Tipton Magazine November 2021

MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 2021

s ’ n o t p Ti

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BACKING OUR VETERANS TIPTON AMERICAN LEGION COMES BACK STRONG

pay bills even while we were closed.”

Writer / Seth Johnson Photographer / Jason Graves

After deciding to stay open, however, Jones says Post 46 has made an impressive turnaround, thanks to the supportive team he now has by his side.

Like many local companies and organizations, those at Tipton American Legion Post 46 found themselves in dire straits due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People think we’re just a place to go drink,” Jones says. “That’s not what we’re about.

We’re an organization, and we use our proceeds from having a drink or playing “I became the post commander last August,” one of our games to support a local charity.

Jones says. “We filled all the offices and We support local charities, and we support got some energetic people in there. We’ve organizations that take care of Veterans on worked hard this last year. We’re not where a local and national level. That’s what the we want to be yet, but we’re doing really well.” Legion does. We take care of our Veterans.”

“We were closed for COVID from March through June of last year so things just kind of disintegrated,” says current Post Commander Stan Jones. “We actually had a meeting at the end of last June and decided if we wanted to open back up or not. We were in debt because we had to continue to

Now that those at Post 46 can keep the bills paid, Jones says they’ve been able to do

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According to Jones, Tipton County has a very large population of Veterans, which

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makes the work of Post 46 even more important.

“Bill Steen, who is the Tipton County Veteran Services officer, told me there’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 15,000-plus people living in the county, and that there are 1,600 Veterans in the county,” Jones says. “That’s 10% of the population who are Veterans, so we’re well represented in the services. It’s amazing how many vets we have in this small county.”

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“Probably the most important thing we do is honor the Veteran at his ‘last battle line on earth’ as we fire a gun salute, play ‘Taps,’ and then representatives of the Veteran Services will fold and present the flag and the Legion will present the shells,” Jones adds. “The arrangements for the Honor Guard or a dinner at the Legion can be made through your funeral director and they will contact the Legion.”

In order to become a member at American Legion Post 46, individuals must be Veterans and provide a DD-214 form.

Currently, Post 46 has 205 members, while the American Legion has approximately two million members worldwide.

In addition to Post 46 and its Legionnaires, Tipton American Legion is made up of Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion (SAL) groups that also work in the community to support Veterans. To be a part of the Auxiliary group, an individual must be a wife, daughter or granddaughter of a Veteran,

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and to be a part of the SAL group, an individual must be a son or grandson of a Veteran. Currently, Tipton County has approximately 200 Auxiliary members and 150 SAL members.

In recent years, Post 46 has given back to the Tipton County community in all sorts of ways, sponsoring Little League teams, organizing Humane Society fundraisers and more. Members of the Auxiliary also stay very busy in the Tipton County community, conducting an annual Christmas party for Legion children, contacting national and state congressional members to support Veterans issues, and much more.

area will become Legion members, allowing Post 46 to touch even more lives.

“The Legion is picking up, and people are coming in more, which is good in many ways,” Jones says. “That means people are talking, and we’re getting more resources to support our causes. Then, of course, the better resources we have, the more we can reach out to our folks.”

“A lot of the stuff they just do and you don’t even know they’re doing it,” Jones says of the Auxiliary and its community efforts.

Again this year, Post 46 will be a part of Tipton County’s Veterans Day service, taking place on the Tipton County courthouse lawn at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 11.

“The armistice was signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, so that’s why Veterans Day is always on the 11th,” Jones says. “We always start the program right at 11. I’ll start the program and will introduce the mayor. He’ll read a proclamation making Veterans Day official for that day.”

As Post 46 members continue to do more work in the Tipton County community, Jones’ hope is that more Veterans in the

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defend his country, its people and the freedom of the American way.”

Rutledge Well Drilling and Pump Service, Inc. is a family-owned business started in 1979 by army veteran Mike Rutledge. The same dedication to country he exhibited in 1973 when he voluntarily joined the military during the Vietnam War has carried over to his company. Based in Atlanta, Indiana, Mike and his sons serve customers in communities located in Howard, Hamilton and surrounding counties.

Mike completed his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and was then sent to Texas for advance training in air artillery. For the duration of his service, he was stationed in Wackernheim, Germany, where he was a crewman on an air defense tank. Since there were only four positions on the tank, he was both a driver and a gunner. He was honorably discharged in September of 1978, after achieving the rank of Specialist 4th Class.

“Michael L. Rutledge graduated from Hamilton Heights High School in 1971,” says Beth Rutledge, Mike’s wife. “As most high school graduates, the options were to go to work, mainly in a factory, or attend college. Mike chose to attend Vincennes University and study aviation. That career did not take off the ground. Uncertain of his future, Mike decided to join the United States Army in 1973. The Vietnam War was raging overseas and was also causing rage here in the United States. He believed it was his patriotic duty to

RUTLEDGE WELL DRILLING AND PUMP SERVICE HAS BEEN A FAMILY AFFAIR SINCE 1979

“It was then time for Mike to re-enter the workforce,” Beth says. “For a short time, he worked side by side with his dad, Leon ‘Shorty’ Rutledge, in the family plumbing business until his dad became too ill to continue working. Mike obtained a job at Central Supply, a plumbing wholesale house in Indianapolis. It was here that he was introduced to the well-drilling business.

At the time we were newly married and starting a business with nothing in our pockets. We became creative and were able

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to buy an old sputter hammer rig. This was a slow and tedious process of pounding the steel pipe into the ground at a snail’s pace. However, it served us well.”

Later, with a goal to become more efficient and less labor intensive, Mike was able to find an old rotary well-drilling rig in southern Indiana. After many years of good, and sometimes bad experiences with that rig, he was able to finally secure a carousel rig where the lifting of heavy rods is minimal.

Mike has always involved his sons in the family business, even from a young age. Often, the boys would go with their dad on job sites. Today, the oldest, Nathan Rutledge, is a licensed well driller and pump installer, and has worked next to Mike for about 15 years. He is well-prepared to take over the business upon Mike’s retirement.

Brock Rutledge has his own career but is an experienced backhoe operator as well as a licensed pump installer. Levi Rutledge also works with his father, jumping in when needed, and is learning the business side of the operation. Mike’s grandson Braden proudly announced that when he grows up, he wants to drill wells in the family business.

“The future is bright for the Rutledges to continue serving hometown communities,” Beth says. “Mike has great clients. They know he is honest, affordable and will do a good job. Whether it is drilling a new well, installing or repairing a pump or tank, setting up a softener or iron filter, or just installing a new hydrant, everyone is treated with integrity and professionalism. Next time you are driving through the country and you see an American flag flying 38’ in the air, it is likely on the top of the Rutledge Well Drilling and Pump Service’s drilling rig. Be assured the Rutledges are proud to live in a free country that the head of the family served as a proud soldier and now a proud American veteran.”

Rutledge Well Drilling and Pump Service, Inc. is located at 3340 West 600 South in Atlanta, Indiana. For more info, call 765-2922315 or email brutledge@ccrtc.com.

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