Mary Maxtion, of rural Boligee, Alabama, often incorporated American flags and flag motifs in her quilts. In this quilt Maxtion combined the flag’s patriotic symbolism with camouflage fabric reminiscent of military uniforms. The multi-color strips that crisscross the surface recall the ribbons and bars that decorate service members uniforms. Maxtion probably made (or finished) her quilt in response to the United States’ involvement in the 1991 Gulf War, code-named Operation Desert Storm. Whereas she didn’t give the quilt away to honor or comfort a soldier, her focus was not limited to patriotic nationalism, but also extended to the individual men and women who served in that conflict.