Local Veterans Receive Quilts of Valor

The Vintage Gatherers Quilters of the Muncy Historical Society honored six veterans with comfort quilts through the Quilts of Valor® Foundation (QOVF) on Sept. 21, 2025. The Vintage Gatherers Quilters, along with community volunteers from the quilting community, are making quilts to honor and gift to veterans and service members who’ve been touched by war. Each presentation quilt is registered with the Quilts of Valor Foundation and features a special label, designating it as an official Quilt of Valor. The label identifies the recipient, the person who pieced it, and the person who quilted it.

Veterans were nominated to receive a quilt by family members or friends through the QOVF nomination process. The six recipients represented three branches of the United States military. They were veterans of the U.S. armed forces, having served either stateside or abroad during declared wars, conflicts, peacekeeping missions, or counterterrorism operations.

Katie Mengle’s Marine Corps service spanned 2007 to 2015. She was stationed at the Al Asad Air Force Base in Iraq. The base served as a central convoy hub, hosting hundreds of fuel and supply trucks daily. Huge shipments of fuel, aircraft ammunition, construction materials, potable water, and food were commonly transported along the treacherous routes coming out of Jordan and Kuwait, and, despite insurgent attempts, a majority of these convoys arrived at their destinations unscathed. As the Marines withdrew from Iraq, Al Asad remained one of the last American-occupied bases. In 2009 and 2010, Marines removed the majority of gear and personnel from that base.

From January 1969 to January 1971, Kenneth Miller served his military service with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment, and with the 3rd Brigade AirCav Platoon of the 101st Airborne Division. Air assaults during the Vietnam War were extremely dangerous due to heavy enemy fire, coupled with the unpredictable nature of helicopter flight in hazardous weather and treacherous mountainous terrain. Helicopters were vulnerable to damage and crashes, and a significant number of U.S. deaths were attributed to aircraft crashes and non-combat incidents, including friendly fire. During his one-year deployment in Vietnam, Miller flew in 100 air assaults and search and destroy missions.

James Folmar Senior’s service spans 40+ years of military engagements. After basic training, he was assigned to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he specialized in water purification. When he returned to reserve status, he specialized in map reading and maintenance of heavy military vehicles. While a reservist, Folmar served two tours of active duty at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland – a military establishment for research, development, testing, and evaluation of Army materiel, spanning areas like vehicle technology, intelligence systems, communications, and public health. The installation serves as a major center for developing and testing new military technology, supporting various forms of Army training, from medical to chemical defense.

Robert L Crouse entered the service at the age of 17, halfway through his senior year in high school. Trained as a machinist mate, he was stationed aboard the USS Pondera, a Haskell-class attack ship in World War II’s Pacific Theater. On its decks, he sailed into over 100 ports, including the Philippines, Japan, and China. The USS Pondera supported the Battle of Okinawa by transporting the 81st Construction Battalion to the island in late April 1945. During the battle, the Pondera also assisted another ship damaged by a Japanese suicide boat and carried casualties away from Okinawa to Saipan before returning to San Francisco. After the end of World War II, Crouse served aboard the Robert I. Paine Destroyer. Crouse ended his military career after serving an additional 9+ years in the reserves.

Donald Wilver was sent to Aberdeen Proving Ground on October 1, 1952, and six months later, he found himself in Korea as a heavy equipment maintenance specialist. It was just two months after arriving in-country that the ceasefire was announced. For the next 14 months, he continued with the 534th as it transitioned to the Heavy Truck Maintenance Ordnance Reclamation Company. The company played a critical role in the recovery and rebuilding of vehicles, weapons, and other equipment for transport back to the United States. Wilver was discharged from active duty in 1954 and reclassified as a reservist, remaining in this status until his six-year commitment was fulfilled.

Miranda Betts deployed with the USS Harry Truman as an aviation ordnance man, serving in this capacity from November 2015 to July 2016. On board the carrier, aviation ordnance personnel are responsible for the safe handling, storage, inspection, assembly, and loading of weapons systems on U.S. Navy aircraft. A critical aspect of the job is ensuring the safety of personnel and planes by adhering to strict procedures for handling explosives. The Carrier Air Wing completed 2,054 combat missions that expended over 1.3 million pounds of precision ordnance on ISIS targets.

Veterans can be nominated for a quilt by calling the Muncy Historical Society or by visiting www.qovf.org/nominations-awards directly.