Did you know that our Armed Services have an arts and crafts program for soldiers? Neither did we! Originally called the "Arts and Crafts Section of Special Services" during the World War II era, soldiers welcomed diversions from the stressful reality of war by creating handicrafts of every conceivable style. Painting and drawing, leathercraft, celluloid etching, metal tooling, and clay modeling are just a sampling of the variety. This program was brought about and enthusiastically supported by civilian arts patrons. Over the years the program evolved, and it was once again emphasized during the increased military operations of the 1990s. Through the program, millions of soldier citizens have been directly and indirectly exposed to a vast wealth of art forms. Thanks to enthusiastic fabric manufacturer, Benartex, soldiers in Heidelberg, Germany were taught to quilt last summer under the auspices of the Army arts and crafts program. Gayle Camargo, Benartex's creative director, thrilled classrooms of men and women by teaching them in hands-on workshops how to cut, piece, press, and ultimately create patchwork art. What could be more appropriate than America's sons and daughters piecing their very own versions of Stars and Stripes! An Army soldier proudly displays her newly pieced Stars and Stripes wall hanging. Cutting and piecing skills are honed in quilting classes sponsored by Benartex. A Nation's Pride Pattern