Gordon Joseph Lippman

Birthplace: Zap, North Dakota

Branch of Service: Army

Unit: 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment

Theater of Operation: European

Battle: Operation Dragoon, Battle of the Bulge

Enlisted / Commissioned: 5/14/1945

Discharged: 12/11/1965

Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Military Honors: Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Two Silver Stars, Two Bronze Stars, Three Purple Hearts, Legion of Merit, Recognized by the nations of Belgium, France, South Korea, South Vietnam and the United Nations, in addition to the United States of America

Honored By: Michael Lippman

Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Joseph Lippman was a highly decorated U.S. Army officer who served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, earning distinction for extraordinary combat leadership over a 22-year military career. He was killed in action in Vietnam on December 11, 1965.

Early Life

Lippman was born on November 25, 1924, in Zap, North Dakota. After serving in World War II, he completed his education after WWII, graduating from high school and later earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Omaha in 1962 and a Master of Science in International Affairs from George Washington University in 1965.

Military Career

Lippman volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1943 and became a paratrooper, trained at Camp Toccoa and Fort Benning. He served with the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment during World War II and participated in numerous combat operations, including Italy and Germany, and campaigns associated with Operation Dragoon in Southern France and the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium where he received a meritorious battle-field commission to 2nd Lieutenant at the age of 19.

During the Korean War, then-Captain Lippman commanded Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. On April 11, 1951, near Do Chung, Korea, he displayed conspicuous heroism by personally attacking enemy positions under intense fire, actions for which he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second-highest award for valor.

By the Vietnam War, Lippman had risen to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and served as Executive Officer with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. He accumulated more than 1,000 days in combat over eleven military campaigns during his career.

Awards and Decorations

Among his numerous decorations were:

Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal
Two Silver Stars
Two Bronze Stars
Three Purple Hearts
Legion of Merit
Recognized by the nations of Belgium, France, South Korea, South Vietnam and the United Nations, in addition to the United States of America.

On December 11, 1965, Lieutenant Colonel Lippman was killed by sniper fire during a Viet Cong attack on the 3rd Brigade compound in South Vietnam. At the time, he was was 41 years old.

Legacy

Following his death, the brigade compound was renamed Camp Gordon J. Lippman in his honor. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery and is memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Panel 4E, Line 12, in Washington, D.C.

A highway bridge in Hill City, South Dakota, was dedicated in his honor as a Fallen Heroes Bridge Dedication granted by the Governor in 2023.