DESTIN, Fla. (WKRG) — Veterans Day, Nov. 11 falls on a Friday for 2022, making a perfect setup for a military support-filled weekend in Northwest Florida.
Below is a list of events and attractions around Okaloosa County.
Destin
Nov. 10 – At 6:00 p.m. the Destin Library will present a special Veterans Day program featuring local author, Gregory S. Valloch. Greg’s grandfather, Corporal Howard P. Claypoole, kept two diaries and sent many letters home during his service with the U.S. Army during WWI.
“Using these and other historical records, Greg wrote The Great War Through a Doughboy’s Eyes, which paints a vivid picture of the life and hardships of an American enlisted man while fighting the Germans.”
City of Destin Public Information
Artifacts from Corporal Howard P. Claypoole’s time in the service will be on display.
Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. the Harborwalk Villiage in Destin will host a Veterans Day ceremony at the Main Stage. Veteran Business owners will speak alongside a musical performance and presentation of colors.
Fort Walton Beach
Friday, Nov. 11 at Beal Memorial Cemetery will be the set for the Veterans Tribute Tower Committee’s Veterans Day Ceremony. The event begins at 11 a.m. with international guests and Brig. Gen. Jeffrey T. Geraghty, commander of the 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base.
The community is asked to bring a small bouquet of flowers to contribute to the community wreath at the ceremony.
Mary Esther
The City of Mary Esther will host its annual Veterans Day parade on Friday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m.
Food trucks and activities will be set up around the Santa Rosa Mall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The parade will run from Page Bacon Road and will proceed east, turning right on Mary Esther Boulevard, right on Hollywood Boulevard, and ending at the southwest entrance to the Santa Rosa Mall.
“Colonel Allison Black has been named Grand Marshal of the parade. Colonel Black is the commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, Hurlburt Field, Florida. She is responsible for preparing Air Force special operations forces for worldwide missions in support of joint and coalition special operations.”
City of Mary Esther
Crestview
The Veterans Parade 2022 will be held Friday at 9 a.m. down Main St in Crestview.
Join us at 9am in downtown Crestview as we honor our veterans and veteran organizations with a parade followed by a ceremony at 11am.
Main Street Crestview Association, Inc.
Air Force Armament Museum
Before Noon on Saturday, Nov. 12, 212 American flags honoring local Veterans and active-duty service members will be on display at the Air Force Armament Museum in Okaloosa County.
The Emerald Coast Exchange Club presents the flags each year for Veterans Day.
“Each flag displayed has a tag with the honored Veteran’s name, their data and photo.”
Air Force Armament Museum
Options to sponsor a flag are available online.
