A Memorial for Leonard and Edward Lippert

Welcome to the Lippert Brothers website that will take you through the touching life stories and tragic deaths during WWII of two young brothers from Pittsburgh, PA.  They were my uncles whom I never got to meet.

This very personal and unique accounting is the result of many months of research and effort to honor Edward and Leonard, who died at an early age during WWII. .  Leonard died by machine gun fire in a German field at age 19 in the early days of WWII. Edward was killed in a C-46 airplane crash at age 21 flying over the Himalayan mountains leaving China on his return flight home in the final days of the war.  Sadly, Japan had just surrendered. Edward died a month before my own birth 1 Nov, 1945 and I was named after him.

Both were raised in Mt. Oliver, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Edward from 1923 and Leonard from 1925.  Both were buried in foreign lands for years until their bodies were returned home together for burial in 1948.

I undertook the challenge of creating and publishing this website in 2011, some 67 years after their deaths for several reasons:

• Their mother, Marie, was my grandmother and the most special person in my life.
• Their younger and only sister, Dorothy, was my mother.
• Their two much younger brothers, Norb and Dale, were not only my uncles, but my “older brothers”, each an influence in my life.
• Their birth, many years after their older brothers, was a spiritual intervention and a miracle from God, in my mind, since more children were not expected.
• Their “brothers and sisters” in arms are referred to as the greatest generation in American history.
• Their brother Norb asked me to tell their stories and he provided me with some family photos, letters, and documents. Norb served in the USAF from 1957 to 1962 and in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard from 1962 to 1989 (Rank: SMSgt).

As a retired USAF military officer, I welcomed this opportunity to refresh my knowledge of WWII and to remember the sacrifices made by so many … men and women … those at war and those at home. The experience has been rewarding. To the veterans of all wars, I’d do what Tom Hanks did at the end of the movie Saving Private Ryan … I’d Stand Tall, I’d Take a Step Back, and I’d Salute You … an act of great respect. Duty, Honor, and Country … God Bless America and God Bless Our Troops.