Tipton Army Airfield

Named for Marylander Colonel William D. Tipton, Tipton Army Airfield was constructed in 1960 to replace a smaller airstrip operating since 1938 near the present Post Exchange and Commissary complex.<br><br> COL Tipton served in both World Wars. During World War I COL Tipton was a pursuit pilot in the 17th Aero Squadron attached to the British Royal Air Force. He saw action in the Battle of the Somme where he was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross and the American purple Heart. He was captured by the Germans in August of 1918 and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner.<br><br> He also served in World War II where he rose to the rank of Colonel. COL Tipton died December 12, 1945 at Adena, Ohio, as a result of injuries received in an airplane accident.<br><br> In 1995, the operation and control of Tipton Army Airfield was given to Anne Arundel County, Maryland.<br><br> This plaque erected in 1996 by the Fort Meade Museum.