Search
Close this search box.

Okaloosa County set to unveil Women Veterans Monuments

The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners is set to unveil the Women Veterans Monuments at Veterans’ Park on Veterans Day, Thursday, November, 11, 2021. Presentations will begin promptly at 2 p.m. on Bayview Plaza outside of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center on Okaloosa Island, adjacent to Veterans’ Park. The eight bronze statues pay […]

Women Veterans Monuments at Veterans’ Park

The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners is set to unveil the Women Veterans Monuments at Veterans’ Park on Veterans Day, Thursday, November, 11, 2021.

  • Presentations will begin promptly at 2 p.m. on Bayview Plaza outside of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center on Okaloosa Island, adjacent to Veterans’ Park.

The eight bronze statues pay homage to the military which has played an integral role in sculpting our community. Florida is home to the second-largest population of women veterans in the nation, second only to Washington, D.C. What makes this memorial one-of-a-kind is that all of the statues pay tribute to women who have served throughout history, according to the county.

“The Nation will be proud and residents, along with guests will embrace the detail, quality and effort that has gone into honoring women who have given such dedication to our country,” said Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners Chairman Carolyn Ketchel. “Additionally, the statues will be situated along the trail in a way that preserves the natural habitat of native wildlife and vegetation.”

Honorees chosen by the Women Veterans Monument Advisory Committee and approved by the Board include the following: 

  • Margaret Corbin (Revolutionary War, Army)
  • Cathay Williams (Civil War, Army)
  • Lenah Higbee (World War I, Navy)
  • Jacqueline Cochran (World War II, Air Force Reserves)
  • Jonita Ruth Bonham – Bovée (Korean War, Army Air Corps / Air Force)
  • Sharon Ann Lane (Vietnam War, US Army Nurse Corps Reserve)
  • Leigh Ann Hester (Persian Gulf War, Army National Guard)
  • Naseema (War in Afghanistan, US Air Force).

Learn more about the honorees at myokaloosa.com/bcc/women-veterans-memorial.

The Women Veterans Memorial also includes:

  • A dedication plaza
  • ADA sidewalks
  • Parking
  • Landscape with irrigation
  • Eight life-size bronze statues

A Living Shoreline will be constructed to protect 2,200 linear feet of shoreline by reducing the impact of wave energy and providing an oyster habitat, a seagrass recruitment area and a salt marsh shelf. There is a boardwalk planned, along with an education component and post-construction monitoring.

  • The Living Shoreline will be funded by a RESTORE grant, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and matching funds from Tourism Development.

Parking for the unveiling is available onsite at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center located at 1250 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548.

Join the conversation...

Continue reading 👇

Community Comments

“What about the oil previously reported to still be in the bilge ?”
Respond
“In 1963 I was on the SS United States with my parents and sisters. We docked in New York very close to Christmas. I was 16 yrs old and had...”
Respond
“Thanks Jared for a concise factual article. Too much false narratives floating around social media.”
Respond
“Thee is no such a thing as affordable housing for over half the people that live in this area. People can’t afford 300, 400 or 500k for a house. Build...”
Respond
“That portion has been closed because of wild hogs destroying it, I believe”
Respond
“Got make up for the 10 mill purchase of the SS United States and getting fined 1k a day while it still sits in port”
Respond
“Follow the $. It's highly probable the developers have a military connection. And "affordable housing" is a sad case of smoke and mirrors.”
Respond
“Why not give the actual location of the new school, but from the little you gave on that point, I'm "assuming" that it will, like just about nearly every school...”
Respond
“Is HCA Twin Cities able to provide cardiac care?”
Respond
“It is amazing on one hand Walton county will purchase 2,000 acres for a state park and claim it is all about the enviroment amd protecting the Florida Black Bear...”
Respond

GET OUR FREE LOCAL NEWSLETTER

Get the weekday email that actually makes reading local news enjoyable again.