Carwood Lipton - United States Army Officer, Timeline and Family

Carwood Lipton was born on 30 January 1920 in Huntington, West Virginia. He suffered a huge personal loss at the age of 10 when his father was fatally wounded in a car crash while his mother who was co-passenger became paralyzed. As the eldest sibling, the responsibility of providing for the family fell on him.

He had to cut short his education at Marshall University in Huntington owing to paucity of funds, and following the completion of a year’s study, he took up a job in an arms production plant.

He came across a report that dwelt on the arduousness of and challenges involved in paratrooper training in ‘Life’, a weekly which inspired him to sign up as a paratrooper. He was finally selected to train in the paratroop force under 101st Airborne Division of the US Army at Fort Thomas (Newport), Kentucky in 1942.

Carwood Lipton’s unremitting enthusiasm and dogged perseverance parachuted him to the rank of First Sergeant in Easy Company when James “Punchy” Diel, the serving First Sergeant was promoted as ‘commissioned officer’ position.

When James “Punchy” Diel died on duty near Eindhoven (in Netherlands) on 19th September 1944, Lipton, as a sergeant, went out of the way to cheer up the paratroopers, and always saw to it that their morale was constantly high.

Senior officers of Easy Company under the 101st Airborne Division appreciated Carwood Lipton’s efforts. Nicknamed “The Man”, he served as the jumpmaster for paratroopers that dived from C-47 Skytrain DC Douglas military aircrafts, for landing in Normandy.

Carwood landed in Normandy with Richard “Dick” Winters, the hitherto First Lieutenant as well as numerous others from the 101st Airborne Division, under the command of General Maxwell Taylor.

He was seriously injured by shrapnel fired from a self-propelled 105 Howitzer gun during the Normandy raid but a medic dressed his wound and treated him which enabled him to continue fighting.

Carwood Lipton was part of the team that carried out the assault on Manor Brecourt when Easy Company was assigned the responsibility of demolishing four 105mm Howitzers that were raining down on Utah Beach. In order to have some leverage in killing the Germans manning the Howitzer guns, Lipton clambered up a tree. The task of destroying all the four howitzers became easier with the slaying of the Germans and Carwood’s timely action earned him a ‘Bronze Star’.

Lipton was part of the Carentan raid by Easy Company supervised by Lt. Colonel, Robert George Cole who got injured from a shot fired by a sniper. Lipton himself received injuries in the groin and face for which he was honored with a ‘Purple Heart’ while Lt. Col George Cole received a ‘Medal of Honor’ for his effective leadership.

Carwood Lipton was actively involved in an operation that was undertaken by Easy Company to liberate Eindhoven where the team first scanned the route and bridge for ensuring a safe passage for the rest. A squad member was critically injured by a hand grenade of German make when the troop was engaged in a battle at a crossroad in the Dutch city.

Easy Company members were entrusted with the responsibility of obliterating and nullifying all German opposition at the intersection. Lipton who joined the primary assault team comprising 10 soldiers, at a later stage, played a key role in annihilating two SS platoons stationed at the crossways by launching a sudden attack. The surprise assault codenamed, ‘Operation Pegasus’ was relatively a low-profile operation requiring Easy Company to cross Lower Rhine on boats to rescue 140 fenced-in British paratroopers (following their retreat from Arnhem).

First Lieutenant Frederick Theodore ‘Moose’ Heyliger received unflinching support from Carwood Lipton in effectively ensuring the successful conduct of ‘Operation Pegasus’.

Lipton took upon himself to lead the paratroopers when a raid was planned on Bastogne, near Ardennes Forest and it was his equanimity and mental strength that cheered up the men.

Following the successful completion of the raid on Foy, Lipton was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the battlefield.

Carwood Lipton also took part in the siege of Berchtesgaden, Hitler’s winter retreat, along with other members of Easy Company. He stayed with Easy Company right until the end of WWII in 1945 following which the 101st Airborne Division was broken up.

He was on standby as a soldier throughout the Korean War but was never sent abroad.

After returning to the US following the end of WWII, he took readmission at Marshall University to complete his graduation. He received a degree in engineering made him eligible for an entry- level position in a plastic package and glass manufacturing company named Owens Illinois Inc.

His devotion and sincerity helped him to rapidly rise through the organization and he retired as Director of International Development, in 1983.

Carwood Lipton spent his twilight years in the tranquility of Southern Pines Town in North Carolina. He breathed his last on 16 December 2001, succumbing to pulmonary fibrosis.

He was survived by his wife, Marie; three sons; Michael, Thomas and Clifford Carwood III; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Carwood Lipton’s life as a paratrooper has been profiled in a book titled, ‘A Company of Heroes: Personal Memories about the Real Band of Brothers and the Legacy They Left Us’.

The well-known actor, Donnie Wahlberg, portrayed Carwood Lipton in the TV miniseries ‘Band of Brothers’ produced by HBO.

Lipton featured as himself narrating the real story of Easy Company in the TV show, ‘We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company’.