Thomas V. Flippen, Sfc, Us Army (Ret.)

Thomas Vernon Flippen
September 13, 1945-May 26, 2015

Thomas Vernon Flippen lived a diverse life with family members he loved deeply, varied professions, and multiple moves in the United States and abroad.

Tom was born in Richmond, Virginia and graduated from Randolph-Macon College in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. Tom began his first career as a high school biology teacher in Chesapeake, Virginia, followed for a short time as an agent for State Farm Insurance in Portsmouth, Virginia, before being drafted into the US Army in 1971. Following a 20 year Army career, from which he retired as a Sergeant First Class (SFC), he was employed in Austin, Texas as an Unemployment Insurance Counselor for the Texas Workforce Commission for over 16 years. After retiring from their employment in Austin, Tom and Billie moved to Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Tom married the former Billie Cuthriell in August, 1967 and they had two sons, John, born in Norfolk, Virginia, and Paul, born in West Berlin. He is survived by his wife, his sister Beverly Staples, and five grandchildren: Matthew, Margaret, Claire, William, and Isaac Flippen.

The twenty year span of Tom's Army career coincided with the majority of the time that Tom and Billie were raising their sons, so that all four Flippens felt like they were all "in the US Army." Tom was trained at Fort Jackson, SC, and for three different years at the Presidio of Monterey, California, where he learned Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced Russian at the Defense Language
Institute.

Following his first year of training as a Russian linguist voice interceptor, then-Specialist Flippen was sent to West Berlin for a three-year assignment with the Army Security Agency, where he was recognized by the command for his skillful collection of signal intelligence from monitoring Soviet radio traffic. Sergeant Flippen would serve two more tours with the Army in West Germany: a three year tour with another Army Security Agency unit at Field Station Augsburg, and a four year tour in Wuerzburg with a tactical military intelligence unit supporting the 3rd Infantry Division.

Sergeant Flippen also served two tours on the cadre of the Army-Air Force cryptologic warfare school at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, where he was a Master Instructor. Throughout his Army career, he frequently served in duty positions above his pay grade, including as the first sergeant of the communications electronic warfare intelligence company and as the S3 NCOIC of the 103rd Military Intelligence Battalion in Wuerzburg, West Germany. He retired honorably from the Army in April, 1991.

Sergeant First Class Flippen was highly respected by his leaders, peers, and subordinates alike, and known as a capable, hardworking, dedicated professional with a keen intellect and a strong sense of humor. His service at a critical time in world history (the Cold War), helped America and its allies maintain pressure on the Soviet Union, hastening the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.

Thomas Flippen's remains will rest at Ft. Logan National Cemetery on South Sheridan Boulevard in Denver, Colorado after a service of military funeral honors to be held on Thursday, June 18th at 2:15 PM. Anyone attending is requested to arrive at Staging Area C no later than 2:00 PM. A Celebration of Life will be held at Grace Presbyterian Church on Friday, June 19th at 1:30 PM. The church is located at 9720 Santa Fe on the corner with Highlands Ranch Parkway. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Denver Rescue Mission, 1139 Park Avenue West, Denver, CO 80205.

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