Keeping Alive the Memory of Evan W. O'Neill
Private First Class: "To the Top" Project
by Patricia L. Cummings, 12/20/04
photo courtesy of Barbara O'Neill
Evan and his dog, Bosley, in a moment of mutual salute
A mother’s love has no boundaries. For proof, just ask anyone who knows Barbara O’Neill of Haverhill, Massachusetts. Her only child, nineteen year old Private First Class Evan W. O’Neill, died from wounds sustained on 9/29/03 while fighting in the War on Terror in Shkin, Afghanistan. Ever considerate of others, Evan asked that medical care be administered to other members of the troop first.
Quilts for Veterans in Long Term Care
Shortly after Taliban snipers took his life, Evan’s mother, Barbara O’Neill, decided to begin making quilts for veterans who were injured in the war, and who will need long term care. Her friend, Beverly True of Yarmouth, Maine, supported her idea with an offer to use her long arm quilting machine to finish the quilts. An idea had been born.
Evan always had a special affinity for veterans and would seek them out to chat with them when he visited the nursing home where his mother worked for awhile. She further states that her desire to provide these quilts came about when she remembered a phone conversation between she and her son the day before he was injured. He told her how cold and how very dark it is at night in Afghanistan.
"To the Top Quilt Project” Finds Participants
The motto for the 1/87th 10th Mountain Division is “To the Top, All the Way.” Borrowing part of the motto, on 10/15/03, Barbara set up an online yahoo group called “To the Top Quilt Project” and asked other quilters to join in her plan to make quilts. The request had been for 12.5” blocks, in red, white, and blue, or other “masculine” colors.
Quilters Always Ready to Help
Predictably, quilters were quick to respond. Guilds and individuals sent blocks, in one case, two hundred twenty of them. They sent blocks from Iceland, California, Pennsylvania and many other places, too. The Lebanon Quilters Guild in Pennsylvania contributed several completed quilts, as well as quilt tops.
Other supplies needed to be assembled. A large supply of thread was found to purchase on eBay, and now a good supply is on hand. Rolls of batting, and fabrics for finishing, were ordered, most often with Barbara or Beverly paying for these supplies. However, there is no complaint from either of them. Barbara states that she is determined to continue with the project, as long as she is able.
Help Appreciated
When she receives quilt blocks or tops, Barbara says that they are cried over at least once, and she marvels at their beauty. She is sure that they have been made with “great love and respect for veterans of all wars.”
Placed together with other blocks to form a “kit,” she assembles the blocks into tops. So that the individual pieced blocks will show up well, Barbara adds alternate squares of fabric. She and Bev get together frequently to sew and to finish quilts.
With First Goal Completed, Project Continues
At first the goal was to supply each veteran in her local area with a quilt, but after having completed the forty seven quilts needed for residences there, she has branched out to include other communities. Through this group effort, so far one hundred fifty one quilts have been presented to veterans’ homes in Fitchburg, Haverhill, Leominster and Lowell, Massachusetts, and in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire.
Wonderful Display at the American Textile History Museum in Lowell
At the present time, the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts is hosting a delightful display of quilts, photos of Evan, and other information about this charitable quilt project in their Education Room. The museum’s concurrent patriotic exhibit, “Born on the Fourth of July,” with many flag images, seems very fitting.
On 9/11/04, and again on 9/18/04, a “quilting bee” at the museum yielded two quilt tops per participant for the “To The Top” Quilt Project. Barbara says that the quilts are usually “roughly twin size,” but “a little smaller or larger is not a problem.”
The ATHM exhibit features a beautiful pieced quilt block designed by Marcia Hohn of Maine and finished into a small quilt. She has named the geometric block, "Evan's Star." The pattern for a paper pieced block can be found at Marcia's extensive website which provides traditional and new block designs for quilters: http://www.quilterscache.com
Community Support Helpful
Barbara and her husband, Andover Fire Chief, Michael J. O’Neill, have been amazed at the outpouring of love from their community and beyond. Bagram AFB in Afghanistan dedicated a hangar to Evan on 9/29/04. Fort Drum in New York has added a plaque in their “Heroes Walk” monument that is dedicated to Evan and the other ten soldiers from his unit in Afghanistan. Posthumously, Evan was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor, the same award that his Dad had received for his bravery in Vietnam.
This quilt project which seeks to honor and comfort disabled veterans seems to be the first of its kind. Other projects focus on giving quilts to families, in memory of their loved ones.
Treasured Textiles
The veterans who receive these quilts are afraid to use them. They don’t want to ruin them. However, Barbara tells them that they are “wash and wear” and that if they wear out, she will make another. The quilts are treasured.
An Inspiration to Us All
Barbara has found a way to channel her grief in ways that are a blessing to others. She is a source of inspiration to all of us and has, in this writer’s opinion, indeed succeeded in keeping the memory of her son’s life and service to his country alive.
In appreciation, the Veterans N.E. Outreach Center of Haverhill dedicated a new building, naming it The Evan W. O’Neill Memorial Hall. Clearly, Barbara is very proud of her son. He would be extremely pleased and proud of her, too, as she has proven that a mother’s love is everlasting.
©Copyright 2005. Patricia and James Cummings, Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, New Hampshire.
To contact Pat with questions or comments about this article, please write to: pat@quiltersmuse.com
How You Can Help
The need for quilt blocks is ongoing. If you can help, please contact Barbara by e-mail: Cindergirl911@aol.com
To join the yahoo group, please visit:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ToTheTopProject
The current special exhibit, "Born on the 4th of July: Lowell Celebrates the
Nation" closed on April 2, 2005. On display in this special
collection were objects owned by the American Textile History Museum,
including the Butler Flag described as "the first flag to be made with all
American-made fabric -- almost one hundred years after our independence.
The ATHM museum
is open 9-4 Tuesday-Friday and weekends, 10-5. For more information, or to
become a member of the museum, please see:
www.athm.org