MITER Foundation pushes for Gold Star monument

The MITER Foundation, the charitable arm of Harrisburg-based window manufacturer MITER Brands, is supporting Pennsylvania House Bill 71 to fund a monument honoring Gold Star families at the state capital in Harrisburg. 

MITER Brands is the family of branded products comprised of MI Windows and Doors and Milgard Windows and Doors, with an expansive network of dealers and builder customers across the United States. 

The MITER Foundation is working with the Woody Williams Foundation and state officials to support the bill. House Bill 71 is currently in committee, but Representative Joe Kerwin (R-Dauphin) hopes to bring the bill to the floor for a vote soon.

The Woody Williams Foundation, named for its late founder – World War II Medal of Honor recipient Hershel “Woody” Williams – was created with the intention of building a monument to Gold Star families in every state and U.S. territory. There are currently 122 Woody Williams Foundation Memorial Monuments across the country, including three in Pennsylvania. But there are currently none in the capital region. 

In Harrisburg on May 23, a rally supporting Gold Star families was held. 

“This is something we owe to these families, not just for their loved ones’ sacrifice, but their continuing sacrifice of living every day without them,” Kerwin said.

“Memorial Weekend is a time to remember the brave men and women who served our country and those that sacrificed their lives,” said Gwen Mallon, MITER Charitable Foundation specialist. “We support the expansion of monuments to commemorate Gold Star families, including in our capital city of Harrisburg.”

Gold Star parents Diane Yoder and John Masco – who both lost a son more than a decade ago – described the importance of the proposed memorial. 

“We Gold Star family members love our fallen heroes,” Masco said. “The world needs to know about them, to learn about their smile and their laugh.”