Lehigh County celebrated Memorial Day early as it unveiled a quilt honoring area veterans.

District Attorney Jim Martin announced during a May 22 news conference at the Lehigh County Courthouse, the quilt, measuring 64 inches by 89 inches, will be displayed on a wall in room 132 of the courthouse.

The red, white and blue quilt is comprised of 240 signed, 4-inch by 4-inch blocks. Signatures of veterans residing at Phoebe Home, Allentown, were also gathered.

Martin said the quilt will serve as a "tribute to the men and women who served in all wars."

Judy DeWalt of Dayton, Ohio, was responsible for the design of the quilt.

Maureen McNanus, a member of the Veterans' Mentor Program Steering Committee and director of Lehigh Valley Pretrial Services, put the final touches on it.

Also assisting with the quilt was Amy Bouchard of Shalimar, Fla., who provided the batting.

The quilt took 15 months to complete. Signatures were obtained from veterans of various U.S. wars and conflicts during 2012 and this year.

Family members and friends of former military veterans also signed the quilt blocks, thanking them for their service to the country.

"It's a piece of history," McNanus said. "I had great fun doing this. I hope the quilt provides a visual history and a unique way to remember our veterans."

Martin said volunteers along with veterans in the Veterans Mentor Program assisted with the project.

He said the mentor program, which currently has 24 veterans in it, has been an asset not only to the veterans themselves but also to the judicial system.

Mentors assist veterans with locating employment, furthering their education, obtaining housing, remaining drug and alcohol free, accessing veterans' benefits and complying with the conditions of bail, house arrest and probation or parole when needed.

Martin said the quilt will remind visitors of those who served in uniform who protect American freedoms.

"I hope that visitors to the courthouse will take a few minutes to read the inscriptions on the quilt and say a quiet thanks to the men and women whose names are on it," he said.

More information on the veterans' mentor program can be found on the county website at lehighcounty.org.