By Barbara Palmgren
On a hot summer day, Dr. Marie Hallion, Chair of the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida, and I visited Northwest Florida State College President Mel Ponder in his office on campus. We were there to invite him to our Fourth of July events at the Heritage Museum and thank the college for its support as a community partner.
Also joining us was Kevin Brown, Associate Vice President of Government Relations and Special Projects. Kevin is a familiar face, as Marie and I work with him on the Okaloosa County America 250 Special Commission.
As we sat around the conference table, I noticed the famous replica of the symbol that represents the college: the “Mighty Mitchell.” Northwest Florida State College is proud to be the home of the Raiders and Raider Stadium. The four of us share an appreciation for history, and our conversation included stories from Dr. Hallion’s time serving on the White House staff under three presidents.
But the focus that day was the model of the legendary B-25 twin-engine medium bomber used by the Doolittle Raiders in their historic April 18, 1942 surprise attack on mainland Japan. Named in honor of General Billy Mitchell, the B-25 was selected because it could take off from an aircraft carrier while carrying a bomb load over the required distance to its target.
President Ponder proudly shared exciting news from the state of Florida: Northwest Florida State College had been named the Commissioner’s Choice Winner of the Florida Department of Education’s Statewide Welding & Fabrication Challenge celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
The honor was earned among institutions throughout the Florida College System. The project required more than 2,000 hours of design, fabrication, welding and finishing work by students and faculty from the Welding Technology Program and Art Department. The statewide recognition highlights their exceptional craftsmanship while showcasing the strength of the college’s workforce education programs. The historic aircraft can be viewed outside Building 320 on the Niceville campus.
Yes, the Mighty Mitchell had done it again. It scored for our country on its 250th anniversary. It scored for a college in the Florida Panhandle. And it scored for the students and faculty who built it as a lasting tribute.
Yes, mighty indeed!
