major Wilhelm of Bend was no exception.

While many aspects of war have changed over the years, at least one thing has remained the same – the importance of letter exchanging. So when Major Wilhelm, of the “Big Windy” unit in Iraq, made it a part of his routine to write the spouses of his soldiers every day, the recipients were eternally grateful. To thank Major Wilhelm at the end of his term, they made him a hand-sewn quilt from memorable pieces of the soldier’s uniforms.

During the quilt-making process, Windy 25, a helicopter carrying a crew of nine soldiers, one civilian and one marine, crashed to the desert floor. Eighteen people died in the crash, including five from Major Wilhelm’s Big Windy unit.

The soldiers’ spouses finished the quilt three months after the crash and presented it to Major Wilhelm. What began as a simple “thank you” gift turned into a heartfelt memorial. The quilt resides in Major Wilhelm’s home in Bend.

Eastlake Framing was honored to frame such a meaningful piece to preserve it and keep it from fading. It’s our privilege to showcase our clients’ most cherished keepsakes with a custom frame or shadow box. Bring in your heirloom photo or keepsake today or give us a call at 541.389.3770 for a free consultation with one of our framing experts!  We are located at 1335 Galveston Avenue, Bend Oregon 97701.