St. George Lighthouse Association Annual Veterans Day Celebration

The St. George Lighthouse Association, in partnership with SGI Veterans Reveille Group and the 106th American Legion in Apalachicola, invite everyone to attend the Veterans Day Ceremony in Lighthouse Park on Monday, November 11, 2024, at 11 AM.  This year’s ceremony will feature special guest, Colonel Tyler A. “Bjork” Niebuhr, United States Air Force (USAF), as our keynote speaker and our own Franklin County High School Cadet Core will be providing color guard services.

Guest Speaker, Colonel Tyler Niebuhr is the Commander, 325^th Operations Group, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The group’s mission is to project unrivaled combat airpower for America and establish the roots of its new F-35 mission on the way to standing up three combat-ready squadrons. The group also operates Tyndall AFB’s airfield, controls 4,500 sq/mi of airspace, and executes Exercise CHECKERED FLAG on behalf of the Commander, Air Combat Command.

Col. Niebuhr entered the Air Force in May 2001 through ROTC as a distinguished graduate from Weber State University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics. He graduated from Euro-NATO joint jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, TX in 2003 and completed F-16 Basic Operational Training Course as a distinguished graduate in March 2004. He has held a variety of flying positions to include F-16 instructor pilot, FAC(A) Instructor, and flight examiner. He previously commanded the 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV.

Prior to his current position, he was the Combat Air branch head at the Joint Air Power Competence Centre in Kalkar, Germany.

Colonel Niebuhr’s operational experience includes Operations NOBLE EAGLE, ODYSSEY DAWN, ENDURING FREEDOM, RESOLUTE SUPPORT and FREEDOM’S SENTINEL. He is a Command Pilot with over 3,600 flight hours, including over 190 combat sorties and more than 760 combat hours in the F-16. The aircraft he has flown include the T-37, T-38A, T-38C, F-16 and the F-35A.

We encourage you to attend this very meaningful ceremony to honor all our veterans. Seating is limited, so please bring your own chairs. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Collins Vacation Rentals and Century 21 Collins Realty will be sponsoring lunch, dessert and drinks for all in attendance, provided by Gormley’s Gourmet Catering Company and Pollywhogs. Additionally, the lighthouse will be open to everyone, with free climbs offered to all veterans.