Mountain Valor Fest Fosters Community and Connection
The following first appeared in Floydtimes.com on 9/17/25 – Saturday’s Second Annual Mountain Valor Fest welcomed veterans, their families and the public for a full day of fun and fellowship. The free event included live music, games, family friendly activities, a bounce house, military equipment displays, food trucks, craft beer and rows of resources booths and tents geared towards supporting veterans.
Located at Brian and Christy Corbett’s veteran-owned Crooked Mountain Campground, the Valor Fest is headed up by Katt Whittenberger, executive director of Mountain Valor Veteran Services, a non-profit with a mission of empowering veterans and their families with the tools, connections and resources to thrive.
Veteran Administration representatives were on hand, along with The National Center for Healthy Veterans, The Disability Resource Center of the New River Valley, Warriors Heart Virginia Addiction and PTSD Treatment Center, Be Well Now’s therapy practice at the Floyd EcoVillage, Brain Injury Solutions of Roanoke and more.
John Philips from Floyd’s VFW Post 7854 reminded visitors about the annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Floyd, set for November 9th at 2 pm.
Children played and fed goats from Skip Willow Farm. Librarians from The Jessie Peterman Memorial Library brought a variety of books for children who completed the day’s Scavenger Hunt. They also had flyers available for upcoming library programs and information on VetNow, an online resource that the library offers.
A highlight of the Valor Fest is the ceremonial burning of a retired American flag. The ceremony was preceded by bagpipe players and included the participation of veterans and Gold Star families.
Crowds gathered for the solemn occasion as Whittenberger began by reading the poem “I Am the Flag of the United States of America,” which begins: My name is Old Glory. / I fly atop the world’s tallest buildings. / I stand watch in America’s halls of justice. / I fly majestically over institutions of learning. / I stand guard with power in the world…
Whittenberger, a Navy veteran who retired as a Senior Chief Petty Officer, addressed the sprawling crowd, “Looking out onto this crowd, I think we met our mission today.”
After thanking sponsors for making the event possible, Whittenberger focused on those in attendance.
“Thank you for joining us as we take a few minutes to remember the tragedy of 9/11. Many of us here were serving that day or became motivated to serve because of the attack on our country that day,” she said.
Later, she explained that the vision for the ceremony happened in the field where the flag burning was now taking place, before it was a campground. “There was a bunch of us that were Global War on Terror veterans and we were angry that there was actually nothing on 9/11 to honor our friends that we lost. We decided to do something about it,” she said.
The vision started with the idea for the ceremony, and soon after, the group realized that it could be an opportunity to make resources available to veterans. “We knew we had to start with the families, kids and grandkids and make it a safe, comfortable community event.”
Joshua Dunn, a Marine Corp veteran who was medically retired in 2016, said he hoped to welcome even more veterans next year. He spoke about how helpful the VA was when he was having trouble transitioning back into civilian life. “They got me out of my head and PTSD,” Dunn, one of the Vets who assisted with the flag ceremony said. He reported that he’s “gotten a lot better.”
The VA is helpful, but there are many other resources that are funded by the VA and can be faster at approving things, such home modifications. “Understanding the ins and outs of all of the different resources is what makes us different,” Whittenberger stated, adding that her services follow-up with the vets they interact with.
“For our second year, I think it’s amazing,” Whittenberger said as attendees approached her to express how moving the ceremony was. “A lot of people came this year because they heard about it last year.”
Whittenberger later sent out emails thanking everyone involved for their support and reporting that the event welcomed nearly 600 attendees — including 160 veterans, 70 veteran spouses, 190 community members, and 170 kids. Next year’s Mountain Valor Fest will take place on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
___________Colleen Redman
PHOTOS: 1. Mountain Valor Fest was held at the Crooked Mountain Campground on Saturday, September 13th. 2. Taliesyn Jax-Wycoff of Healed Enough to Heal offered a raffle Healing basket of art collage supplies, valued at over $500. 3. Attendees gathered at shaded picnic tables to drink and eat food from local food trucks. 4. Wes Turner (right) of Turner Farms is owner/chef of The Vittle Wagon, one of the food trucks on site. 5. John Philips, a vet and 31-year coordinator of the Floyd Veteran’s Parade, represented Floyd’s VFW Post 7854. 6. A young boy feeds a goat from Skip Willow Farm. 7. Bagpipers played at the ceremonial flag burning. 8. Mountain Valor Veteran Services director Katt Whittenberger reads the poem “I Am the Flag of the United States of America” during the flag ceremony. 9. A veteran participates in the ceremony by cutting a strip off a retired flag before it is placed in the fire pit. 10. A Vietnam veteran participates in the ceremony. 11. Joshua Dunn (center), a medically retired Marine Corp veteran, assisted with adding the flag’s stars to the fire. 11. The fire burns as veteran families and friends look on. 12. The Salem VA was onsite. 13. The crew from Be Well Now at the Floyd EcoVillage included administrative assistant Jackie Ann Ruiz, therapist Jess Talley, Medical Director Dr. Mary Hanson and therapist Joe Klein (surrounded by Hanson’s children). 14. The Crystal River Band was one of the bands that played at the Valor Fest 15. National Guard Humvees and a helicopter were part of the military equipment demonstrations. 16. Jessie Peterman Library librarians passed out pamphlets and books.