Joe Bob Plumlee
Proprietor, Brazos Bail Bonds
Dream Job: Master-Sergeant, U.S. Army
PA R K E R C O U N T Y T O D AY
Continued on page 44
SEPTEMBER 2016
As a teenaged boy growing up in Weatherford,
Plumlee “Was Born To Run,” as the song says.
He loved fast cars and slow cops.
“I loved to drag-race around the streets of Weatherford,” Plumlee said. “I loved to run with my
friends.”
Plumlee’s brother-in-law was a mastersergeant, which inspired Plumlee to pursue a military career.
He came from humble beginnings with
wonderful parents who were of limited means.
“At 17, I joined the Army so that my parents
could be dependents and could get an allotment,”
Plumlee said. “All I could think of was getting
medical benefits for them. I made rank in the military really fast. I really wanted to make military
my career, a life-long career.”
Plumlee was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany.
“I enjoyed the Army,” Plumlee said. “While I
was stationed in Europe I traveled to 11 different
countries.”
In time, Plumlee was assigned to Fort Wolters,
in Mineral Wells.
“I started running around with my friends again,”
he said. “The Vietnam war was in full swing.”
Plumlee was not anxious to land in Vietnam,
mostly because of how much his parents relied on
him.
The Army was offering an early release
program.
“You qualified for it if you were going into law
enforcement,” Plumlee said. “I went to work for
Sheriff John Young. I was assigned to the jail. I
was making $375 a month.”
One night a man came in that would change
Plumlee’s life, although he doesn’t recall the
man’s name.
“I looked up and saw a guy come into the jail
wearing a sharkskin suit and alligator shoes. He
was a bail bondsman. He handled the bond for a
guy. He made $500 in about 10 minutes. I knew
then that I wanted to be a bail bondsman.”
Suddenly, Plumlee had found a new dream
job. He immediately began to pursue that dream.
He got into the business and loved it, although he
rarely wears alligator shoes.
That was more than 40 years ago.
Does he still like it?
“Of yeah!” Plumlee said. “It’s something new
every day and the politics I’m involved with,
makes it interesting every day.”
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