Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Joshua DeMotts | Retired Chief Master Sgt. William 'Tip' Tippins was in the Army during World War II...... read more read more
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Retired Chief Master Sgt. William ‘Tip’ Tippins was in the Army during World War II and was a Prisoner of War. During his 18 months in captivity, he escaped three times from the Germans and once from Russian liberators before returning to American care.
Tippins tried to join the Army again to go back to Germany after the war was over in search of a nurse’s aide who kept him alive by sneaking him food. Unfortunately, Tippins wasn’t allowed to go while in the Army due to an agreement with the Germans, which did not allow prisoners of war to return to Germany.
Finding a loophole, he joined the newest branch of the military, the Air Force. After joining the Air Force, Tippins was stationed in Germany and eventually found the nurse who kept him alive, they were married seven months later.
Tippins spent his time in the Air Force in the security career fields and was a bodyguard for Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower at one point.
After serving 24 years in the military, Tippins said he will be forever grateful for his time in the Air Force, not only because he found his late wife but because of the educational opportunities that were opened up to him.
At 90 years old, Tippins puts on his old service dress and attends the Pentagon’s POW day each year. On his down time, he sometimes talks to groups such as the Boy Scouts of America about his years in the military and as a POW.
| Date Taken: | 11.06.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.06.2015 11:13 |
| Story ID: | 181176 |
| Location: | SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 343 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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