Meet the Happy Hookers in Service to Our Troops
The story of our now-legion, coast-to-coast troop of Happy Hookers begins with one — yes, just one –unassuming lady: Sharon Howard. (Get your hanky handy. You’re gonna need it.)
Operation Gratitude’s scarf program began in 2006 with a simple request from senior officers in the field for some type of extra-warming garment to be included in the packages. Ah, yes. It gets very, very cold — often below zero — in the winter months in Afghanistan and Iraq. Something we home-front civilians don’t seem to know.
The officers’ request fell on the able shoulders of a dedicated OpGrat volunteer, Sharon Howard, who decided that something handmade would serve two purposes at once: something warm not supplied by the military outfitters and something handmade to put the heart and soul of America into each package. So, Sharon set about to gather volunteer hookers and knitters for her new crusade.
From that first email solicitation, through years of arduous labors and donations of yarn from American retailers, through thousands and thousands of hours spent by everyday people from coast to coast, Sharon’s scarves-for-our-troops crusade has cuddled nearly 100,000 troops through Operation Gratitude care packages to the war zones. This year alone, the scarf program will send 40,000 handmade scarves and hats to our soldiers far from home.
I learned all of this from OpGrat volunteer Elaine Campbell, who graciously now co-runs Sharon’s crusade. Elaine and Sharon met in their early 20s doing community theater in Burbank, California, stayed friends throughout their lives, and both worked tirelessly for Operation Gratitude. In the spring of 2010, Sharon Howard succumbed to cancer and is no longer here to spread her charitable wings. Elaine and Lorene Van Ark-Miller now carry on in Sharon’s name and memory.
When Sharon first started the scarf program, she asked all hookers and knitters to use only camouflage type colors — tan, brown, green — but then one day someone sent her a red scarf. As handmade scarves were in very high demand among our troops, Sharon sent the “wrongly” colored red one and got a letter from the soldier who received it, saying simply that it had especially touched him because it was so much like — and the same color as — one he got as a child from his grandmother.
Now, scarves of all colors are welcome — and if you’re not crying by now – well, you don’t want to meet up with Sharon Howard in heaven and have to face her, now do you?
God bless our troops, and God bless the happy hookers! Sweet story, simply amazing
Americans still continue to be the most generous with their time and money, even though it never makes the “news” that is too busy shouting down, attacking, and vilifying anyone that attempts to stand for OUR REPUBLIC.
Thanks, Kyle-Anne, for such a great story at just the right time of year.
God bless these you, these women, and especially our troops for their sacrifices. They need to know there are some people that appreciate it.
Not crying, but is is ok to laugh with joy?
“Carolyn Blashek is living proof that even lawyers have hearts, but I am utterly convinced that hers remains intact since she never actually practiced law.”
Wonderful story, thanks for writing it.
Peace and Victory through needlework! Quilters all across America are making quilts for wounded vets when they come home, too in the Quilts of Valor movement.
http://qovf.org/
Check it out, you will be so uplifted!
I was part of a group honored to make quilts for soldiers with severe PSTD. We were told that many of the soldiers who hadn’t talked or interacted with anyone began to reach out to each other to show off their quilts. As a quiltmaker, it doesn’t get any better than that….
“Don’t you ever tell me that America isn’t one hell of an exceptional nation. Only a truly exceptional nation could produce such a real-life story as this.”
Indeed. Someone should tell Mr. Obama about that, too.
http://www.seamenschurch.org/christmas-at-sea
this is the web page for the seaman’s church institute. If you click on the tab for patterns, they have several hat and scarf patterns. The ones at the bottom of the list- the scarf and watch-cap- have been in use in America since about the Civil War. The photos of World War I and II- these are the watch-caps that the sailors are wearing, in the black and white photos.
One skein of Lion Brand’s Fisherman Wool will make one scarf and one hat, with a little left over.
It’s a quite fast knit. The two ends are broad, stretchy and flat. The neck-wrap part is ribbed, so that it squunches up and lies close to your neck for warmth. It’s close to perfect, I’ve heard. The watch-cap is super-easy to make, and is squashable,stretchable and warm.
I don’t know about the patterns above that, but I expect they are also well-written.
And, really, American school-children learned to knit with these patterns,from at least the Civil War, until now. It’s in ” No Idle Hands: A History of American Hand-knitting.”
Nice…!!!
Thanks, Kyle-Anne.
Thank you for this post; during WWII, many watch caps were knitted by women for the soldiers and sailors. I am the proud owner of a replica my daughter-in-law knitted for me recently. I was unaware that these great gifts existed today for our servicemen and women; these hats and scarves would be a wonderful project for anyone. Thank you ari and Allison Aller for the above links. Thanks to everyone for knitting and sewing these handmade and useful scarves, hats and quilts for our troops. God bless you.
It sounds very lovely. But, I must admit my first thought was out of uniform and target.
Finally some good news! God bless our troops and their happy caring hookers:)
Don’t forget us happy needlers too. There are two projects that I contribute to – The Ships Project http://www.theshipsproject.com/ and Socks for Soldiers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SOCKFORSOLDIERS/. Both groups send knitted love to our soldiers and sailors.
PS. Even if you can’t knit or crochet – these groups always need help with postage so please consider supporting them monitarily.
I am so proud to be a Happy Hooker myself. Already have 19 done for 2012. Going for 500 this year. Each one goes with a note and a prayer. It’s one of the most worthwhile and rewarding things I have ever done outside of raising my children, and I would encourage everyone to pick up a hook and crochet. Anyone can learn. Most of the troops seem to wear their scarves when off duty, and we also are reminded not to make them red/white/blue. I think they are as much for comfort as for warmth.
Lets not forget the needlers. A couple of organizations the I support are The Ships Project and Socks for Soldiers. Please check out their sites (Socks for Soldiers is a yahoo group)if you are interested.
(apparently my original post had too many links so it was eaten. The PS posted above is in reference to that post but applies to this post too)
While I’m thinking about it: Fishermen’s Wool is $12 a skein. Most craft stores have coupons for 40% off. That drops the price to $7 and change. For one wool scarf and hat. For comparison, 100% wool scarves and hats in most catalogues rank in near $100.
And, if you do this, please try to avoid 100% acrylic, if you are sending this to someone in a war zone. Acrylic melts at a fairly low temperature, and can form plastic beads with skin, making for really bad skin grafts should they get near flames or heat.
100% wool is flame-retardant. If it’s fisheman’s wool, it’s somewhat antiseptic. It absorbs nearly 30% of its’ weight in water- so if the recipient is sweating, it keeps him/ her dry and comfortable. Also, when it adsorbs the water, there’s a small chemical reaction- and the wool heats up just a bit. So, it doesn’t just block the cold and the damp, it heats up, dries, wicks, breathes, all sorts of comforting things.
Feel the wool in the store- some of it can be insanely scratchy- and that’s just a mean thing to do to someone. Nice merino can be softer than cheap cashmere. Wool and acrylic mixed together seem to please most people. Not as warm, not as scratchy, more machine-washable, less long- lived.