UPDATE: Drewel forced to cancel Hays appearance.

Area veteran Tommy Drewel is booked to speak at the Hays American Legion, 13th and Canterbury, Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Drewel was a Marine from 1992 to 1996 serving in the Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team, Fourth Platoon. During his tenure, he was in Mogadishu, Somalia, during the events that would later become the basis of the film “Black Hawk Down.” The unit Drewel was assigned to secured the second chopper downed during the incident.

Drewel, originally from Great Bend, moved back to Kansas following his time in the military. He currently serves as a Veterans Service Representative of the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs in the Fort Dodge Field Office.

The event is open to the public.