The Bronze Star Medal held a nice beautiful chocolate patina and was in a pristine plastic presentation case from the 1950s and 1960s era.  It was eye catching, with the initials D.C.K. engraved on the back.  This would have meant the recipient would have been unknown and lost to time.  Except for the metal U.S. Air Force name tag to D. C. Kipfer with the Warfare Systems School insignia pointed to an exceptional Air Force Colonel’s Service that spanned from World War II through the Vietnam conflict.  What initially looked to be a story of a singular wartime achievement instead told a story of a man whose contributions in Research & Development had greater strategic impact on the United States Air Force.  This is Colonel Donald C. Kipfer’s story of service.

After graduating from Washington High School in 1941, Donald C. Kipfer was working as a machinist with the Republic Steel Corporation in Massillon, Ohio.  On December 5, 1943, he enlisted as a Private in the U.S. Army Air Forces. [1] Because of his scores on a Civil Service Exam, [2] he was accepted into the West Point preparatory program at Cornell University and departed for his freshman year on June 30, 1944. [3] In December 1947, Mr. & Mrs. Tracey E. Gentry of Newark, Ohio announced the engagement of their daughter Edna Mae Gentry to Cadet Donald Kipfer. [4] He had proposed to his “decade long ‘one-and-only’” as reported by the West Point Association of Graduates! [5]

The Newark Advocate covered the wedding in its June 11, 1948 edition:

In Cadet Chapel, West Point Military Academy, Miss Edna Mae Gentry…..became the bride of Lt. Donald Charles Kipfer at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 8….

The chapel altar was banked with summer flowers and ferns and traditional wedding marches from ‘Lohengrin’ and by Mendelssohn were used for the processional and recessional.  During the latter, as the bride and bridegroom reached the doorway of the chapel, the ushers drew their sabers, forming the traditional arch under which the couple passed. [6]

Lieutenant Kipfer undertook flight training at Keesler AFB, Mississippi and Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.  His first assignment after training was Basic Flying Instructor and Officer-In-Charge of the Preflight section at Goodfellow AFB, Texas.  This was the only USAF Preflight program designed for NATO students, and “Mae acted as hostess for the grand Preflight graduations, ran the base’s nursery, and delivered three sons in three years!” [7]  In 1952, he studied armaments at the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson AFB graduating with a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.  After a tour of duty in Armament Laboratory at the Air Development Center (at Wright-Patterson AFB), he served two years as an exchange officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force Headquarters in Ottowa. [8] While an exchange officer, he was project officer for the CF-105 Avro Arrow. [9]

The West Point Association of Graduates relates this interesting anecdote in their memorial to Colonel Kipfer:

Back in Systems Command Headquarters, Don was sent to the Air Force Technology Planning Conference on the Whitney Estate in Woods Hole, MA. Incredibly, he sat in a small room at a small table with Dr. Shockley, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for inventing the transistor, Dr Kantrowitz, a world leader in magneto-hydrodynamics, and Dr. Draper of MIT, an automatic control magician. When a professor entered their room and set down a small test tube containing pulsating, green light, Dr Kantrowitz asked, “What the hell is that?” The professor replied, “I call it a ‘laser’!” Don took the professor and his ‘laser’ to MIT for their opinion. “It’s a go! But find the money!” The rest is history!” [10]

After graduating from Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama; Major Kipfer designed the first orbital training aid to embody three dimensional design.  The trainer would be used in the Weapon Systems School’s Aerospace Operations Course and the Space Fundamentals Course.  Major Kipfer said of the project, “When we started on the project, we realized we were going into a new field and that we were pioneering in the field of aerospace instruction.” [11]

During a subsequent tour of duty in Brussells, Belgium; Major Kipfer worked with the European Office of Aerospace Research (EOAR) while Edna Mae, “equipped the new Brussels American High School Library and had it certified in three months with the help of an Assistant Secretary of State, four ambassadors, and six full colonels.” [12]

After pinning on his Colonel’s eagles, Colonel Kipfer was assigned as the Deputy Base Commander at Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.  As the Deputy Base Commander, he led a “Red Horse” effort to convert Nakhon Pathom’s Second World War Era metal runways to concrete. It was likely for this duty that Colonel Kipfer earned the Bronze Star Medal.

After his tour of duty in Vietnam, he returned to EOAR as the Director of Plans.  He later served as Systems Command Director of Avionics, Electronics and Weapons and participated in Kirtland AFB Weapons Labs’ laser weapons programs.  [13] For this duty, he was awarded the Legion of Merit. [14] Colonel Kipfer’s final tour of duty was as the Air Force System Manager for the Space Shuttle, A-10 “Warthog,” and ground electronics systems.  [15]

After retiring from the Air Force, Colonel Kipfer wrote and published several novels, painted and received national recognition for his wood sculptures.  He and Edna Mae lived in Punta Gorda, Florida.  Edna Mae passed away in July of 2007, and Colonel Kipfer passed away on December 5, 2012 at the age of 89.  He was buried with full military honors. [16]

Sources:

1. The Evening Independent. Massillon, Ohio.  June 30, 1944.  Pg. 2
2. Donald C. Kipfer. West Point Association of Graduates Website.  https://www.westpointaog.org/memorial-article?id=4871746e-6488-4c24-9d73-7e69496ec49f Accessed January 6, 2019.
3. The Evening Independent. Massillon, Ohio.  June 30, 1944.  Pg. 2
4. The Newark Advocate. Newark, Ohio.  December 29, 1947.  Pg. 6
5. Donald C. Kipfer. West Point Association of Graduates Website.  https://www.westpointaog.org/memorial-article?id=4871746e-6488-4c24-9d73-7e69496ec49f Accessed January 6, 2019.
6. The Newark Advocate. Newark, Ohio.  June 11, 1948.  Pg. 6
7. Donald C. Kipfer. West Point Association of Graduates Website.  https://www.westpointaog.org/memorial-article?id=4871746e-6488-4c24-9d73-7e69496ec49f Accessed January 6, 2019.
8. The Evening Independent. Massillon, Ohio.  September 7, 1956.  Pg. 9
9. Donald C. Kipfer. West Point Association of Graduates Website.  https://www.westpointaog.org/memorial-article?id=4871746e-6488-4c24-9d73-7e69496ec49f Accessed January 6, 2019.
10. Ibid.
11. The Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama.  February 1, 1963.  Pg. 18
12. Donald C. Kipfer. West Point Association of Graduates Website.  https://www.westpointaog.org/memorial-article?id=4871746e-6488-4c24-9d73-7e69496ec49f Accessed January 6, 2019.
13. Ibid.
14. The Evening Independent. Massillon, Ohio.  December 23, 1974.  Pg. 19
15. Donald C. Kipfer. West Point Association of Graduates Website.  https://www.westpointaog.org/memorial-article?id=4871746e-6488-4c24-9d73-7e69496ec49f Accessed January 6, 2019.
16. Donald Kipfer Obituary – Canton, Ohio. Legacy.com  https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/cantonrep/obituary.aspx?n=donald-charles-kipfer&pid=161549050  Accessed January 6, 2019.