(Brown and Rutledge)

WARREN, OH —In a ceremony at Trumbull County Veterans Services today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) presented the Combat Infantryman Badge to William Rutledge of Canfield.

“Our veterans don’t often speak about their service. But through these medals and these ceremonies, we learn their stories,” said Brown. “As the only Ohioan to serve a full term on the Senate Veterans’ Committee, and the son of a WWII veteran, it’s one of my greatest honors in this job to be able to award veterans the medals they have earned.”

Rutledge, an Army Infantryman, served in Vietnam. Though Rutledge was released from the Army in 1970, he was never awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge he earned due to a lack of documentation. Sen. Brown’s staff, along with Trumbull County Veterans Services and its Executive Director Herm Breuer, helped secure the badge for Rutledge.  

“The Combat Infantryman Badge is the Badge of Honor for all Infantrymen. Five plus years ago I began writing the Army to correct my record and kept getting shot down. Finally I met Herm Breuer and with a lot of help from Herm and Senator Sherrod Brown I have received my Combat Infantry Badge,” said Rutledge.

Ohio veterans and the family members of deceased veterans may request military records and medals by contacting Senator Brown’s Cleveland office at (216) 522-7272 or by visiting the “Constituent Services” section of Brown’s website at brown.senate.gov.

###