Sgt Casey Byers and Spc Justin “Paul” Byers

Betty,

I have written three letters to you and none of them are perfect enough and then I realized that my handwriting is terrible. I will type this one now and call it finished. The quilt that you and your foundation made for our family was more than beautiful. It was spectacular. It included both my boys and that in itself touched my heart. Like I said at the presentation, I may have tears in my eyes when I look at this quilt but it also places a rainbow in my heart.

Most people do not include Paul and only remember Casey. I feel honored to have been their mother and can not repay you for the joy the quilt brings to me and for your remembrance of both my darling sons. I can not wait to be able to show this quilt to my daughter’s children, Hailey’s children, and their children. This quilt will allow us to teach future generations about how great their father and uncles were. It will also allow us to teach them about how your generosity and foundation began and affected our family. This will help us focus on maintaining our family motto on helping others.

I have devoted my life the past 49 years in helping others through my career and volunteer work. I am so pleased to have seen that both my boys were fighters for the under dog and Paul was an avid animal lover and saver. Jenny is very caring and thrives to educate our youths. I can only hope Hailey will continue on the family motto to help others. Hailey loves to give hugs and is an awesome sharer.

I do not know how you can stay so focussed and your orgnization is a role model for all of us who have received your quilts. If we had more people like you and your helpers plus your unbelievable husband, the world would be in a more peaceful state. I feel the same admiration for you guys as I do my sons and that in itself says a lot. My boys also say thank you and they would both have to finally give me credit for when I use to say, “What goes around comes around.” I never thought anyone would show our family the kindness that your organization did for our family. Both boys use to say that our efforts only went in one direction. However our family has only known this statement, “If not for bad luck, us Byers would have no luck at all.” Through your quilt I am able to prove that statement to have meaning and that helping others does make a difference in the world.

I would like to end this letter with another THANK YOU. It means so much to our family. I do not know if I told you this but your quilt plays more then just a quilt to hold, it was my support and advisor when I cleaned out the boys things. I placed the quilt upright on a chair and I went through all the boys belongings. We laughed together at some of the items I found, cried at some of the memories, but most importantly I felt they were here with me. I was able to determine which item went to which friend or family member. We decided many things would go to the Vets hospital because so many of our vets do not have anything when they arrive at the hospital.

I ended the day with being wrapped in my quilt watching the three cd”s that were made in honor of my two sons. I always felt blessed to be the mother of three great children but now I am blessed with knowing you, your husband, and your fellow workers but most of all for being the proud owner of a Freedom Quilt.

As usual I am a woman of many words and always have a hard time expressing my true feelings.

God bless you and your families.
Ann, Bill, Jen, and Hailey Byers

P.S.  Hailey loves to rock with me while being wrapped in her quilt. She does not like to sleep with it but when it is time to rock she runs and grabs it. I think it comforts her while she is tired. I tell her one Paul and Casey story while we rock. Okay I tell her several. haha