FORT NOVOSEL, Ala. -- The establishment formerly known and loved by Army aviators worldwide as Mother Rucker’s Sports Bar is now Big Mike’s Fort Novosel Bar and Grill.
The name change concluded a season of change for the post, which became Fort Novosel in April – named after CW4 Michael Novosel Sr., a Medal of Honor recipient and Army Aviation legend.
Before the light-hearted sign unveiling, Maj. Gen. Michael C. McCurry, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Novosel commanding general, quipped that deciding on a new name for Mother Rucker’s was infinitely more difficult than deciding on a new name for the installation.
Col. Robert J. Holcombe, Fort Novosel Garrison commander, said that both Novosel Sr. and his son, CW4 Michael Novosel Jr., both served as aviators in the same unit. The elder was called Big Mike by both his family and the unit. Renaming this popular hangout allows the aviation community to continue to “honor the legacy of Mike Novosel, and at the same time keep the tradition alive that Mother Rucker’s started.”
Big Mike’s Fort Novosel Bar and Grill is located at 319 Ruf Avenue, near the Holiday In Express. It is open to the public for lunch on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and every evening from 4-9 p.m. It features a full-service bar, and a menu that includes hamburgers, signature wings, flatbread pizzas, Super Nachos and chili. The facility also sports 16 flat screen TVs.
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