Okaloosa County proclaims June 12 Women Veterans Recognition Day; keynote urges veterans to "tell your story"

Commissioner Carolyn Kechel opened Okaloosa Countys third annual Women Veterans Recognition Day ceremony in Fort Walton Beach and recognized a county proclamation designating 06/12/2025 as Women Veterans Recognition Day.

The proclamation was read by Commissioner Trey Goodwin, who said of the Board vote, "this proclamation passed the Board of County Commissioners unanimously. It passed without argument. It passed without detractors." The ceremony included presentations by local lineage societies, musical performances, the presentation of colors by the Okaloosa County EMS honor guard and the unveiling of new statues in the countys Women Veterans Park.

The nut of the event centered on honoring the service of women in the U.S. armed forces and on preserving their stories for future generations. Commissioner Kechel highlighted the parks eight existing statues, including one of Revolutionary War veteran Margaret Corbin, and said two more statues will be placed on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2025. Sculptor John Hare, who created the works, attended the unveiling.

Keynote speaker Colonel Kristen Wood, commander of the 1st Special Operations Mission Support Group at Hurlburt Field, framed the program around three direct requests to the audience: "Tell your story," "listen to other people's stories," and "use these sharing of stories to help solve our nation's most complex problems." Wood, who prefaced her remarks by noting her comments were personal and not official U.S. Air Force policy, said storytelling and shared experiences help "normalize" service and build diverse teams able to address difficult problems.

The event also included readings of tributes from federal and state officials. Graham Fountain, a congressional aide, read remarks submitted for the Congressional Record by Congressman Jimmy Patronis praising the park and the Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution chapters involved. Mel Ponder read a statement from U.S. Senator Rick Scott. Commissioner Sherry Cox read a gubernatorial proclamation from Gov. Ron DeSantis recognizing June 12 as Women's Veterans Recognition Day in Florida.

In remarks from local youth organizations, the Snowden Horn chapter of the Children of the American Revolution presented an initial donation of $1,500 toward replacing flags that had been removed from a volunteer-run Field of Valor display at the Air Armament Museum. The transcript also contains a later reference to "well over 2,000, $2,503,000" toward flag replacement; the recording is unclear on that amount and the transcript phrasing is inconsistent. Organizers said replacement flags will be in place for Veterans Day and that additional fundraising and coordination among local lineage societies and civic clubs is ongoing.

Commissioners and organizers described the park as a largely community-driven project on roughly 20.5 acres and said planned improvements include a living shoreline with oyster beds and coastal grasses to reduce erosion; a proposed pavilion with picnic tables was discussed but has not been approved. Several veterans were recognized individually at the ceremony, and attendees were invited to a wreath-laying on the plaza following the program.

The ceremony combined formal recognition by the county with historical remarks, community fundraising updates and a public call by a senior military leader for veterans to record and share their personal experiences so future generations can learn from them.

The county announced two additional statue unveilings planned for Nov. 11, 2025, and encouraged the public to return for Veterans Day events. "We will unveil two additional statues on 11/11/2025," Commissioner Kechel said, and organizers asked attendees to participate in the wreath-laying and photo opportunities following the ceremony.