Carwood Lipton

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.

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.