General portrayed in Black Hawk Down to provide inside view at Indiana War Memorial

Indianapolis – Indy welcomes U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Montgomery to the Indiana War Memorial on Armed Forces Day, Friday, May 18 to provide an inside look into his experiences commanding the U.S. military in 1993 Somalia and the action which inspired the critically-acclaimed film Black Hawk Down.
 
The program is free on an RSVP basis, minimum donations of $10 are encouraged. The evening is scheduled from 6 – 9 p.m. Hors d‘oeuvres will be provided by the Armed Forces Day Coordinating Council of Indianapolis free of charge and a cash bar will be open for business. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.   ​
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MOGADISHU, SOMALIA – U.S. Major General Thomas Montgomery, commander of the U.S. forces in Somalia, talks on a radio phone at the airport 25 March 1994 before the last US troops leave Somalia. The U.S. military intervention in Somalia began 09 December 1992 as part of an attempt to end a famine that killed at least 300,000 people. (Photo by Pascal Guyot)
"There is a dilemma of sorts for the military in that we know that our primary mission will always be defense and to then fight and win the nation's wars and we don't want the military to become a peacekeeping military; it would be a big mistake to do that." – LTG Thomas Montgomery
​Montgomery’s famed military career was nothing short of heroic, earning both the Silver and Bronze Star Medals in combat. At the time of his retirement, he served as the U.S. military representative to NATO’s highest military body, the Military Committee. (See his bio attached)

The historic Indiana War Memorial was originally built to honor veterans of World War I. The five-city-block plaza on which it resides in downtown Indianapolis was conceived in 1919 as the location for the National Headquarters of The American Legion and a memorial to the state's and nation's veterans.

​Today, the Indiana War Memorial’s Museum conveys the contributions and sacrifices of Hoosier service men and women from the Revolutionary War through recent
peacekeeping operations and conflicts. 
Armed Forces Day Coordinating Council of Indianapolis
Since 1975 the Armed Forces Day of Indianapolis provides a chance for the community to honor those who currently serve.

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Armed Forces Day Awards

Join us in honoring newest Military Enlistees, Military Academy Attendees & JROTC Cadets, at Primo's Banquet Hall and Conference Center in Indianapolis. Click below to learn more and to secure your tickets. 

Oath of Enlistment

​Our state and nation's newest recruits into the United States Military take their oaths of enlistment during the annual ceremony at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.