Muncy Historical Society

06/08/2026

Three veterans awarded quilts - Sunday, June 7 at Muncy Presbyterian Church by members of the Vintage Gatherers Quilters, a group with the Quilts of Valor Foundation.

Rey James Kline. serving in the US Air Force, 1967 to 1971 With his training completed, Mr. Kline was on his way to Clark AFB, Philippines with the 1st Mobile Communications Group. The 1st Mobile Communications Group was charged with the overt and covert installation of much of the communications equipment required in Southeast Asia. His final 18-month commitment was spent at Langley AFB, Maryland where he served as controller of all communications with the 1913th Communications Squadron.

Robert Morgan, serving in the US Navy 1966 to 1970. Mr. Morgan served aboard the USS Caddo Parish in his 13-month deployment to Vietnam. As an electrician’s mate his duties included the operations of the ship’s electrical power generation systems, lighting systems, electrical equipment and electrical appliances; maintenance on power circuits, fixtures, motors and generators; and rebuilding electrical equipment. He was transferred to the USS Agile, a ship classified as a minesweeper – acquired by the USS Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.

Edward Souter, serving in the US Army. Deployed to Vietnam in January 1967 Mr. Souter was in-country when his division was engaged in one of the Vietnam War´s most ferocious fights. The battle claimed 64 American lives - this bloody battle was just one of the staggering losses during the Vietnam War. As Bravo infantryman, his mission took him into close proximity with enemy forces on foot, to seize and hold terrain. His search-and-destroy missions in the jungle exposed him to the dangers of b***y traps, disease, and relentless enemy fire. While on patrol on November 9, 1967, Mr. Souter was wounded. He was removed from Vietnam, transported first to Japan and then on to Valley Forge Hospital, Valley Forge, PA. This purple heart recipient receives VA benefits for his wounds and exposure to Agent Orange.

06/07/2026

FEED SACK COLLECTION OFFERED AT THIS YEAR'S FABRIC SALE!!! PRICED TO SELL ... JUST A SAMPLING ...
JUNE 12, NOON TO 6 PM; JUNE 13, 9 AM TO 3 PM

06/07/2026

THS FABRIC SALE IS BACK -- JOIN US ON jUNE 12 & 13 ... PACKAGED AND PRICED TO SELL!!!
21ST ANNUAL QUILT & TEXTILE SHOW
HOSTED BY THE MUNCY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
LOCATION - MYERS ELEMENTARY, 125 NEW STREET, MUNCY

05/24/2026

The Vintage Gatherers Quilters, in partnership with the Muncy Historical Society, recognized two veterans who were members of Muncy's 1966 graduaton class. The presentations were made on Saturday, May 23, 2026.

Charles 'Chip' Pfleegor. To fly the F-4 Phantom, there were training classes in formation flying, basic fighter maneuvers, aerial combat maneuvering, bombing theory, weapons delivery, nuclear weapons, combat mission planning, electronic warfare and countermeasures, and weapons computer delivery system; learning information about all the unclassified systems of the Phantom; and thoroughly understanding this complex machine. Among which were the ejection seat - rocket-propelled - and the finer points of surviving emergency air and ground egress.
Serving in active duty with the US Navy from 1971 to 1982 with a land-based squadron out of Norfolk, VA and San Francisco, Lt. Commander Charles Downing Pfleegor, was a F-4 pilot. He served aboard the USS Independence, an aircraft carrier, on its scheduled deployment operations in the Mediterranean Sea. He was also stationed aboard the USS Oriskany, also an aircraft carrier, and in September 1976, he was the last US Navy man to step off its deck – the carrier being decommissioned at that time. When on land, Chip was stationed at Oceana Naval Air Base – a master jet base, Virginia Beach, Pensacola, Fl, Belleville, IL and Miramar Naval Base, home of the Navy’s Top Gun Flight School, San Diego, CA.
Chip Pfleegor served in active service from 1971 to 1982 and Navy Reserves through 1987.

James Harman. When James Harman arrived in Vietnam he had his first experience with tanks, and experience that led him to volunteer to be part of CAP -- the Combined Action Platoon -- a United States Marine Corps counterinsurgency tool during the Vietnam War. In the midst of a war with millions of combatants, twelve-man squads led by sergeants lived and died in villages amongst thousands of Viet-namese. Their mission: drive out the enemy, protect the villagers and train the farmers to defend themselves.
From 1966 through 1970, patrols of about five Marines and five farmers sneaked through the bush, with no night vision or on-call fires. To survive, they relied on stealth and pulling back when incoming fire was too intense. The peril of each night focused every Marine. At its peak, CAP platoons extended across 800 widely scattered hamlets, protecting 500,000 villagers.7 This was accomplished by 2,200 CAP Marines, three percent of the Marine total force. Those tiny squads, vastly outnumbered and isolated, should have been wiped out. Of the 209 villages protected by CAPs, not one reverted to enemy control. The CAP stands unique in America’s wars, never dupli-cated before or since.
After his 13-month in-country military experience, Jim was assigned military police duties at the Philadelphia Navy Yard which played a significant role in supporting the Vietnam War effort, with US Marines and Navy personnel stationed there for operations, administration, and training. Assigned to military police duties, Jim’s was responsible for base security and guarding nonviolent military inmates.
E-5 James Harman served in the U.S. Marines from 1966 to 1971.

05/24/2026

05/24/2026

On Sunday, May 17, 2026 the Vintage Gathereres Quilters, in partnership with the Muncy Historical Society, presented four quilts to veterans. The Muncy Presbyterian Church provided the location.

James Wurster. Mr. Wurster joined the US Navy in 1965 and following basic training, he served as a member of the USS Nitro crew. As a ship fitter, his responsibilities include maintenance -- these skilled tradespeople cut, shape, and weld metal parts to secure the structural framework of marine vessels; they play a critical role in shipbuilding yards and naval operations, working on everything from military destroyers to commercial cargo ships; they cut and fit metal plates and beams using torches, grinders, and plasma cutters; they weld and reinforce joints to meet naval or commercial vessel codes; and they inspect assemblies for accuracy, gaps, and structural integrity.
Mr. Wurster served in the US Navy from 1966-1968 on active duty and four years as a reservist.

Allan Kehrer. Mr. Kehrer, in the US Air Force from 1968 to 1972, served stateside at Seymour AFB, NC; Wichita, KS; Goldberg, AL; and Tyndall AFB, Panama City, FL. This US Air Force Crew Chief served two deployments to Thailand, serving at three different air force bases there. He was responsible for a wide range of duties on the F105 and F4’s, including performing pre-flight, post-flight, and in-flight inspections of aircraft systems; monitoring aircraft performance during flight operations to ensure safety and compliance with regulations; troubleshooting malfunctions and performing repairs on aircraft components as needed; and performing maintenance on engines, landing gear, brakes, electrical systems, hydraulic systems, fuel systems, and other aircraft components.

Charles Frederick Welch. The 437th Maintenance Squadron is responsible for maintaining the operational readiness of the C-17 aircraft fleet, ensuring that airlift missions can be conducted effectively. The 437th Maintenance Group enables Department of Defense tactical airdrop, worldwide airlift, aeromedical evacuation support and personnel and freight movement. As a jet aircraft mechanic, Mr. Welch served with the US Air Force from 1963 to 1967. His main duty was to ensure the airworthiness of military aircraft, working with complex mechanical systems, diagnosing and repairing mechanical and electrical issues, replacing faulty parts and systems, testing aircraft systems, and carrying out necessary maintenance. Serving stateside, Mr. Welch was assigned to Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX; Amarillo AFB, TX; and Joint Base at Charleston, SC.

John Bird. Mr. Bird served with the 1st Infantry Division Forward – a division supporting U.S. Army Europe and Africa by managing regional forces, conducting multinational training, and enhancing NATO partnerships. His military police unit provided security, law enforcement, and traffic control, acting as a crucial part of the sustainment and security apparatus in European operations.
He served with the 188th, a company whose mission included area security, detainee operations, convoy security, and support to civil authorities during domestic emergencies. Renowned for its professionalism and adaptability.
Mr. Bird’s military career spanned the period 1977 to 1998, serving different divisions in a military police officer role. During his service, Mr. Bird was stationed ‘stateside’ at Fort Meade, Fort Eustis, and Fort Story, and he deployed to Germany and the Marshall Islands. In 1994, his unit was deployed to Port-au-Prince, Haiti for Operation Uphold Democracy and he was deployed to the Daegu (Taegu) area in South Korea. .
Mr. Bird finished his 21 year military career as a recruiting officer with the Williamsport Recruiting Center, Williamsport, PA.

05/24/2026

The Vintage Gatheres Quilters, a group operating in partnership with the Muncy Historical Society, presented Wayne Smith with a 'Quilt of Valor' quilt on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
The 19th Quartermaster Corps in Korea supported Eighth Army operations, providing essential supply and logistical services - critical logistics, supplies, and support services to US troops holding the Demilitarized Zone. The 1960-1962 period saw high tensions, including the "April Revolution" -- mass protests against the South Korean President and his government. The pro-tests were triggered by the discovery of the body of a local high school stu-dent killed by police during demonstrations, protests against rigged elec-tions, against autocratic rule, against corruption, and against the use of vio-lence toward political opposition.
In South Korea, several U.S. military installations were operational, primar-ily serving as logistics and air support hubs rather than front-line combat ba-ses. Mr. Smith was stationed primarily at Taegu Air Base, a base which has played a significant role in U.S. and Republic of Korea military operations since the Korean War, hosting various fighter, reconnaissance, and transport units.
Following his service with the 19th Quartermaster Unit, Sergeant Wayne Smith joined the 814th Supply Company, an army reserve unit based in Bloomsburg, PA. The 814th provided local training for reservists during the heightened tension of the Cold War which included the Cuban Missile Crisis and the beginning of the major military buildup in Vietnam.
Mr. Smith served his country In active service 1960-1962, followed by reserve duty 1962-1966.

(Shown: Wyane Smith with Priscilla Blass. Quilt pieced by Priscilla Blass, quilted by Larry Rhinehart, and binding by Francie Appleman.)

05/07/2026

Oney and the Missus
The intertwined lives of Martha Washington and her enslaved servant Oney Judge

The Muncy Historical Society will host Pat Jordan and Brittany Hughes in their 2-person performance, “Oney Judge and the Missus”, on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The location is the Muncy Presbyterian Church, 10 E. Penn Street, corner of East Penn and South Washington Streets, in Muncy.

Beginning at 1:30 p.m. members of the Vintage Gatherers Quilters, a group operating under the auspices of the Quilts of Valor® Foundation, will present quilts to honor and gift to several well-deserving veterans whose service has been registered with the Foundation. Immediately following, Martha Washington and Oney Judge, portrayed by Pat Jordan and Brittany Hughes respectively, will tell their story.

George Washington lived an extraordinary life which included his personal years, military leadership, and finally two terms as the leader of new American Republic. Less familiar to many is the life of his wife Martha, who was the wealthiest widow in all of Virginia and whose fortune in many ways made his success possible. But Martha, like women of her time, had little control over her destiny and once described herself as feeling like “a prisoner of state.”

Yet Martha’s love and dedication was proven when, during the Revolutionary War, she traveled to every winter headquarters to be by her husband’s side in the eight years of the war. General Nathaniel Greene observed that “Mrs. Washington is excessive fond of the General and he of her. They are very happy in each other.” It’s been said that the soldiers always looked forward to Martha’s arrival, thinking if the General asked her to come, all would be right.

Oney & the Missus is a behind-the-scenes look at the Washingtons and their household, especially the intertwined lives of Martha and her enslaved servant, Oney Judge, who was raised side-by-side with Martha’s granddaughter Nelly. Oney attested to Martha’s kindness but also questioned her acceptance of the belief of family, church and government which told her that some people could own other people. Oney pined for freedom and the ability to make her own choices.

As women of their times, could Martha or Oney ever be completely free? These are their stories.

“Oney and the Missus” is the fifth in the Muncy Historical Society’s America250 series, made possible in part through a grant from the Margaret Waldron Memorial Fund at the First Community Foundation of Pennsylvania. The Society’s programs are always open to the public and free of charge unless noted.

04/01/2026

Six veterans, residents at Wolf Run Village received their "Quilts of Valor" yesterday, March 31, 2026. The Vintage Gatherers Quilters, a group operating under the auspices of the Quilts of Valor Foundation, partnered with the Muncy Historical Society and Mandy Vandine, Activities Director at Wolf Run Village, to make the presentations happen.

Robert Haffley: Less than a day after U.S. President Harry Truman decided to send Amer-ican troops to aid the UN and South Korean forces on the Korean Penin-sula, the first propaganda leaflets were designed, printed, and dropped from an aircraft over the battle area. The United States Secretary of the Army strongly endorsed psychological operations, encouraging his men to “bury the enemy with paper” – believing that the Korean situation offered a special opportunity for highly profitable exploitations of psychological war-fare. The aim of psychological warfare was to gain an advantage over one’s enemy by exploiting doubt and fear about their chances of victory.
Between June 1950 and July 1953, in-country units produced and disseminated some 2.4 billion leaflets, promoting the surrender of thousands of North Korean and Chinese Communist troops. Robert Haffley, who served in the US Army 1950 to 1954, was deployed to the Philippines where he assumed his role in the “psychological warfare propaganda” campaign.

James Aller: The 66th was responsible for maintenance support for U.S. Army Europe units, ensuring equipment readiness. During the Vietnam War era, the U.S. Army maintained a strong presence in Germany to support NATO commitments and counter-Soviet expansion. The 66th Maintenance Battalion was a key logistical unit in Germany during this period, and while many units and draftees were sent to Vietnam, a significant number were assigned to Germany to maintain "steady state" defense operations. Mr. Aller managed heavy equipment readiness, including the M60 – a better armored, superior gunned, and improved mobility tank. Mr. Aller served from 1965-1968.

David Bock: His first ship was the USS Oxford, a technical research ship), tasked with conducting research in the reception of electronic signals intelligence gathering. In 1962, the Oxford's mission had been to eavesdrop on Cuban microwave communications throughout the island. They listened in on the Cuban secret police, the Cuban navy, air defenses, and civil aviation. Radar technicians on board detected the presence of Soviet P-12 radar along with installation of missile sites.
Next, Mr. Bock served aboard the USS Alstede which carried stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet and to remote stations and staging areas. The Alstede deployed to the Mediterranean Sea – Italy, Greece and Spain -- two or three times a year to resupply units of the U.S. 6th Fleet operating there.
Mr. Bock served in the US Navy from 1962-1966.

Lena Carichner: After the Vietnam War, the President Nixon administration established reserve forces as the primary source to augment future military needs. This policy fully integrated the Air Force Reserve into mainstream defense planning rather than acting merely as a backup. Mrs. Carichner enlisted with the US Air Force Reserves to serve her country and to provide the funds needed to support herself and her young children.
She received her basic training at Fort McPherson, Georgia -- the installation that was home to a major unit of the Third U.S. Army as well as the headquarters of the U.S. Armed Forces Command, which is responsible for the command and control, unit training, and operational readiness of active military, National Guard, and reserve personnel.
Mrs. Carichner sreved in the US Air Force Reserves, 1971-1976.

James Stahl: The period 1962–1966 marked a total shift from a peacetime focus to conducting a limited war in a jungle environment, with fighters designed for nuclear missions dropping conventional bombs on guerrilla targets. The 11th Airborne Division pioneered new tactics and equipment for air assault operations.
Mr. Stahl served as an aerial scout observer on board a low-flying and slow ‘scout’ helicopter – a light observation helicopter -- searching for enemy positions and using smoke grenades to mark targets for attack helicopters. In Vietnam, the scout helicopter was commonly operated along with Cobra attack helicopters, using so-called “hunter-killer” tactics to flush out and eliminate hostile ground targets. The light observation helicopter would act as bait to draw enemy fire and mark targets for other platforms such as the Cobra.
Mr. Stahl’s job was to identify and report enemy activity – Viet Cong or weapons, while his gunship partner provided covering fire. This role was dangerous -- reportedly, 964 out of 1,422, or 68% of the US military’s light observation helicopters were destroyed in Vietnam. Mr. Stahl served from 1962 to 1966.

John Yohner: During the period from 1960 to 1989, the U.S. Army in Kaiserslautern, Germany, functioned as a massive logistics, support, and transportation hub in Europe, serving as part of the largest concentration of American military personnel outside the United States. The Kaiserslautern Military Community was heavily established, with numerous barracks acting as logistical centers in support of the 7TH U.S. Army and other NATO missions to deter Soviet aggression.
This area of Germany was vital for line-haul operations and logistics, with the 53rd Transportation Battalion providing transportation support to theater operations. The region held pre-positioned stocks designed for combat equipment needed by divisions rapidly deployed from the U.S. in an emergency.
Mr. Yohner's service included active and reserve status and he attained the rank of captain, serving his country 1960 to 1989.