The grand opening ceremony consisted of remarks by those who
helped establish the IMVHOF including Sen. Joe Donnelly, Steve Collier (mayor
of Lawrence), John McKenzie (president of the Indiana Credit Union League),
John Bartlett (Indiana District 95 state representative) and Col. (U.S. Army
retired) Russell Dowden, chairman of the IMVHOF.
The Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame
(IMVHOF) celebrated the official opening of its permanent building at 5360
Herbert Lord Road, Indianapolis on April 5.
Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar
Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar
The event was attended by over 100 government dignitaries,
current and retired military servicemen and women, those previously inducted
into the IMVHOF, and honored guests. A ribbon cutting and tours of the facility
were also a part of the grand opening celebration. Open to the public for
self-guided tours, the building’s hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
The memorial facility is the only free-standing memorial of
its kind in the nation. It honors all those inducted into the IMVHOF, 62
Hoosier veterans to date from all branches of the Armed Forces for their
outstanding military and civilian service during and after active duty.
The facility’s construction, comprised of red brick and
Indiana limestone, was funded by Indiana’s credit unions, their business
partners, and several private donations totaling more than $330,000. The
interior of the building consists of electronic kiosks that display photos and
biographies of each of the IMVHOF’s inductees and military memorabilia from
various eras. The building sits on land donated by Indiana Department of the
American Legion Headquarters.
Commemorative bricks are available for purchase at
imvhof.com and will be placed in the circular entrance of the IMVHOF building.
SOURCE: The Flyer Group
