Currahee to Carentan, the Legacy of Edward Tipper
By Woody Freeman
Ed Tipper with his daughter, Kerry (Left), and wife, Rosy (Right) receiving the French Legion of Honor at the French Consulate in Denver, Colorado. Image courtesy of Kerry Tipper.
Edward Tipper in US Army uniform with Jump Wings on his shirt. “Edward Joseph Tipper Jr. (1921-2017) - Find A Grave,” 2017.
Tipper at Camp Toccoa in Paratrooper Jump uniform, circa 1942. Image courtesy of Kerry Tipper.
Edward Joseph Tipper
August 3, 1921 – February 1, 2017
Edward J Tipper was born on August 3rd, 1921, in Detroit, Michigan to his mother, Lucy and father, Edward. Both his mother and father were Irish, with his mother, Lucy McCormick being from Northern Ireland whilst his father, Edward Tipper Sr was from Ireland and was working as an elevatorman at an automobile factory in Michigan at the time of Edward Tipper Jr’s birth.[1] Before Tipper’s birth, his parents migrated to the United States and were fully naturalized citizens by the time Tipper was born. During Tipper’s childhood, he had one younger brother, John J Tipper, who was born in 1922. The Tipper family would transition between living in the United States and Ireland throughout Edward and John’s school years. Not much is known as to why the Tippers moved to Ireland but there are some speculations that his father owned a family pub.[2] In 1939, at the age of 18, Edward graduated from a High School in Detroit which he had attended for free, due to his mother working at the school.[3] At the time of his graduation, Detroit was still struggling from the effects of the Great Depression, with a lack of job availability, Edward took a job as a driver working for the J. L. Hudson Company.[4] [5]
In 1942, the United States joined the Second World War after the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Tipper immediately attempted to join the Marine Corps to fight in the Pacific but was turned away due to an overbite on his jaw. Instead, he joined the United States Army, and volunteered for the Paratroopers, a new concept in military tactics. He picked the Paratroopers as he always wanted to be alongside the “best of the best”.[6] So after his rejection from the Marine Corps, the Paratroopers were considered to be the next best. From 1942 through to 1944, Tipper would join the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) as a part of the 101st Airborne Division and was placed in E Company, more commonly known as Easy Company. As a Private through this training period, he became a runner for his Commanding Officer, Captain Sobel, meaning he was sent to deliver messages to or from Captain Sobel as well as be on hand throughout training exercises, carrying maps and other equipment that may be required in the field. During his time in Camp Toccoa, Tipper earnt the nickname “Ed the Head” due to his street-smart nature, allowing for him to barter and trade items during his time in England.[7] He also trained in the usage of bazookas and would later carry one into combat.
It is relatively easy to track Ed’s career in the US Army due to the popularity and attention that Easy Company has received through the HBO Miniseries “Band of Brothers.” Tipper’s first real combat mission occurred in the early hours of D-Day as he, and the rest of the 506th, jumped behind Utah Beach from C-47s flown by pilots of the 439th Troop Carrier Group.[8] He would survive the initial drop and the first days of Operation Overlord, the name given to the Allied invasion of Normandy. On the 13th of June, D-Day +7, Tipper and the rest of Easy Company were sent into Carentan, a key town that would connect the landing American forces at Utah and Omaha beach, as Carentan sat along the main road linking Omaha, Utah and the heavily fortified port town of Cherbourg. Tipper, armed with an M1 Garand rifle and an M1 Bazooka cleared Carentan and faced vicious resistance from the elite German Fallschirmjägers (Paratroopers). Unfortunately, facing German mortar fire as well, Tipper was caught in the blast of a mortar round during the clearing of a building, resulting in serious injuries to the face and legs. He was carried by his comrade and good friend Joseph Liebgott to a nearby aid station that was set up outside of Carentan.[9] Before falling unconscious, Tipper recalled hearing Liebgott tell a Medic “Forget about it, he’s gone”.[10] However, he would be transported back to England where he would remain in Army Hospitals until the end of the war, when he would finally make his way back to the States. Numerous doctors said that due to his injuries, he wouldn’t be able to do a large number of things. However, Tipper’s determination turned that list into a checklist of things to accomplish.
After the war and upon returning to the United States, Tipper decided to become an educator and got a degree in English under the GI Bill, which enabled thousands of veterans to return to higher education after their service. He would get his first job in Iowa before moving to Colorado a year later to get a master’s degree at the University of Northern Colorado to further progress his career. He would remain in Colorado for the rest of his life, drawn by the mountains and his newfound passion for skiing.[11]
Due to his service and membership of the 101st Airborne, Tipper received a number of medals for his service, including the Purple Heart, which is given to every American soldier who is wounded in combat. He also received the French Legion of Honor medal, France’s highest military honour for soldiers who’ve seen combat.[12] Additionally, he’s been given the Bronze Star, an American medal awarded to servicemen for heroic achievement or service in combat. However, Tipper wore a number of other pins on his uniform, including the Presidential Unit Citation, due to the 101st Airborne’s regiments demonstrating immense bravery and heroism during the Normandy landings. Every Paratrooper, including Tipper, wore their Jump Wings which proved that they had completed the five required training jumps to certify as a Paratrooper.
Edward Tipper’s life was full of service both home and abroad. Even after service, he saw how people wanted to help and support him because of his sacrifice to the country, but he was determined to continue serving and helping people as a teacher, building the future, rather than tearing it down. Whilst he is most well-known for his short, yet appreciated service to the United States during WW2, the rest of his life was spent serving the nation through different means.
Footnotes ↓
[1] “1930 United States Federal Census,” 2021, Ancestry.com, entry for Edward J Tipper, accessed August 2, 2025.
[2] Interview with Kerry Tipper, August 19th, 2025.
[3] Interview with Kerry Tipper, August 19th, 2025.
[4] “U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947,” 2021, Ancestry.com, entry for Edward James Tipper, Accessed August 1, 2025.
[5] “U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946,” 2021, Ancestry.com, accessed August 1, 2025.
[6] Interview with Kerry Tipper, August 19th, 2025
[7] Interview with Kerry Tipper, August 19th, 2025.
[8] Johnston, Lew. 2025. “Troop Carrier D-Day Flights – Air Mobility Command Museum.” Amcmuseum.org. Accessed August 10th,2025. https://www.amcmuseum.org/history/troop-carrier-d-day-flights/.
[9] Interview with Kerry Tipper, August 19th, 2025
[10] Ibid.
[11] Interview with Kerry Tipper, August 19th, 2025
[12] VAntagePoint Contributor. 2022. “#VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Edward J. Tipper Jr.” VA News. July 10, 2022. Accessed August 1st, 2025 https://news.va.gov/105424/veteranoftheday-army-veteran-edward-j-tipper-jr/.
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