John Edward Tipton

Specialist Fourth Class John Edward Tipton was born on May 1, 1949. His home of record is Pennsauken, NJ. He lived with his mother, stepfather and brother. John enjoyed motorcycling, wrestling, hiking, mountain climbing and rough water canoeing.

SP4 Tipton began his tour of duty in Vietnam on November 23, 1968. During his first tour in Vietnam he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Valor and came home after eleven months due to malaria. During Tipton’s second tour he was killed in a motor vehicle accident on March 1, 1969, in the Darlac Province of South Vietnam. He was 19 years old.

Specialist Fourth Class Tipton was brought home to the United States for burial. The Township of Pennsauken named John Tipton Memorial Highway, a road located in a major industrial park, in his memory.

John Edward Tipton is honored on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 30W, Row 8.

He is buried at Beverly National Cemetery, Beverly, NJ — Section J, Site 3487.

I was chosen to go on that mission. The next day the lieutenant changed his mind and sent Tipton. He had shown me pictures of his family and girlfriend. We were friends.

— Gerald Hollins — November 14, 2008