MILTON — Santa Rosa County unveiled its new entrance sign for Naval Air Station Whiting Field earlier this month. The stucco monument was funded by Santa Rosa County's defense reserve fund.

The sign is located at Highway 87 North and Langley Street just as motorists turn into the long entrance-way to the main gate of the base.

“NAS Whiting Field is where the future of naval aviation begins,” said District 3 Commissioner Don Salter. “Their mission is to produce the military’s best-trained aviation warfighter. This monument represents Santa Rosa County’s continued support for our military throughout our country.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: New sign, same mission

CRESTVIEW — Motorists may have noticed something different as they passed American Legion Post 75 for the past two weeks.

The post, located at 898 E. James Lee Blvd., put up a poppy field May 18 to help the community remember the meaning of Memorial Day.

“It’s a tradition within the auxiliary,” post President Della Gliesche said.

The field consists of American flags, crosses and homemade poppy flowers.

The flowers are made by a group from Heroes Express. They used red tablecloths, landscape spikes and copper wire to make the poppies.

“We usually have one person in charge of that committee and three or four here at the post that help with it,” Gliesche said. “We get the Boy Scouts or the Young Marines to help set it up and plant it.”

According to britishlegion.org.uk, the poem "In Flanders Field" inspired an American academic named Moina Michael "to adopt the poppy in memory of those who had fallen in the war, and she campaigned to get it adopted as an official symbol of remembrance across the United States."

The post has been putting the field together since 2001. Gliesche said the process normally takes anywhere from 2 1/2 to three hours. The group puts up as many as 2,500 flowers in the field.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: American Legion post honors the fallen with poppies

CRESTVIEW — An Air Force pilot whose fighter jet went down over South Vietnam in 1972 and whose body was never recovered, is the latest candidate for inclusion on the Okaloosa County Veterans Memorial.

The memorial's board of directors is now searching for family members in preparation for having Jack R. Harvey's name added to the memorial.

Crestview Mayor David Cadle, a board member, said efforts to find Harvey's relatives began recently when one of his Choctawhatchee High School classmates contacted him to say Harvey's name should be on the monument. Harvey, who moved to Fort Walton Beach in the early 1960s with his parents — his father was a military officer — was a 1965 Choctaw graduate.

Cadle could not recall the classmate's name, but there is ample evidence that Harvey has earned a place on the Okaloosa memorial. His name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and a plaque honoring his sacrifice is part of a memorial wall at Choctaw.

The Okaloosa memorial's board consults a variety of sources to determine whether a local combat death can be included on the memorial. As a final step, the family is contacted before the name is inscribed.

"We don't want to put any name of the wall without the family's knowledge," Cadle said.

He is optimistic that a member of Harvey's family will be found.

The newspaper's efforts to track down Harvey's family have been unsuccessful thus far.

Meanwhile, official documents paint a relatively clear — if somewhat frustrating — picture of a crash that left a grieving widow searching for answers about her husband's fate.

Records from the Air Force and the Department of Defense indicate that on the morning of Nov. 28, 1972, 24-year-old 1st Lt. Jack R. Harvey was piloting an F-4D Phantom from Udorn Royal Thai Airfield to Da Nang Air Base. Also on board was Capt. Bobby Jones, a flight surgeon. The flight was meant to provide Jones with some flying hours to maintain his flight surgeon status, and to ferry baggage to aircrews in Da Nang.

The F-4D, dubbed Hunter 11, left Udorn at 9:04 a.m. A little more than 40 minutes later, air traffic controllers turned the plane over to approach controllers at Da Nang. At an estimated 20 miles west of Da Nang, it disappeared from radar, and controllers at Da Nang reported that they had never established contact with the fighter jet.

Hunter 11 went down in an area of heavy enemy activity in deteriorating weather, records show. A search and rescue effort was initiated, but the weather concerns and enemy activity forced its quick cancellation.

Subsequently, aircraft were instructed to watch and listen for the downed F-4D. About 10 hours after Hunter 11 disappeared, two aircraft reported hearing two beeper signals and three "Mayday" calls. Over the next two days, aircraft would report faint beeper signals, but nothing further.

Wreckage of what was believed to be Hunter 11 eventually was spotted in a mountainous and heavily wooded area, but continued North Vietnamese control prevented any additional reconnaisance.

Records show Harvey's wife, Barbara, was immediately and keenly interested in her husband's fate. The couple had met at Choctaw, were married in 1967, and had a daughter who was just 3 at the time of her father's crash.

A Dec. 1, 1972, notation in official records indicates Barbara Harvey had contacted Eglin Air Force Base to seek information on Air Force rescue efforts.

Harvey reportedly got in touch with a lieutenant colonel with the 39th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron. According to records of the crash, she "requested that someone … brief her on normal rescue operations." The Eglin officer was given permission to brief Harvey, but was  "cautioned … to be careful not to make any promises or anything of that sort."

Just a few months later as the first American prisoners of war were coming home from Vietnam, Barbara Harvey would express the frustration felt by her and other military spouses whose husbands were then listed as missing in action.

"I just hope that people don't think the war's over. It's not over, not for us," Harvey said in an April 1973 story in the Playground Daily News, then the local newspaper.

In November 1973, the Air Force conducted a mandated review of Harvey's crash. At that time, it was "concluded that while it was possible that Captain Harvey (he was promoted to captain subsequent to the 1972 crash) did not perish when his aircraft was lost, the likelihood that he was still alive in 1973 could no longer be reasonably considered. This was based on the fact that … sufficient time had elapsed during which it is believed some word would have been received if he were still alive."

Reviews of Harvey's crash would continue for the next six years, even as Barbara Harvey pressed the Air Force for information on her husband's status.

Harvey's status was changed to "deceased" in January 1980, according to official records.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Officials seek family of downed Vietnam pilot

HURLBURT FIELD — In his 30 years in the military, Col. Tom Palenske had never seen anyone receive the prestigious Airman’s Medal, the highest medal awarded to a member of the Air Force who distinguishes himself by a heroic act outside of combat.

However, on Friday morning Palenske, the commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, presented the medal to one of his own: Senior Airman Justin Barabash of the 1st Special Operations Support Squadron.

“I want to start off by saying what a big deal this is,” Palenske told the crowd gathered for the event. “As far as I’m concerned, this medal is as prestigious as the Medal of Honor for an act that is performed outside of combat.”

Barabash’s heroics began on what started out as a typical evening.

He and his wife, Elizabeth, have a routine. Every night when Justin gets off work as an air traffic controller, he gives Elizabeth a call before making the long drive to their home north of Crestview.

“I set a timer, and if he’s not home by a certain time, I start to worry,” Elizabeth said.

On Aug. 20, 2014, she had a lot to worry about.

Justin left the base shortly after midnight and was driving on Martin Luther King Boulevard when he came upon a car that had run through a telephone pole and was partially in a ditch. In the middle of their nightly call, Justin told Elizabeth, “Gotta go!” and hung up.

“He had a little bit of panic in his voice,” said Elizabeth, who was pregnant with the couple’s daughter, Leah, at the time. “I kept trying to call him back, but there was no answer.”

Barabash had tossed his phone aside after noticing what he called "little drops of flames" coming from the vehicle.

“The airbags had deployed, so I couldn’t tell if there was anyone inside or not,” he said.

After calling 911, Barabash flagged down passing car. He and the other driver began trying to break the car’s windows using reflector poles they had pulled from the roadside.

“Have you ever tried to break open a car window?” Palenske asked during the ceremony. “It’s a lot harder than it looks on TV.”

Once they managed to open a window, plumes of black smoke began to pour from the vehicle.

“At that point, Airman Barabash pulled out his pocket knife,” Palenske said. “He's from Texas, so of course he carried a pocket knife. He began to cut away the air bags so he could see if anyone was inside.”

Barabash found a semi-conscious woman in the driver’s seat, her legs pinned under the steering wheel. Flames from the front of the vehicle were approaching as he climbed into the burning car and cut away the woman’s seat belt. He had to climb even further into the car in order to free her legs from the steering wheel.

After carrying the woman up a ditch and placing her on the ground, he returned to the vehicle to see if anyone was still inside. After ensuring that no one else was in danger, he returned to the woman and stayed with her until emergency responders arrived.

The fire chief on scene told Barabash he had saved the woman’s life.

“He said if I hadn’t been there, she would have died,” Barabash said. “He told me it was a miracle I wasn’t killed, because there were live power lines on the ground all around the car. I didn’t even realize that at the time.”

Barabash’s mother, Elaine Byrd, said she isn’t surprised that he risked his life for a stranger.

“When Justin was a little boy, my husband always stopped to help people who were in distress on the side of the road,” Byrd said. “That was just ingrained in Justin.”

Like most service members, Barabash downplayed his role in the event.

“My co-workers keep throwing around that word I hate — hero,” he said. “I don’t think I did anything that anyone else wouldn’t have done. I was just following the Golden Rule.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview man awarded the Airman's Medal (VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — The AMVETS, Ladies Auxiliary, Sons of AMVETS, and Riders are preparing to serve Thanksgiving Day dinner for households in need.

The groups will deliver meals in these areas: from Shoal River in the east and south, Yellow River to the west, and Auburn Road to the north.

The menu includes turkey with gravy, stuffing and rolls, green beans and corn and dessert.

If you would like to have a meal delivered to you at no charge, call 682-8435 and provide your name, address and phone number, directions to your home and how many meals you will need.

If you wish to pick up the meals, let the group know how many you will need.

Reservations will be accepted until 5 p.m. Nov. 21. Volunteers will deliver the meals around noon on Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day.

The meal deliveries have become a tradition for the AMVETS.

“This is the 16th year that we have done this and would like to share this meal with you,” Craig Sarrasin, AMVETS Post 35 commander, said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: AMVETS to deliver free Thanksgiving Day meals

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — The Department of Veterans Affairs Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System announced a contract award to expand the outpatient clinic near Eglin Air Force Base.

The expansion will almost double the clinic’s current size to approximately 34,000 square feet. The contract to expand the GCVHCS’s VA clinic near Eglin AFB was awarded to ESA South Inc. and the Notice to Proceed was issued.

The expansion, to be completed in approximately 18 months, will allow GCVHCS to expand its primary care and behavioral health services in the additional space. No new services will be added to the Eglin VA clinic. The expansion’s cost is not expected to exceed $10 million.

In the coming weeks, patients receiving care from the Eglin VA clinic will notice fencing and signage around the parking lots as contractors prepare for construction.  GCVHCS officials ask patients to use caution and render courtesy to each other and the contractors when they arrive for appointments.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Construction on Eglin VA clinic to begin soon

PENSACOLA — The Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, will close the 2016 season at their annual Homecoming Air Show on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11-12 aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola.

Before the world-famous Blue Angels F/A 18 Hornet performances, the Blues’ C-130 Hercules transport known as “Fat Albert” will thrill the crowd with its short field take-off and low-level passes.

Tentatively scheduled for both days will be extraordinary aerobatics by performers such as the Vertigo Air Shows Jet Glider, the world’s only jet-launched sailplane, flown by Bob Carlton; an Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon Demo and Heritage Flight with a vintage warbird, Skip Stewart, in a high-flying aerobatic symphony; Kevin Coleman in his one-of-a-kind Extra 300SHP; the Pemberton Aerosports Team in their Edge 540; the Shockwave Jet Truck driven/piloted by Chris Darnell; and many more acts.

In addition, dozens of military and civilian aircraft will be on display. 

There also will be a special night show from 4:30-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11. Aircraft will light up the sky with full afterburner and pyrotechnics, and will end with one of the Pensacola area’s largest fireworks shows.

Gates open both days at 8 a.m. and admission and parking for all shows are free.  See http://www.naspensacolaairshow.com for more details. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Blue Angels schedule homecoming airshow

CRESTVIEW — U.S. Air Force Airman Jasmine N. Horne graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The 2013 Crestview High School graduate completed an eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Horne is the daughter of Rewa and James Horne of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Horne completes basic military training

The president of the United States of America issued a proclamation and declared May 28, 2012 through Nov. 11, 2025 as the Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War.

Purposes of the commemoration include thanking and honoring all veterans of the Vietnam War and highlighting the service of the armed forces and contributions of federal agencies that supported them.

In addition, it is intended to pay tribute to contributions made on the home front by people of the United States during the war. 

In the Okaloosa County area, commemorative partners the Air Force Armament Museum, the Military Order of the Purple Heart  Chapter 811, the West Point Society of Northwest Florida and the 53rd Wing have teamed together to organize a “Welcome Home” celebration for all Vietnam veterans and their families.

The event is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 5 at the museum. All veterans will be presented with a special pin and packet in commemoration of their service. Also featured will be guest speakers, service organizations, interviews with the press and plenty of refreshments.

Unfortunately, the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War committee has been unable to raise money for refreshments. The Armament Museum and the MOPH Chapter 811 are 501(C)(3) non-profit organizations, and must raise money to provide them.

The committee expects around 5,000 Vietnam veterans and family to this long overdue prestigious event, so the committee is looking for sponsors, donations and volunteers to help feed and serve Vietnam veterans and their families. Any large sponsors or donations will receive full recognition by way of public relations in the local press, on television and radio and in the national magazine.

All are welcome to come and to  participate, in the words of the commander-in-chief, “as a way to honor and give thanks to a generation of proud Americans who saw our country through one of the most challenging missions we have ever faced.” 

Further, “from Ia Drang to Khe Sanh, from Hue to Saigon and countless villages in between, they [our veterans] pushed through jungles and rice paddies, heat and monsoon, fighting heroically to protect the ideals we hold dear as Americans. Through more than a decade of combat, over air, land and sea, these proud Americans upheld the highest traditions of our armed forces.”

Please join your fellow citizens as we recognize the service performed by veterans, the fallen, those wounded, those unaccounted for, our former prisoners of war, their families and all others who served.

For sponsors and donations, contact Joan Doman, president of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War Committee and director of Operations of the Armament Museum Foundation, at 651-5253 or 651-1808 and Afamf32542@aol.com.

Please make checks out to AF Armament Museum Foundation and reference the 50th Anniversary Vietnam War.

Thank You.

William Everett, a Baker resident, is a committee member for Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 811.  

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EVERETT: Donations needed for NWF Vietnam veterans' recognition

MAYPORT, Fla. — As the nation prepares to observe the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks’ 15th anniversary, a 2000 Crestview High School graduate and Crestview native serves in the U.S. Navy aboard a ship built with the World Trade Center’s steel.

Petty Officer 1st Class Jessie Newton, a hospital corpsman aboard USS New York, is responsible for medical assistance to ships personnel. USS New York, one of the Navy’s most advanced ships, delivers Marines and their equipment where they are needed to support missions ranging from amphibious assaults to humanitarian relief efforts.

Homeported in Mayport, Florida, USS New York, named for the state of New York, is 684 feet long, 105 feet wide and weighs more than 24,000 tons.  It has four diesel engines that can push the ship through the water in excess of 26 mph.

Amphibious transport dock ships are warships that embark, transport and land elements of a landing force for a variety of warfare missions. These ships support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions, and can serve as secondary aviation platforms for amphibious ready groups.

In addition, the ships have been, and will continue to be, called upon to support humanitarian and other contingency missions on short notice.

Serving in the Navy and aboard New York, Newton said he is constantly learning how to be the best leader, sailor and person possible by handling numerous responsibilities, meeting deadlines and forging lasting professional relationships.

“I like that my job gives me the opportunity to help people,” he said. "Also, the knowledge I’ve gained through my job is very usable after I finish with my Navy career.

 “Being aboard this ship is cool because of the historical significance of the ship. I was in the Navy when 9/11 happened, so to serve aboard this ship is an honor."

More than 400 men and women make up the ship's crew, which keeps all parts of the ship running smoothly. Crewmembers do everything from washing dishes and preparing meals to handling weaponry and maintaining engines.

“The sailors who serve aboard USS New York are exceptional in so many ways,” said Capt. Kenneth M. Coleman, the ship’s commanding officer.  “They represent some of the hardest working and most dedicated Americans I have served with in 25 years of naval service.  They exhibit an impressive level of pride for serving onboard a ship that means so much to so many Americans.  I am honored to lead this crew and be a part of the special bond that this ship and her crew shares with her namesake.”

Collectively, the San Antonio-class ships will functionally replace more than 41 ships, providing the Navy and Marine Corps with modern sea-based platforms. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview man serves on Navy ship forged from World Trade Center steel