Indiana National Guard Behind Many of May’s Biggest Traditions

INDIANAPOLIS — The Temptations may have “the month of May,” but so do many Hoosiers, race fans, and Indiana National Guard soldiers and airmen.

From the first Saturday in May, when the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon helps rev up the month, to the Indianapolis 500 and Memorial Day events honoring America’s fallen service members, Hoosier Guardsmen play an integral role in the festivities, ceremonies and remembrances that define May in Indiana.

“Memorial Day ... is a day to reflect on the lives given in service to this nation — not in the abstract, but in the very real absence felt by families, friends, and communities across America,” said Maj. Gen. Larry Muennich, adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard.

Muennich commands approximately 12,000 Indiana National Guard soldiers and airmen who volunteer, support and dedicate their time and expertise to Hoosier communities not only during times of crisis, but also behind the scenes at events attended by hundreds of thousands of people.

A large portion of those spectators attended the Indianapolis 500, billed as the world’s largest single-day sporting event, with an estimated attendance of approximately 350,000 this year.

Coordinating prerace demonstrations, flyovers, vocal performances, and speeches takes thousands of hours of planning, much of it carried out by Hoosier Guardsmen.

“The coordination piece is a big part of what we do during the month of May,” said Lt. Col. Amy Hoover, Indiana National Guard public affairs office director. “It's a lot of behind the scenes work to ensure the community events go off flawlessly from the anthems, to the flyovers, to the speeches and to ensure troops are where they are supposed to be at the right place at the right time.”

Fans of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” also witness elaborate prerace ceremonies involving military service members, including a parade lap in pickup trucks, a firing party’s three-round volley, the playing of “Taps” by an Indiana National Guard bugler, multiple flyovers, a helicopter lap by Indiana’s 38th Combat Aviation Brigade, service members lining pit lane, and a 90-second speech, this year delivered by Lt. Gen. Jon Stubbs, director of the Army National Guard.

“Since our nation’s founding, brave Americans have laid down their lives in defense of this great nation,” Stubbs said during his speech before a sold-out Indianapolis Motor Speedway crowd. “They were sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends, neighbors, and teammates … Americans who stepped forward when their nation called. They fought for something bigger than themselves; for freedom, for family, and for the country we proudly call home.”

Prior to race day, the month’s events also include a Saturday parade and a Friday memorial service, both requiring extensive coordination and Indiana National Guard participation. The 38th Infantry Division Band marched and performed at both events. During the parade, the guest speaker rides in a convertible alongside Indiana’s adjutant general.

The 500 Festival Memorial Service, held on the steps of the Indiana War Memorial, honored Indiana’s fallen service members and Gold Star families. The event also featured the 38th Infantry Division Band and Ceremonial Unit, which assisted with wreath-laying ceremonies and a horse-drawn cortege.

“We come together today to reflect on the true weight of Memorial Day,” Stubbs said during the ceremony. “It is a day dedicated to remembrance — a sacred pause to honor the service members who laid down their lives in defense of our nation, our liberties, and the American way of life.”

Armed Forces Day weekend is another major effort for the Indiana National Guard, which sets up military displays — including trucks, helicopters and howitzers — at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

That Sunday, Guardsmen also coordinated and documented the enlistment of 250 Hoosiers into military service in honor of America’s 250 years of freedom.

Doug Boles, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, spoke during the ceremony about its importance to the track, drivers and race fans.

“This has become a tradition and one of our favorite days,” Boles said. “All of us at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as so many of our fans gathered here, want you to know that we are praying for you, and we are thankful we live in a country where people like you step up to serve.”

Boles also highlighted the track’s military history. The speedway served as an Army Air Corps hub during World War I, and later was owned by Eddie Rickenbacker, the Medal of Honor recipient and World War I flying ace. Before becoming a fighter pilot, Rickenbacker raced in the Indianapolis 500 four times.

The Indiana National Guard also helped coordinate a flyover and color guard for the IndyCar GP on May 9, and also a color guard for the 500 Festival Mini Marathon on May 2.

While race fans and Hoosiers alike often see the flyovers, displays and ceremonies, much of the coordination behind the scenes of the month of May’s largest events is handled quietly by Indiana National Guard soldiers and airmen.