“Band of Brothers” veteran Ed Tipper dies

Ed Tipper, a member of the famous D-Day-era "Easy Company," died at his home in Lakewood, Colorado, Feb. 1.

He was 95.

According to a report by the Denver Post, the former paratrooper with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, spent over 30 years as a teacher before retiring in 1979. He received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among other decorations, for his service in World War II.

The Daily Caller noted that Tipper suffered severe wounds during the Battle of Carentan, including the loss of his right eye, when a German mortar shell hit while he was clearing a house. The opening credits of the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," shows Tipper, played by Bart Raspoli, being comforted by Joe Liebgott, played by Ross McCall, in the aftermath of that hit.

"So much of what people talk about with him is what he did in the war. That was two years and really six days starting on D-Day," his daughter, Kerry Tipper, told the newspaper. "Teaching was 30 years."

Most notable, though, is that despite the wounds, which included two broken legs, Tipper managed to carry on a very active life.

"He just refused to accept people's limitations," his daughter Kerry told the Denver Post. The newspaper reported that Tipper took a list of things doctors said he couldn't do and made it a checklist. He was known to be an avid skier well into his 80s.

His daughter also added that Tipper, like many in Easy Company, felt, "a little embarrassed that their group got attention, that theirs was spotlighted when there were so many other groups that did incredible things and made sacrifices."

According to the Denver Post, Tipper is survived by a wife who he married in 1982, a daughter and a son-in-law. A public memorial service is scheduled for June 1.

Below, see the Battle of Carentan as portrayed in "Band of Brothers." Ed Tipper is wounded at around 7:14 into the video: