Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce

Inaugural ODA 595 Horse Soldiers Reunion 2022

On October 22, 2022, the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce hosted the Inaugural ODA 595 Horse Soldiers Reunion at the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds.  Ted Corcoran, CEO of the FWB Chamber, was Master of Ceremony.

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.


Ten 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

Sergeant First Class Steve Bleigh—Medical Sergeant

Sergeant First Class Vince Makela – Communications Sergeant

Staff Sergeant Will Summers– Communications Sergeant

Not in Attendance:

  • Staff Sergeant USAF Steve E. Tomat – Tactical Air Control Party (TACP)
  • Staff Sergeant USAF Joseph Matt Lienhard– Air Force Special Operations Combat Controller from Special Tactics Squadron

Several prominent guest speakers included Florida House District #4 representative Patt Maney, former CIA Directorate of Operations officer Alex Hernandez, former USAF Chief of Staff for a Theater Special, retired Col Glenn Thomas, and the son of Doolittle Raiders Col Dick Cole, Richard Cole.

   

A special commemorative canteen cup was 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.


This event was made possible through the support of several local community sponsors.

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
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


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 – Closing

Produced by Emerald Coast TV.com

Fort Walton Beach Christmas Parade 2021

This is an edited HD replay of December 6, 2021, Fort Walton Beach Christmas Parade, which was filmed on Eglin Pkwy in front of FNBT Bank.

Rain showers a few hours before the start of the parade had caused all of the local school bands to cancel their performances, but the rain cleared up and help off during the parade. This parade video was originally live-streamed on the City of Fort Walton Beach, FL’s Facebook page.

Produced by RJ Murdock with Emerald Coast TV

Billy Bowlegs Torchlight Parade 2021

The 2021 Billy Bowlegs Torchlight Parade took place on May 3, 2021 on Eglin Parkway in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Hosted by the FWB Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Step One Automotive Group.

0:00​ – Opening
2:19 – Police Department of City of Fort Walton Beach
3:51 – Mayor of the City of Fort Walton Beach
4:25 – City of Fort Walton Beach City Council
4:51 – Fire Department of City of Fort Walton Beach
5:40 – Northwest Florida Track Club
6:11 – Step One Automotive Group
6:45 – Fort Walton Beach Library
7:12 – Ft Walton Beach Women’s Club
8:05 – The Rescued Rescuers Dachshund & Friends
9:31 – Fort Walton Beach Buccaneers
10:37 – Hot Head Burritos
11:14 – Star Wars 501st Legion
12:52 – Emerald Coast Elite, Inc
13:59 – Distinguished Young Women of Okaloosa County, FL
14:40 – Rye-Land Lawncare LLC
15:13 – FRIOS Emerald Coast
15:31 – Step One Automotive Group
17:40 – Okaloosa Republicans
21:11 – Miss Okaloosa County
23:58 – T-Mobile
24:15 – A Touch of Class Homecookin’ & Events
24:34 – Krewe of MAGnificent Space Pirates
24:59 – JVC Broadcasting
25:38 – Second Breath Styles
26:16 – Mardi Gras Club of FWB
28:42 – Navarre Krewe of Jesters
29:14 – Dippin’ Dots
29:41- Step One Automotive Group
30:24 – Krewe of Karibbean
31:07 – Krewe of Bowlegs
32:31 – NPM LLC Home Improvements
33:48 – Delivery.com
34:43 – Emerald Coast Parrot Head Club
35:32 – Golds Gym Fort Walton Beach
36:03 – Xtreme H2O Sports
36:43 – Step One Automotive Group
37:04 – Krewe of Bowlegs
38:18 – Krewe of Airship Pirates
39:34 – Krewe De Yak
39:59 – St Paul Vulcans
40:33 – Krewe of Dominique Youx
42:33 – Krewe of Bowlegs
44:42 – Closing

Produced by Emerald Coast TV

Candidate Forum – Fort Walton Beach City Council

Interested in the upcoming March 9, 2021 City of FWB election? Twelve candidates are running to fill three seats on the City Council. The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce & the local NAACP hosted this candidate forum on February 2, 2021 at the City Auditorium. The forum was moderated by Michelle Anchors.

Candidates:
Nic Allegretto
Gloria DeBerry
Jason Floyd
Sean T. Murphy
David Schmidt
Debra Riley
Brad Roehrig
Michael James Rojas
Travis Smith
Gareth Allan Stearns
Sonya Lynn Vazquez
T. Payne Walker

Location:
Fort Walton Beach Civic Auditorium
107 Miracle Strip Pkwy, SE
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548

Date/Time Information:
Tuesday, February 2, 2021
5:00PM-8:00P

Contact Information:
(850) 244-8191

Official 2019 Billy Bowlegs Torchlight Parade

The 64th Billy Bowlegs Festival closes it’s celebration with it’s Torchlight Parade on Monday night on Eglin Parkway in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The parade took place on June 3, 2019.

It is hosted by the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce (Ted Corcoran) and this year’s parade sponsor, Step One Automotive (Maureen Bierman).

This 60 minute video airs on ox Cable Channel 6 at various times and dates throughout the month of June.  It was produced by EmeraldCoastTV.com .

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Billy Bowlegs Torchlight Parade! Here are the 1st Place winners in each category:

Float
1st Place: AJ’s Krewe of Legends

Krewe
1st Place: Emerald Coast Krewe of Airship Pirates

Marching/Walking
1st Place: Studio Fit

Truck/Car/Van
1st Place: Cumulus Media and Bank of England Mortgage

“The Battle of the Bulge” as Remembered by Lt Col Samuel Lombardo

“The Battle of the Bulge” as Remembered by Lt Col Samuel Lombardo

“The Battle of the Bulge” as Remembered by Lt Col Samuel Lombardo was recorded on January 28, 2019 the Fort Walton Yacht Club for the Military Affairs Committee, Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce. Lt Col Lombardo recounts his journey to America as a child and how the lessons learn then help him in WWII. Lt Col Lombardo will become a centenarian in July 2019.

Recorded by RJ Murdock, EmeraldCoastTV.com

Lt Col Sam Lombardo at Military Affairs Committee, FWB Chamber, 28Jan19

Fort Walton Beach Business Forum – January 2019

In this episode, Matt Turpin and Michael Castleberry with the FWB office of the Bank of England Mortgage are the special guests for this segment of the Fort Walton Beach Business Forum, brought to you by the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce and airing on Cox Cable Ch-6 in January 2019.

Later in the show is a highlights video of the FWB Chamber’s Installation Breakfast as well as another interview with Matt Turpin, this time about his new roll as the 2019 Chair of the FWB Chamber.

Hosted by the Ted Corcoran, Chamber CEO, and recorded in the Emerald Coast TV studio at the Landmark Center in downtown Fort Walton Beach, FL

Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce 2019 Installation Breakfast

Watch the replay of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Coffee and 2019 Installation from January 4, 2019. Find out the winners of 2018 as well as witness the changing of the guard as Nick Chubb, the 2018 Chair, hands over the gravel to Matt Turpin, the new 2019 Chair.

This event was sponsored by Vensure and took place at the Christian Life Center of the First Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Recorded by RJ Murdock & Emerald Coast TV.

First Friday Coffee – October 2018 – FWB Chamber of Commerce

Watch the Replay of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Coffee from September 7, 2018. Learn about the following events and special programs happening within this community on the Emerald Coast of Florida. This event was sponsored by White-Wilson Medical Center and took place at the Christian Life Center of the First Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Scroll to top
Bitnami