Fort Rucker’s commander Maj. Gen. James O. Barclay III opened the ceremony by saying Novosel practiced the Warrior Ethos well before it was put down on paper.

“He is part of our tradition and part of our history,” Barclay said. “He set the stage for what an Army aviator is all about.”

Novosel is an example of what the Army speaks about today in the Warrior Ethos, he said, adding that Novosel embodied all those qualities and helped define what Warrior Ethos is today.

Warrior Ethos is the pledge said by soldiers that shows selfless commitment to their nation, mission, unit and fellow soldiers. It embodies the pride felt to serve America and the commitment and discipline to Army values.

Barclay recalled an incident on Oct. 2, 1969, when Novosel was stationed in Southeast Asia, and received a call to rescue wounded soldiers. With no ground or air support, Novosel flew his helicopter into enemy territory and rescued 29 soldiers. Even though he was wounded during the air evacuation, he brought all the wounded soldiers on board and was able to take the severely damaged helicopter back to base safely.

For this, Novosel was awarded the Vietnam War Medal of Honor at the age of 48, making him the oldest veteran to receive the award.

He served as a military aviator in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War for 42 years.

When he retired from the Army in 1985 he had 12,400 hours of military flight time- 2,038 hours of that was in combat.

His son, Michael Novosel Jr., and his daughter Patricia Clevinger unveiled the bust of their late father that will be displayed in the lobby of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence Headquarters. His bust will stand at the center of the Headquarters’ Wall of Heroes.

George T. Metz, director of the Novosel Foundation, said he started the foundation after Novosel Sr. passed away because, “Michael is the only person who ever truly impressed me,” he said.

The foundation that started in Pittsburg, PA, Novosel’s hometown, aims to help wounded National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers.

“We help them with everything we can,” Metz said. “We strictly work on donations. Everything I do is as a volunteer.”

Novosel’s bust was made possible through donations from family and friends.

“A lot of hard work went into getting this bust together, and we are so happy to donate it to Fort Rucker,” Metz said.

Novosel’s son thanked the crowded room of more than 50 guests for joining him and supporting his late father.

The National Guard and Army Reserve used to be a place to hide out. Now, however, all the groups are closely intertwined, he said.

“The Guard and the Reserve are sharing rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan and now everyone is sharing the burden,” Novosel said. “They do everything that the active duty did or are doing.”

The one difference between the Guard and Reserve and the active duty soldier is the Army has the Wounded Warrior program, he said.

“When a person on active duty is wounded he or she goes through Walter Reed, and when they finish they get to go back to their post. They are back with their comrades. They have a safety net, a group of understanding folks who went through what they went through and they understand,” he said.

This does not hold true, however, for Guard and Reserve wounded soldiers, he said.

“The Guard and Reserve are kind of coming back like those of us came back from Vietnam. You remember you kind of came back by yourself? It’s not exactly that way (now), but the ones that have been wounded and bore the worst of the battle, they go to Walter Reed and when they get done they let them go,” Novosel said, adding that the soldiers can’t go back to their units because they are damaged, and they’re not deployable.

“So it’s basically like dumping them on the streets. And they tell them that the Veterans Affairs will take care of them. Eventually the VA comes through, however these guys and gals have just gotten out, and they are not in the system yet,” he said.

The Novosel Foundation tries to get the soldiers coming out of Walter Reed before the VA steps in.

“Most of the time we aren’t that lucky. We get them after they have lost their homes because they have no form of support. We get them after they’ve lost their vehicles, and most of them are divorced because they can’t work,” Novosel said.

He challenged the soldiers in the room to remember to do something about their wounded comrades, such as considering holding the wounded soldiers longer until they are more capable of re-assimilating into civilian life or re-assimilating into their unit.

“Almost 90 percent (of rehabilitated soldiers) want to come back on active duty or go with their unit to train, but they can’t because they have problems,” Novosel said, adding that his father never left anyone behind, and the foundation named in his honor aimed to do the same.

“My dad, when he was alive, he wouldn’t leave anybody. He actually pulled me out one time when I got shot down, so I know what it’s like to get rescued. My dad never would have left anybody behind, and that’s the purpose of the foundation, to make sure nobody gets left behind, even if we have to go back in again and again and again,” he said.

The road that runs in front of the Headquarters building is named after Novosel’s father and donating the bust will add another piece of Novosel history to Fort Rucker, he said.

“I am so proud of my father, and this is just one more way to honor him,” he said.

Enterprise Mayors Kenneth Boswell and Ozark Mayor Billy Blackwell were also on hand to show their appreciation and support to the Novosel family.

Photo: Michael J. Novosel Jr. shakes hands with soldiers, who attended the bust dedication in honor of his late father Michael Novosel. (Photos by Laura Fezie)