State Rep. Doug Gutwein (R-Francesville) talks about the life of his brother Capt. Ronald Gutwein during a bridge naming ceremony June 15 at the Indiana Veterans' Home. The Captain Ronald D. Gutwein Bridge honors the legacy of the local war hero, and is located on I-65 over the Wabash River in Tippecanoe County.

Capt. Gutwein also earned four Bronze Stars, two Army Commendation Medals, and was nominated for the Distinguished Service Medal, the second-highest decoration the U.S. awards for heroism.

"Ron was an amazing brother and not a day goes by where I don't miss him," said Gutwein, who also served in the Vietnam War. "He was a decorated veteran who served our country with bravery, and is a hero to all of us. Renaming this bridge is a way to forever honor his legacy and life of service."

Rep. Gutwein, the youngest of five boys raised in Francesville, worked with several of his colleagues on a House Concurrent Resolution to rename the bridge. The Indiana House of Representatives and Senate voted unanimously in favor of those efforts this past session.

A graduate of Francesville High School, Capt. Gutwein attended Moody Bible Institute before enlisting in the U.S. Army as a private and working his way up to the rank of captain.

Upon leaving the Army, Capt. Gutwein continued to serve the country as an aviation safety consultant to U.S. allies in the Middle East. He also worked as a civilian pilot, where he flew medivac missions for the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota until his untimely death in 1985.