MILITARY

45 Vietnam Veterans recognized in Destin for their service and sacrifices

On March 29th, Vietnam Veterans Day, 45 Vietnam Era veterans and 1 Gold Star family member were recognized for their sacrifices and service.

State Representative Patt Maney, a combat wounded veteran, shook each veteran’s hand, presented them with a lapel pin, thanked them for their service, and welcomed them home.

Rep. Maney presented his brother, Edward, a purple heart recipient of the war, with his pin and shared a few tears and laughter as Maney spoke of his brother as his personal hero. 

• Another special recipient was 92-year-old Ray Bourque who served in both the Korean & the Vietnam Wars.
• Local veteran Tony Morris displayed numerous artifacts of the Vietnam War with interest shown be all who attended.  
• Combat-wounded veteran Joe Osorio introduced each veteran as they received their recognition.  

Presidential proclamations from President Obama and President Trump, bumper stickers, buttons, and information trifolds were available as well.  

Also present at the event was a traditional POW/MIA ceremony table, also known as the “Missing Man” table.

• The tradition of setting a separate table in honor of our prisoners of war and missing comrades has been in place since the end of the Vietnam War, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command.

“The Davis-Sikes American Legion Post 296 in Destin was honored to recognize these patriots after 50 years of silence or disdain by some Americans,” said Post Commander Corlene Ziegler.

AWARENESS

Crestview wants to talk about addiction in the community

The City of Crestview is on a mission to talk about addiction in the community with their “Let’s Talk About It” event.

• On Thursday, April 28, at Warriors Hall, the city is inviting residents and surrounding areas to joining for a night of discussion, information sharing, and more.

Starting at 6:30pm, there will be an open house style set up to learn about programs, offered in Okaloosa County and the surrounding areas, that support individuals experiencing addiction and what families can do to assist.

At 7:00pm, students from Crestview High School will take the stage, followed by a group of community representatives who will share the latest data, trends, and testimonies on substance abuse and vaping.

“It takes an entire community to lower substance abuse,” wrote the city in a press release. “The audience is welcome to ask questions throughout the night as our panelists will aim to answer any questions or concerns one may have.”

MUSIC

Sinfonia Youth Orchestra hosting free Spring Concert

On Monday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m., the Sinfonia Youth Orchestra is hosting their annual spring concert at Destin High School featuring performances from all three musical ensembles:

• Beginner strings
• Sinfonietta strings
• Full symphony orchestra

Guests are invited to see all that these talented young musicians have learned this year, as well as sending off three seniors as they graduate from the program.

The Sinfonia Youth Orchestra program is the premier training orchestra in Northwest Florida and consists of more than 60 students who participate in a variety of ensembles that perform throughout the school year, led by Music Director Aaron King Vaughn.

Youth Orchestra members receive:

• Small group mentoring multiple times a semester with experienced sectional instructors for individual instruments. 
• High school students can earn Bright Futures volunteer hours by participating in additional opportunities to play for community groups as well as by volunteering as ushers at Sinfonia main season concerts.
• Seniors have the opportunity to apply for the Grace Fulcher Memorial Scholarship, created in memory and honor of Grace Bernice Fulcher.

This event is free to attend and open to the public. 

FISHING

28 Okaloosa County fishing charters win the Angler’s Choice Award

Every year, FishingBooker awards its best captains with the Angler’s Choice Award. 

• This award honors the top captains on the platform for their efforts in providing the best possible fishing experience for their guests, according to FishingBooker.

Out of over 7,800 charter offers on the platform, only around 15% got the award this year. FishingBooker works with 142 charters in Okaloosa County, which means that with 28 winners, the captains of the area performed above the national average with almost 20% of them taking home the award.

To be eligible for the award, the charter operators had to meet the following criteria:

• Above 4.5 out of a possible 5-star review rating from at least 7 verified reviews
• Low cancellation rate, below 30%
• High responsiveness to booking requests, above 90%

Out of the 420 Floridian charters that won the Angler’s Choice Award, an impressive 62 charters are operating in the Panhandle. Okaloosa County and Bay County charters form the majority of winners with 28 and 23 charters respectively. 

• The other 11 Angler’s Choice Award winners are from Walton County (5 winners), Gulf County (4 winners), as well as Santa Rosa and Escambia County (1 winner each).

Click here to see the list of local winners

MILITARY 🤝 OKALOOSA

Air Force leaders praise Okaloosa’s support of the military

On Monday, right before the start of the Final Goblet ceremony honoring the Doolittle Raiders, I was granted an exclusive interview with Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and General CQ Brown, Jr., Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

• In this joint interview honoring the Doolittle Raiders and 75th Anniversary of the Air Force, they both discuss Okaloosa County’s support and commitment to military members and their families.

“This is just a terrific opportunity to celebrate a very heroic event and some people who really gave everything they could to defend their country,” said Secretary Kendall. “It was a leadership role that set the stage for the rest of what followed through World War II and beyond.”

According to Gen. Brown, what the Doolittle Raiders were able to do during that timeframe set the stage for the airmen they have today.

Talking about the support from Okaloosa county, Sec. Kendall says that this is a community that really supports the Airmen.

“We we have a great legacy with 75 years as an Air Force, but long before that it was the Army Air Corps.,” he said. “The Doolittle Raiders were part of that. It’s all part of a great history and great legacy, and the county is very much a part of that.”

Gen. Brown echoed that sentiment and said that while he was not stationed here at Eglin Air Force Base, he has flown out of Eglin, Hurlburt and Tyndall, which allowed him to see “great support” from the community.

“I think about our civic leaders and the communities,” said Gen. Brown. “I think about the support of some key areas that are very important to our Air Force families, whether it be childcare, education, healthcare and spouse employment. We couldn’t ask for better support from not only here on the Emerald Coast, but really all across the nation and how they support our Airmen and our families.”

When asked how Okaloosa County could provide even better support, Gen. Brown said:

“It’s getting to know our Airmen and families and really welcoming them in to the community that is so important,” he said. “When our Airmen move around the country, and around the world, they’re always looking for a friendly face and we really appreciate the friendly faces we see in Okaloosa county.”

Click here to watch the interview