Fort Rucker held a renaming dedication ceremony Thursday to honor Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4) Michael J. Novosel Sr., a Croatian American Medal of Honor recipient whose decorated combat aviation service spanned World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The installation dedicated the Soldier Service Center, one of its largest facilities, in his name following the Army Aviation base’s return to the name Fort Rucker.
The Soldier Service Center serves as a central hub for day-to-day services for Soldiers and their families, including human resources support, ID cards, transportation and legal assistance.
The ceremony highlighted Novosel’s extraordinary legacy and military career. Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill led the ceremony and called it a fitting tribute to one of America’s finest Army Aviation pilots. During the dedication ceremony, UH-1 Huey helicopters flew overhead for Novosel’s surviving family members, friends and guests in his honor, the same helicopters he once flew during the Vietnam War. Fort Rucker officials concluded the ceremony by unveiling a plaque in front of the building and a new sign with “CW4 Michael J. Novosel Soldier Service Center” etched over the entrance.
Born in September 1922 in Etna, Pennsylvania, to Croatian immigrants, Novosel began his service in 1941 as an enlisted Army aviator at age 19, flying B-29 Superfortress bombing
missions in the Pacific during World War II. He later flew combat missions during the Korean War with the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserve. At age 41, then a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve, he transferred to the U.S. Army and became a warrant officer and helicopter pilot. During the Vietnam War, he repeatedly flew medical evacuation missions under fire and is credited with helping rescue more than 5,000 wounded military personnel, including his son, Michael Jr., during one rescue mission; his son later returned the favor by rescuing his father.
On Oct. 2, 1969, near the Cambodian border, Novosel evacuated 29 wounded Soldiers from a combat zone without protective fire. He repeatedly returned to the landing area, 15 times in all, to locate and extracted scattered friendly troops, sustaining injuries to his leg and hand during the mission. His actions earned him the nickname “the Guardian Angel of the Mekong Delta,” and he received the Medal of Honor in 1971.
He ended his extraordinary career with 42 years of military service and more than 12,000 flight hours. He died April 2, 2006, at age 83, and is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
Background of the name change
In 2023, Fort Rucker, along with other Army installations, was renamed Fort Novosel as part of a broader renaming effort to counter military bases named after Confederate generals during the Biden administration. In 2025, President Trump ordered the installation, along with other military bases, to return to the name Fort Rucker, which now honors World War I aviator Capt. Edward W. Rucker Jr.
Wreath-laying ceremony
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Novosel’s death, a private wreath-laying ceremony was held at Arlington National Cemetery on April 2, 2026. Croatian military attaché Brig. Gen. Ivica Kranjcevic laid a wreath wrapped with a sash from the Republic of Croatia at Novosel’s headstone. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the U.S. Army and the Embassy of Croatia to honor Novosel’s selfless legacy and inspiration for the Croatian American community.
Written by: Mark Plavetic
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