NATCHEZ &8212; A military hero will be guest speaker for the 2006 annual Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce Awards Dinner on Dec. 5.

Randy Jones spent 30 years as an aviator in the Army, and he will tell about one of the most famous missions of his career &8212; as mission flight lead in the near-disastrous military mission in Somalia on Oct. 3, 1993, made famous by a newspaper series and subsequent book and movie, &8220;Black Hawk Down.&8221;

Jones, who earned the Silver Star because of his heroic actions during the incident, will use Power Point, video clips and other illustrative material during his program.

&8220;It&8217;s all professionally done material,&8221; he said by phone from West Point, where he is city manager.

&8220;I use the illustrations to give a better idea of what it was like from more than just my point of view.&8221;

The illustrations also provide insight into the &8220;personalities of some of the people we faced as opponents.&8221;

The vicious fight deep in the heart of Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, between Army Rangers and hundreds of Somali gunmen made air fire support to a rescue helicopter very difficult. Jones will tell about that.

&8220;Mostly I talk about the character, values and leadership as applied to life in general, whether civilian or military life,&8221; he said.

&8220;I can tell you that it&8217;s teamwork that generates success in the long run, and the American spirit and teamwork in that small number that day called a lot of character forward.&8221;

Military training helps to prepare soldiers for reacting with character in dire situations, Jones said. &8220;But there is a certain part of it that is innate, something that never comes forward until you&8217;re faced with danger.&8221;

A highly decorated Light Attack Helicopter pilot, Jones served in Vietnam and Desert Storm. During his career, he flew 1,200 combat missions and thousands of other missions.

He holds many awards, including Army Aviator of the Year in 1992; and he was inducted into the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 1998.

Since returning to his native West Point, he also has been active in civic affairs, including working with American Red Cross, Partners in Education, Crime Stoppers and Rotary Club.

In addition to the program, the Chamber dinner will include annual awards, said Janet Sullivan, chairman of the event.

The traditional awards of Natchezian of the Year and Business of the Year will be presented. A third award, Woman of the Year Award, will replace the Athena Award.

&8220;Our sponsorships are going very well,&8221; Sullivan said. &8220;This is the fundraiser of the year. It carries the Chamber through the year.&8221;

Tickets are available at $75 each; or businesses and corporations may purchase sponsorships providing tickets for a table of 10 for $1,000; or two tables of 10 for $2,000.

Reservations are required, Sullivan said. They may be made by calling 601-445-4611.

Dinner will be catered by Doug Hosford of High Cotton Catering. The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a reception. Dinner begins at 7 p.m. in the Natchez Trace Room at the Natchez Convention Center.