Join EmeraldCoastTV.com and Helen Back for the LIVE stream of Boot Bowl IV on Saturday, December 10, 2016 at Etheredge Stadium in Fort Walton Beach. It’s the Air Force taking on Army and Navy in a flag football tournament. First game starts at 10am CST.
Entry fee and all the money raised from the games will benefit the Fisher House of the Emerald Coast. For more information about the Boot Bowl, its sponsors and the charities it supports, got to www.BootBowl.com .
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66th Annual Billy Bowlegs Torchlight Parade – May 2022
The 66th Billy Bowlegs Torchlight Parade took place on May 16, 2022, on Eglin Parkway in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Hosted by the FWB Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Step One Automotive Group.
Bowlegs Parade 2022 Chapter Points
00:34 – Welcome Introduction
01:42 – Police Dept of Ft Walton Beach
03:22 – Mayor & City Council
05:40 – Run With It
06:19 – SOCKs
07:38 – Bridgeway Center, Inc.
08:13 – Carolyn N. Ketchel
08:42 – Neal Orthodontics
09:50 – World Class Pageantry
11:48 – I’am Kleen Sweep
13:33 – Okaloosa Republicans
20:48 – Okaloosa Donuts
21:35 – Step One Automotive
27:20 – The Island Resort
29:35 – Cumulus Broadcasting
31:44 – Miss Okaloosa County
32:42 – Nick’s Property Maintenance LLC
33:11 – Top Shelf Athletics
33:35 – Panhandle United Roller Derby
37:13 – Emerald Coast Permanent Make-Up
37:37 – T-Mobile
38:17 – AJ’s
39:25 – Fort Walton Beach Buccaneers
40:09 – Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson
40:44 – Krewe of Karibbean
41:36 – Krewe of Columbus
43:14 – Omni Broadcastng
43:51 – Krewe De Yak
44:22 – Navarre Krewe of Jesters
44:56 – Krewe of Airship Pirates
46:01 – Xtreme H2O Sports
46:40 – USAF Recruiting – Mary Esther
47:04 – Hot Head Burritos
47:34 – Krewe of Bowlegs -Children of the Court
48:11 – Krewe of Dominique York
49:32 – Krewe of Bowlegs – Captian Brocade
50:15 – Springtime Tallahassee
51:10 – Krewe of Bowlegs – Queen’s Pride
51:44 – Mayokis of Pensacola
52:53 – Krewe of Bowlegs – Past Capt Billys
53:35 – Matthew E. Turpin
53:52 – FWB Fire Dept
54:37 – Saint Paul’s Vulcan Krewe
55:52 – Captain Billy & Queen
56:20 – 66th Krewe of Bowlegs
57:47 – ClosingProduced by Emerald Coast TV.com
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67th Krewe of Bowlegs Coronation – June 2022
WATCH the replay of the 67th Krewe of Bowlegs Coronation at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center at Northwest Florida State College on June 11, 2022.
Check out the Billy Bowlegs Torchlight Parade 2022 video.
Check out the 66th Krewe of Bowlegs Coronation 2021 video.
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2nd Annual ODA-595 Horse Soldiers Reunion 2023
On October 21, 2023, the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2nd Annual ODA 595 Horse Soldiers Reunion at the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds.
Below is a replay video of the event. If you have a Smart TV, search for and install the VidFlow app to watch this video on your big screen TV. This video player also also you to select chapter points to specific speakers and presentations.
(if you’re interested in checking out the Inaugural Reunion video from 2022, click here)
Eleven of the original 12 members of ODA 595 were in attendance for this inaugural reunion event.
Captain Mark Nutsch – Detachment Commander
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bob Pennington – Assistant Detachment Commander
Master Sergeant Paul Evans – Team and Operations Sergeant
Sergeant First Class Andy Marchal – Intelligence Sergeant
Sergeant First Class Steve Kofron. – Weapons Sergeant
Staff Sergeant Mike Elmore – Weapons Sergeant
Staff Sergeant Chad Jacklet– Engineer Sergeant
Staff Sergeant Pete Walther – Engineer Sergeant
Sergeant First Class Steve Bleigh—Medical Sergeant
Sergeant First Class Vince Makela – Communications Sergeant
Staff Sergeant Will Summers– Communications Sergeant
Staff Sergeant USAF Steve E. Tomat – Tactical Air Control Party (TACP)
Ted Corcoran, CEO of the FWB Chamber, was Master of Ceremony. “This event is not merely an occasion. Ti’s a profound journey, a homage and a celebration of American tenacity and unity. Dive into history. Honor both Air Force and Army legends.”
The National Anthem was presented by Voices of Northwest Florida from Northwest Florida State College, Niceville, Florida
The Invocation was provided by Chaplain (Capt) Steven Richardson, USAF, from Hurlburt Field, Florida
The first guest speaker was Captain Joseph Mulholland, 7th Special Forces Group, Eglin AFB, Florida, who presented a statement from his father, Lt Gen John Mulholland (retired), a former Associate Director for Military Affairs at the CIA.
The second guest speaker was Col Kurt Buller, USAF (retired), a former Special Tactics Officer, who provided an insight into the operations in Afghanistan after 911.
The third guest speaker was Col Alison Black, USAF, Commander, 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida, also know as the voice of the Angel of Death during the initial operations in Afghanistan.
The featured guest speaker was Lt General Marshall Brad Webb, USAF (retired), former Commander, USAF Special Operations Command
The final presentation was provided by Lt Col Rich Cole, USAF (retired), Former USAF Pilot, Son of Dolittle Raiders’ Lt Col Dick Cole. He provided some background and noted the similarities between the mission of ODA 595 and the Dolittle Raiders, as well as recognize several key personal from both operations who are no longer with us today.
In 2022, special commemorative canteen cup were created by the Bohlin Company and presented to each member of ODA 595 in honor and recognition of their heroic actions in America’s first response against the Taliban after the 911 attack.
A representative from each event sponsor was given the honor to present the personalized cup to each member of the ODA 595 Horse Soldier team.
If you are interested in learning more about ODA 595 as well as other stories about America’s 1st response to the 911 attacks, check out these sources:
First Casualty by Toby Harnden
Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
Swords of Lightning – Green Beret Horse Soldiers and America’s Response to 911
12 Strong – The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers