A small hexagonal building next to the American Legion post on the Fort Ben campus in Lawrence is modest on the outside but contains a wealth of firsthand military history and honors.
The Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame memorial at 5360 Herbert Lord Rd. was completed in 2018. Visitors to the site can view memorabilia donated by some of the Hall of Fame’s honorees and scroll through a database of every Hoosier veteran who has been inducted.
Chairman of the IMVHOF board Kevin Ryan was one of its co-founders when the organization started in 2013. Ryan said that when his boss at the time — retired Army Col. Russell Dowden — suggested creating a military hall of fame, Ryan was immediately on board. They also recruited former Air Force Sgt. Mark Moulton — their colleague at Financial Center First Credit Union in Lawrence — and the three men worked with state lawmakers to get an official designation so they could start honoring Hoosier heroes.
So far, 143 Indiana veterans have been honored through the IMVHOF.
“There are three different ways that a veteran from Indiana can be considered to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” he said during a tour of the memorial. “The first category is valor, and that normally is combat. The majority of our veterans have come through that area. Then the second category is, after you were honorably discharged, what did you do to support the military?”
The third category was added more recently, he said, and that one honors veterans who have helped others in the community at large.
Of those nominated for the IMVHOF each year, Ryan said about a third are selected.
“Even though everybody that’s entered is a hero,” he said. “That’s the ‘best-of-the-best’ type of scenario.”
He said veterans who have been inducted represent all the service branches — Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and the WAC — Women’s Army Corps — which was established in 1942 and disbanded in 1978.
One of the first veterans honored by the IMVHOF was Fred Spaulding, a Fishers resident who served in Vietnam.
“His story is quite remarkable,” Ryan said. “He’s probably the highest-decorated man that I’ve seen. Fred went in as a private in Vietnam and he came out as a lieutenant colonel and served his whole life. I think he spent six years and nine months of his life in battle.”
Spaulding, whose uniform is on display at the memorial, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in Vietnam.
Also inducted into the IMVHOF is President Benjamin Harrison, the namesake of the former fort in Lawrence where the memorial is located. Harrison lived in Indianapolis from 1854 to 1901 and became the 23rd U.S. president in 1889.
Visitors to the memorial can scroll through the database of IMVHOF inductees, or search for specific names at kiosks. All the inductees, including brief biographies, can be viewed online at imvhof.com.
Nominating a veteran for the IMVHOF
Anyone can nominate a Hoosier veteran to be considered for the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame. Nominations are due by Aug. 1 each year, with the new class of inductees honored with a ceremony and dinner each November.
Eligible veterans are those who were born in Indiana, entered military service in the state or have lived in Indiana for at least five years. They also must be honorably discharged and have no felony convictions, according to the IMVHOF website.
IMVHOF Chairman Kevin Ryan said veterans who are nominated for induction consideration are classified into one of three categories:
- Valor — The nominee must have displayed extraordinary actions on the sea, land or air under extreme combat conditions, in the face of certain death, resulting in saving American lives or the successful accomplishment of a specific mission. The nominee must have been awarded one or more of the following U.S. military medals: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with a “V” device, Bronze Star with a “V” device or the Purple Heart.
- Veteran Advocacy — After their military career, the nominee must have displayed extraordinary actions that contributed significantly to the local community, state or nation in the interest of veterans.
- Community Support — After their military career, the nominee must have displayed extraordinary actions that contributed significantly to the local community, state or nation not necessarily in the interest of veterans.
Ryan said the IMVHOF honors about 15 veterans each year, although there isn’t a specific quota they try to meet. The board does make an effort to have the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame accurately represent Hoosiers who have served.
“There’s a lot of diversity in our board of directors,” he said. “We’re not political. We don’t talk about politics. We just want to honor Hoosier heroes. That’s really what we’re all about.”
To nominate a veteran for consideration, visit imvhof.com/nominate.
