Baker Block Museum Newsletter
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Experience. Discover. Connect. Fall 2020
A 75th Anniversary of the end of World War II special INSIDE THIS ISSUE Director’s Notes and President’s Message, page 2 Market Day, page 3 75th anniversary of World War II, page 4 The USS Okaloosa, page 6 World War II hero Johnie Courtney, page 12 Holt gets a new fire station, page 14 Accessions, page 16 The Museum celebrates 24 years, page 17 Museum news, page 18 Calendar of events, page 21
CONTACT Phone: 850-537-5714 Mail: P.O. Box 186 Baker, FL 32531 Email: bakermuseum@aol.com Location: 1307 Georgia Ave. Corner of State Road 4 and Highway 189 in Baker www.bakerblockmuseum.org
A modified B-25B bomber lands during testing at a location at Eglin Field in 1942.
The Doolittle Raid AKA: Special Aviation Project No. 1 By Air Force retired Lt. Col. Robert B. Kane Excerpted from the Air & Space Power Journal, Spring 2017
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wo weeks after the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Hawaii, President Franklin D. Roosevelt informed the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Army Air Forces that he wanted to strike back at Japan to boost American morale. The problem was how to accomplish the president’s objective since the heart of U.S. naval power in the Pacific lay on the
bottom of Pearl Harbor. Two individuals independently came up with the ideas that produced the Doolittle Raid: Navy Captain Francis Low and Lt. Col. James “Jimmy” Doolittle. Low’s observation of Army pilots making bombing passes on an outline of a carrier deck painted on the airfield at Norfolk Naval Base, Virginia, in 1942 sparked the idea of launching Army bombers from an aircraft carrier. [Continued on page 8]
2 Director’s Notes
President’s Message
The Baker Block Museum’s heritage park will be the setting for our Fall Market Day during October’s 3rd Saturday event. Vendors are welcome to sell anything from yard sale items to arts, crafts and homemade goods. We hope everyone will join us for what promises to be an enjoyable outdoor event on Saturday, October 17, with plenty of room for social distancing. We made the very difficult decision to cancel our annual November Baker Heritage Day Festival this year due to COVID-19. This is the first year we’ve cancelled the festival since we started it in 2005. We plan to continue this tradition with an even bigger event next year. We are very grateful for continued support given to the museum from our local community.
I want to take this opportunity to welcome our newest Association members, Jim and Gail Breitenfeld, from Miramar Beach. This has been a challenging year so far. We have had to cancel several events and our visitor numbers have been down. Member support is more important now than ever before to help us meet our mission. Please consider becoming a member of the North Okaloosa Historical Association today. You can play a vital role in preserving the history and heritage of north Okaloosa County and the surrounding region. There are several categories of membership to choose from. Information and a membership form are available in this newsletter. You can also help support the Museum by sharing the application with your family and friends. Invite others to visit the Museum, to spend time in our Heritage Park or to research their own family roots in our extensive genealogy library. We have a treasure here, and with your help, we can continue to preserve this legacy for generations to come.
Tracy Curenton
Ann Spann
The Baker Block Museum is a 501-3(c) non-profit organization of the North Okaloosa Historical Association, Inc., and is managed by its Board of Directors. The Museum newsletter is published by the North Okaloosa Historical Society, Inc., and is an authorized publication for distribution to Museum members and visitors. Contents of the newsletter is copyrighted, all rights reserved. Items to be considered for the newsletter may be submitted to the Museum at P.O. Box 186, Baker, FL 32531 or emailed to bakermuseumnewsletter@gmail.com. Deadline for submission is March 15, June 15, Sept. 15 and Dec. 15 for consideration in the next quarterly issue. Articles received after the deadline will be considered for future use. All submissions will be edited for accuracy, clarity, brevity and conformance with newsletter guidelines.
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75th
Anniversary
of the end of World War II
Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Mamoru Shigemitsu signs the Instrument of Surrender September 2, 1945, onboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, officially ending the Second World War. (Naval History Center)
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Photo by Mark Hilton for the Historical Marker Database
Okaloosa County Veteran’s Memorial “In memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice”
Okaloosa County World War II Honorees Floyd Adams, USA William N. Amis, Jr. USA Wilford E. Alpin, USA Willie D. Atwell, USA James E. Bagett, USA James W. Baker, USA John W. Bowers, Jr. USNR Joe H. Brewster, USA Q.A. Brunson, Jr. USA Willie D. Bryan, USA James A. Cotton, USA Edsel D. Creech, ESN Elborn M. Davis, USA Frank Dixon, USA John J. Ellis, USNR
Britt Gainey, USA Henry L. Gardner, USA James H. Helms, USA William S. Henderson, USA Roy S. Hicks, USA Averett A. Hinson, USA James E. Johnson, USNR Justice L. Lawson, USA Allen Lundy, USA Pasco Melvin, USA Auburn F. Merritt, USN Orville Y. Newton, USN Oliver D. Nichelson, USMC Woodrow Paulk, USA Frank E. Peacock, USA
Upton S. Peters, USA Louise M. Pitts, USA Alcus G. Reddick, USA Harold D. Roberts, USA Herman Roberts, USA David L. Robertson, USA James G. Rogers, USMC Cecil S. Senterfitt, USN Rolen C. Sikes, Jr., USN Quinton O. Steele, USA James A. Thompson, USA Frank P Tisdale, USMCR William A. Watkins, USA Woodruff W. Watkins, USA Kenneth K. Wright, USA
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The USS Okaloosa, dressed out in flags, is moored to a buoy, circa the later 1940s. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photo
USS Okaloosa
The mighty “Okie”
During the height of World War II, as the United States made an all-out effort to produce combat ships and airplanes and other much-needed military materiel, a series of attack-class transport ships began production in California. The Haskell-class amphibious assault ships were named after counties in the United States. The USS Okaloosa, named after Okaloosa County, was built in just 76 days. She was launched October 22 and was commissioned November 28, 1944, under the command of Captain Robert E. Jasperson. She was designed to transport troops and equipment to an amphibious landing site where her smaller landing craft would take everyone ashore under combat conditions. Affectionately known as the mighty “Okie,” following commissioning and fitting out, the USS Okaloosa, hull number APA219, arrived in Honolulu in January 1945 with a crew of 1,800 men, most of whom had
never been to sea before. She also carried 1,539 army and navy personnel and 995 tons of cargo. Blue Bay resident Wally Helmstadter was one of two U.S. Marines assigned to the Okaloosa’s crew in Honolulu. He served on board the ship from March to December 1945. The USS Okaloosa operated out of Pearl Harbor for two months before heading for small Okinawa, arriving in late April, about three weeks after the American invasion of the Japanese-held island. She offloaded troops without incident during the next four days despite frequent enemy air attacks. The USS Okaloosa made a brief return to San Francisco in May before heading for Manila and Leyte in the Philippines. With the exception of a short voyage to New Guinea, the USS Okaloosa, operated in the Philippines, shuttling troops and cargo among the islands. She departed for Tokyo in September and made several voyages to
7 Guam, China, Manila, and French Indo-China. The Okaloosa was in Manila when Japan surrendered September 2, 1945. In November, the USS Okaloosa participated in Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating U.S. troops back home following the end of World War II. Following the war, the Okaloosa operated out of Norfolk, Virginia, before being deactivated in April 1949. She was struck from
the Naval Register in 1958. She was eventually sold for scrapping in 1971. The USS Okaloosa was awarded one battle star for service during the Battle of Okinawa. Her decorations include the China Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, AsiaticPacific Campaign Medal with a star, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Navy Occupation Service Medal with the Asia clasp.
USS Okaloosa
Top: China Service Medal (extended), the American Campaign Medal. Bottom: Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with a star, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Navy Occupation Service Medal with the Asia clasp. Class: Haskell-class attack transport Displacement: 6,873 tons Length: 455 feet Beam: 62 feet Draft: 24 feet Complement: • 56 officers • 480 enlisted Troop accommodations: • 87 officers • 1,475 enlisted Armament: • 1 single 5”/38 cal dual-purpose gun mount • 1 quad 40 mm anti-aircraft gun mount • 4 twin 40 mm anti-aircraft gun mounts • 10 single 20 mm anti-aircraft gun mounts Boats: • 2 Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) • 1 open Landing Craft Personnel (LCPL) • 1 covered LCPL (Captain’s Gig) • 2 Landing Craft Personnel LCPRs • 18 Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVPs) or Higgins Boats
The bell comes home A U.S. Navy ship’s bell serves many purposes. Mounted on the bridge, it’s used for signaling, keeping time, sounding alarms, and is a part of a ship’s routine and readiness. The bell is used to announce watch changes, to honor the arrival of dignitaries and senior officers boarding or embarking, or to honor a fallen sailor or Marine. Following World War II, the USS Okaloosa made its final voyage from Norfolk, Virginia, to Orange, Texas, where it was deactivated in April 1949. She was decommissioned in July 1949 and sold for scrapping in 1971. When the USS Okaloosa was dismantled, the ship’s bell was salvaged. Since 1975, the bell has been part of a memorial honoring eight U.S. Navy and Marine Corps veterans who died during the Vietnam War. The memorial has been at the Baldwin County satellite courthouse in Foley, Alabama, since the 1980s. Retired U.S. Army brigadier general and Okaloosa County Judge T. Patterson Maney saw the bell during a visit to Foley. He contacted Florida’s U.S. Senator Jeff Miller to help return the bell to its namesake county. The bell returned to Okaloosa County in January 2012. The bell was placed in its new home on display in front of the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport where it was dedicated April 26, 2012, 67 years to the date the ship arrived in Okinawa, Japan, to participate in the Battle of Okinawa during World War II. The U.S. Navy replaced the Okaloosa bell, presenting Baldwin County with the bell from the destroyer USS Peterson for its memorial.
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Lt Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold, AAF chief of staff, asked Doolittle to determine the best aircraft for such an attack. Doolittle settled on the Army’s newest aircraft, the B-25B. Since the B-25’s range was only about 1,300 miles, the aircraft would require modifications to double its normal fuel capacity. Also, the B-25 had minimum self-defense capability. Doolittle would have to rely on the element of surprise to compensate for the aircraft’s minimum protection. The plan was bold and innovative with many risks but, if successful, could pay strategic dividends. Eglin Field Doolittle chose the 17th Bombardment Group at Pendleton Field in Oregon to provide the crews and aircraft for the raid. As the first group equipped with B-25s, it had the most experienced crews in flying the new aircraft. Doolittle briefed the crews that he was looking for volunteers for a highly dangerous, secret mission that would contribute to America’s war effort but provided no additional information. Because everyone volunteered, Doolittle and the group’s three squadron commanders selected the best 24 crews for the mission. Those crews flew modified bombers to Eglin Field,
A 1949 aerial photo of Wagner Field, showing runway markings used by the Doolittle Raiders in their training. Florida, and arrived between Naval Air Station Pensacola, February 27 and March 1, supervised the short 1942, along with 60 enlisted takeoff training and later support personnel. For the accompanied the Raiders next three weeks, the crews aboard the Hornet. trained in simulated carrier The 17th Bombardment takeoffs, low-level and night Group enlisted men and flying, low-altitude bombing, Eglin technicians made and over-water navigation. additional modifications Each morning, the crews to the aircraft. These readied their aircraft at included the installment Eglin’s main airfield and of a collapsible fuel tank conducted the day’s training and more fuel cells in the operations at various Eglin fuselage, removal of the auxiliary fields or over belly turret and a heavy the Gulf of Mexico. Navy tactical radio, installation of Lieutenant Henry Miller, a deicers and anti-icers and flight instructor from nearby steel blast plates around
9 the upper turret, and installation of mock gun barrels in the tail. They also fine-tuned new carburetors for the aircraft engines to obtain the best possible engine performance and fuel consumption rate for cruising at low altitudes. Doolittle had the topsecret Norden bombsights removed from the aircraft to prevent them from possibly falling into Japanese hands. Captain Charles Ross Greening, pilot and armament officer, created an aiming sight, dubbed the “Mark Twain,” which Eglin’s sheet-metal workshops manufactured for about 20 cents each. It proved to be relatively accurate in the actual attack. The Hornet Early morning on March 23, Doolittle received the word from General Arnold to leave Eglin Field and fly to Sacramento Air Depot, McClellan Field, California. Although early morning fog, rain, and the aircraft modifications had reduced the planned training time by 50 percent, Doolittle in his post-raid report to General Arnold noted the crews had reached a “safe operational” level. After arriving at Naval Air Station Alameda, California, on March 31, the Navy squeezed 16 B-25s onto the rear of the USS Hornet’s flight deck, leaving about 450 feet for the aircraft’s takeoff run. At 8:48 a.m. on April 2, the
Hornet left San Francisco Bay with 71 AAF officers and 130 enlisted men aboard, her escort, and supply ships. A few days later, this task force rendezvoused with the USS Enterprise and her escort ships north of Hawaii. The
Enterprise’s aircraft would protect the task force from a Japanese air attack as the Hornet’s aircraft were below on the hangar deck. By early morning April 18, the combined force had reached a point about 750 miles east
The Doolittle Raiders begin their mission from the USS Hornet on April 18, 1942.
10 of Japan. Unfortunately, at 5:58 a.m. on April 18, Navy scout planes discovered a Japanese picket boat, which the USS Nashville sank by gunfire. Not sure if the patrol boat had sent a message of the sighting (it had), Doolittle and Hornet skipper Captain Mark Mitscher decided to launch the B-25s immediately. The launch was 10 hours earlier and about 250 miles farther east of Japan than planned. All 16 aircraft took off safely between 8:20-9:19 a.m. Six hours after launch, now about noon Tokyo time, the B-25s arrived over Japan and began their bombing runs on their designated targets. The B-25s encountered light antiaircraft fire and a few enemy fighters, but none Aircraft Number 1, piloted by Lt. Col. Jimmie Doolitle, crash lands in China after running out of fuel following the raid on Japan April 18, 1941. Doolittle initially felt the mission was a failure because he lost all of his aircraft and did little damage to the targeted cities.
were lost to enemy fire. Aftermath After the attacks, 15 of the 16 aircraft headed southwesterly across the East China Sea toward eastern China for friendly airfields. However, the earlier-than-planned launch caused all 15 to run low on fuel as they approached the Chinese coast. By then, night had closed in and forced all 15 crews to ditch along the China coast or bail out over eastern China around 10 p.m. The pilot of aircraft 16, realized his engines were burning fuel at an unexpected high rate. Realizing his aircraft would not be able to reach China, headed toward Vladivostock in the Soviet Far East. Initially, Doolittle felt that the raid had been a terrible failure: loss
of all of his aircraft, the whereabouts of many of the crewmen unknown, and little actual damage to Japan’s military capabilities. He fully expected to be court-martialed on his return to the United States. Instead, President Roosevelt awarded him the Congressional Medal of Honor and promoted him to brigadier general. All 80 Raiders received the Distinguished Flying Cross and decorations from the Chinese government. Those Raiders killed or wounded received the purple heart. The raid, known as Special Aviation Project No. 1 was the first big joint operation since the Union’s siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1863 commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant.
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Veteran’s Day Salute Johnie Courtney World War II & Korean War
Fighter Pilot Johnie Courtney, a veteran of two wars, began flying in an open-cockpit biplane and finished his military career flying jet fighters. Baker’s own World War II hero, Johnie Courtney, was a dive bomber fighter pilot who fought in both the European and Pacific theaters of operations during the war. He had three confirmed kills, was shot down behind enemy lines and escaped capture, and was wounded. Born in 1918, Courtney enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1937 after graduating from Baker High School. His first assignment was in Panama where he helped guard the Panama Canal. Later, he was assigned to the Army Air Corps and attended flying training school, first in Savannah flying the PT-17 Kaydet, then in Texas, flying the BC-1 advance trainer at Kelly Field. Upon graduating in 1942, Courtney was assigned to the North African theater of operations where he assisted the British, flying the A-36 Apache ground-attack/dive bomber, one of the newest aircraft in the U.S. military inventory, and the P-40 Warhawk. In 1943, he began making raids on Sicily and south Italy, as well as Anzio, Italy. At one point, Courtney had his plane shot out from under him at 800 feet over Italy. He parachuted to safety, successfully evaded
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Johnie Courtney entered pilot training as an enlsted man and graduated from pilot training in 1942 as a flying sergeant..
capture, and met up with an American reconnaissance team, also behind enemy lines. Toward the end of the war, Courtney provided fighter escort for the atomic bomb mission over Japan. Courtney’s military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross for his participation in the Battle of Monte Cassino. He was presented the Air Medal six times and received the Purple Heart for injuries he suffered during combat operations. He received the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal three times and the EuropeanAfrican-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal five times. He was also awarded the World War II Victory Medal. Following the war, Courtney participated in the Berlin Airlift, was a test pilot with Chuck Yeager at Muroc Air Force Base during the early years of the space mission, and served in the Korean conflict during the 1950s. Courtney retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel in April 1961 after serving 24-and-a-half years during two wars—World War II and Korea. He went on to a second career as a civilian at Eglin Air Force Base, retiring a second time in the 1980s after 27 years of service. Courtney also served on the board of the Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative in various capacities, including as president of the board of directors. Courtney passed away in 2016 at the age of 97. Johnie Courtney began his flying career in open-cockpit biplanes similar to the ones in this photo. He ended his career flying jet fighters during the Korean conflict era..
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Holt receives state funds for a new fire station
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he call came in early afternoon with exciting news. Holt Fire Commissioner Jim Conners got a call from Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles telling him Holt Fire District made the cut in the governor’s budget: Holt will get a new fire station. When Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the 20202021 fiscal year budget Aug. 27, it included $813,000 for Holt to build the new facility it desperately needs. “I figured I’d get a call after six o’clock tomorrow night saying ‘I’m sorry…’” said Connors. “I’m still trying to process this.” Holt Fire District Chief Scott Chestnut was feeling a little stunned as well when he heard the news. “It seems unreal, but persistence does pay off,” he said. This is the first time Holt has received state funding for a major community project.
The journey begins The journey toward a new station began in earnest in August last year when the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners approved the legislative allocation. From there it traveled to Tallahassee to compete with the rest of the statewide requests. At the end of the road, the governor whittled down a $93.2 billion budget by $1 billion that included Holt’s fire station request. “This is so exciting,” said Holt Fire Capt. Shelly Chestnut.
department in 1978, operating out of the Holt Water Works office. In 1984, the Holt Fire District was established as an independent Okaloosa County fire control district. After the Holt’s Ruritan Club disbanded, it turned over ownership of the community center to Holt Fire and operations were moved there. Until recently this year, it’s been operating out of the same structure for the past 42 years until it moved across the highway into a temporary building. For the last few years, the community center has been slowly deteriorating around the unit with no hope for repair due to its age, and rats have been feasting on the trucks and other safety equipment. “Rodents have caused us to have tens of thousands of dollars of work done on the trucks,” said Shelly Chestnut. The newest fire engine, a 2005 tanker engine, has been out of commission for the past year as $25,000 worth of rat damage was repaired.
With a little help As a volunteer district, there’s no funding
Just getting worse Holt Fire District had its beginnings Holt Fire District moved its headquarters from the old community center station because of as a tax-exempt volunteer fire rodent and mildew problems and set up shop in a temporary facility across U.S. 90.
15 Holt Fire District’s Engine 31 sits at Holt Park during last December’s Kids Day, the site where the new fire station will be built. Holt Fire owns the land the park sits on and leases it to Okaloosa County at a minimum cost for park use. Future plans for the property will include the park, the fire station and a community center.
for a new station. Holt is a volunteer fire department, has a very small tax base with barely enough money to keep the trucks running with realistically no funding, said Boyles during a site visit to congratulate Holt Fire. Initially, Holt Fire approached Boyles asking for the county’s help in funding a new station. “And I said, ‘no, we don’t have money for that,’” he said. “But I said, ‘let’s go talk to the legislature.’” In stepped State Rep. Jayer Williamson, District 3. He championed Holt Fire’s need to the state legislature. The result was every penny of the $813,000 asked for was approved in the next fiscal year’s budget that began July 1. “He went to work in Tallahassee,” said Boyles. “Frankly, we thought it was a long shot. Typically, fire department funding, more often than not, gets vetoed.” But the legislature approved the request… before COVID-19. As the pandemic ramped up, all bets on getting the funding were off.
A number of items—$1 billion worth—were struck from the budget by the governor’s line-item veto authority. “We were expecting this to be one of those,” Boyles said. However, Holt’s request—one of more than 25 fire-related requests across the entire state that were struck from the budget— was approved.
Done deal “The governor has signed the budget,” said Boyles. “It’s final. It’s a done deal.” The long shot paid off. “So many people over the years have done things they probably don’t even realize, to make this day possible,” said Scott Chestnut. “I want to thank Commissioner Boyles and Rep. Williamson for pushing this through, all our fire department members for their hard work and the Holt Fire District Board of Commissioners for all they do.” The new station will be built on a corner of the Holt Park, property owned by Holt Fire District.
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Museum accessions
Above: A glass insulator, railorad spikes, razors, two-handled straight knife, scissors and a coal shovel were donated by Ron Ballard.
Above: Red Davenport, Iowa, Peters Pump Co. hand pump; cobbler shoe form; terracotta turpentine cup; Motorola 600 AM tube radio; Playton & Lamber Mfg. Co. blowtorch and a Black Flag spray insect sprayer were donated by Ron Ballard. Above: A 5 token Okaloosa Mercantile coin from Holt was donated by Donna Ash. The token belonged to her father, Donald Ray Adams.
Left and above: A 1967-68 Matel Twist-n-Turn Barbie wearing the 1967 Beautiful Bride outfit (no. 1697), a 1964 Hasbro GIJoe Action Soldier and 1965 footlocker are part of the toy display in the glass cabinets in the main room near the front door of the museum.
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Happy Anniversary, 3rd Saturday Baker Block Museum
at the Baker Block Museum
Free homemade vanilla ice cream made with the Museum’s John Deere Model E hitand-miss firing engine was the order of the day when the Museum celebrated its 24th anniversary during July’s 3rd Saturday event.
Left, Tracy Curenton serves up homemade ice cream. Below left, the John Deere Model E hit-andmiss firing engine churns away, making ice cream. Below right, Mike Bush watches over the ice cream as it is being made to make sure it’s just right.
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North Okaloosa Historical Association
Membership News New Museum Members Welcome to new Museum members Jim and Gail Breitenfeld from Miramar Beach.
Humanities Grant
The Museum received a $3,000 Florida Humanities CARES grant in August to help offset revenue lost due to COVID-19. This is in addition to the $5,000 Florida Humanities CARES grant the Musuem received in June. 2020 Goals • Increase membership by 30% • Apply for an Impact 100 grant — Goal met in June • Complete historical marker application for the museum building • Redesign Baker Block Museum website • Complete Museum asset inventory • Accrue $5,000 in sponsorships
Why become a member of the North Okaloosa Historical Association? Besides supporting the preservation of the history of Okaloosa County, membership in the NOHA has its benefits: » » » » »
Membership card Quarterly newsletter 10% discount off books and calendars published by the NOHA Email notification of special events Invitation to the annual meeting in January
Lifetime members receive all of the above, PLUS: » 20% discount off books and calendars published by the NOHA » Recognition in the annual report » 10% off nomination for any Family Heritage Wall of Honor submission
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North Okaloosa Historical Association Membership Form
Membership in the North Okaloosa Historical Association, Inc. is open to anyone interested in preserving and documenting the history of Okaloosa County and its pioneering families. NOHA serves as the governing body for the Baker Block Museum. Member benefits include the quarterly newsletter, e-mail notification of special events, discounts in the Baker Mercantile store and an invitation to the annual meeting in January. Name: _____________________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________ City: __________________________ State and Zip Code: __________________________ Phone: ________________________ Email: _____________________________________
Type of membership (check one) q Individual $25 per year
q
Family
$50 per year
q
Student
$15 per year
q
Lifetime
$250
____ I would like to volunteer at the Baker Block Museum ____ I have items I would like to donate to the Baker Block Museum ____ I have photographs that I will allow to be scanned for the Museum’s collection
Return this form with your contribution made payable to: North Okaloosa Historical Association Membership P.O. Box 186 Baker, FL 32531
The North Okaloosa Historical Association is a 501(c)(3) organization. Membership and any donations are tax deductible.
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Create a Legacy Make a legacy gift to the Baker Block Museum How would you like to be remembered?
Legacy gifts are one of the most significant demonstrations of commitment to the community an individual can make. A legacy gift, deferred gift, or planned gift is one you decide upon now and that provides for your favorite nonprofit program later. You can leave a wonderful legacy to the Baker Block Museum by including the North Okaloosa Historical Association, Inc., in your estate planning. There are many tax advantages when you make a planned gift. We encourage you to consult with your attorney or financial planner for your specific circumstance. Bequests While there are a number of ways to build a legacy contribution, a charitable bequest is one of the easiest and most popular ways to leave a lasting impact on the Museum. You may designate our organization as the beneficiary of your assets by will, trust, or other instrument. Simply specify an amount, a percentage of your estate, or what remains of your estate to the North Okaloosa Historical Association, Inc., after you have provided for your children or other beneficiaries.
For more information on legacy gifts, contact the Baker Block Museum at 850-537-5714. The North Okaloosa Historical Association, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization. Donations are tax deductible.
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Calendar of Events October
November
December
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
S M T W T F S
1 2 3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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12 13 14 15 16 17
15 16 17 18 19
20 21
13 14
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
22 23 24 25 26
27 28
20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27
29 30
27 28 29 30 31
19 North Okaloosa Historical Association Board meeting, 6 p.m.
17 North Okaloosa Historical Association Board meeting, 6 p.m.
21 3rd Saturday: • Museum open from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
19 3rd Saturday: • Museum open from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. • Hot chocolate & cookies
28 29 30 31
12 Columbus Day 15 North Okaloosa Historical Association board meeting, 6 p.m. 17 3rd Saturday • Museum open from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. • Market Day, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. • Florida Artists Blacksmith Association Introduction to Blacksmithing, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. by Traditions Workshop, Heritage Park
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2
3
4
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15 16 17 18 19 25 26
26 Thanksgiving 27 Museum closed for the Thanksgiving holiday
There will be NO Heritage Day Festival this year.
31 Halloween
24-Jan. 5 • Museum closed for the holidays 24 Christmas Eve 25 Christmas 31 New Year’s Eve
Thank You!
The North Okaloosa Historical Association would like to thank the following sponsors for their support to the Baker Block Museum.
Enzor Management
BAKER AUTO PARTS
Okaloosa County Charities–Racetrack Bingo
The Restroom
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The Doolittle Raiders crews on the USS Hornet in 1941. Beginning top left: Crew 1 with Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle (second from left), Crew 2, Crew 5, Crew 6. Second row: Crew 3, Crew 10. Third row: Crew 11, Crew 12. Fourth row: Crew 13, Crew 14, Crew 15, Crew 16. Fifth row: Crew 7, Crew 9, Crew 4, Crew 8. (U.S. Air Force graphic)
