By Blythe Alspaugh
TIPP CITY—After a two-year hiatus, the Tippecanoe Historical Society & Museum is starting up their Veterans Recognition Project.
“We had big plans with the historical society, getting all of the Veterans from Tipp City, and trying to recognize them, at least, digitally. We’ll have a roster of everybody that’ll end up online and can be accessed, plus we’ll keep it at the historical society for people to see,” Mike Jackson said.
The project had begun to gain momentum in 2020 when the person heading the project at the historical society moved away from the area. Additionally, Jackson had been working with Tippecanoe High School Library Media Specialist Shari Wickline on a wall within the school that recognized Tippecanoe alumni who served in the military. His work with Wickline had come to a halt due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions placed on schools at the time.
“COVID had hit, and the Historical Society Museum wasn’t even open, and then the high school had stopped primarily because of COVID, and because we couldn’t get in the schools to do anything,” Jackson said.
Now, two years later, the project is being picked back up again. Jackson said the project is being approached from two different angles; the first is that the historical society is trying to get the names of everyone who has ever lived in Tipp City at any time and who has served in the military. All information the historical society receives will be placed into a database that can be used in the future for information, programs and projects.
“There’s no time limit on it. We’re trying to keep it all digital,” Jackson said. “We’re going to be able to recognize people throughout the history of Tipp City who served in the military.”
The second angle is with the schools, where the historical society will give the names of all Tippecanoe alumni submitted to Wickline, which will help in finishing out the Veteran wall project.
“There’s no time limit on that, either. It can go back to the start of Tipp schools,” Jackson said. “When we start doing alumni banquets again, people will be able to look up their name on this board, and hats off to the school for doing that. I think it’s absolutely a great project.”
Jackson, who served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force, appreciates the school’s involvement in recognizing alumni who have served in the military throughout Tipp City’s history and even today. He added that it teaches students about those who came through the same school system.
“When you think about it, Vietnam and World War I, World War II, the people that fought those wars were basically the same age as those kids in those schools. So, for example, my dad and a lot of people in the 1940s, left school to serve their country,” Jackson said. “I think it’s a great history lesson and a great lesson for them to see.”
Eligible Veterans or their families can submit Veteran information for the database via the Tippecanoe Historical Society’s website, www.tippcityhistory.com, through a printable form or an online submission form.
The printable form is available on the society’s website, which can be completed and mailed to the Tippecanoe Historical Society, PO Box 42, Tipp City, OH 45371.
The online submission form on the site can be completed and submitted entirely online at https://www.tippcityhistory.com/VRP_Form.jpg.
