Keith Tipsword is Coming Home

More than 80 years after his death in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Effingham County native Keith Tipsword is coming home.

Tipsword was 27 years old on December 7, 1941 when an attack by Japanese armed forces resulted in his death and those of 2,402 others, including 68 civilians. Tipsword was a Navy Machinist's Mate 1st Class aboard the USS West Virginia. The ship was moored at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor when the attack came on that Sunday morning. The West Virginia sustained multiple torpedo hits, but timely counter-flooding measures taken by the crew prevented it from capsizing and it came to rest on the shallow harbor floor. 106 crewmen aboard the West Virginia were killed, including Tipsword.

Tipsword's remains were never recovered. Until now.

Several years ago, two of Tipsword's sisters, Betty Fae Yocum of Greenup and Dalyne Sapp of Effingham, were asked to submit DNA samples in case a match of remains could be made. Nothing more was heard until earlier this month, when the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that Tipsword was accounted for on July 12.

Betty Yocum has died since the DNA samples were submitted, leaving Dalyne as the last surviving sibling of the seven Tipsword children. She was contacted last week by an Accounting Agency representative that her brother's remains had been positively identified. 

The next step will be taken when Dalyne is contacted by a US Navy representative as to how Keith will be honored. At this point, any arrangements are yet to be made, but the plan is to return the remains to Effingham County for burial. 

We will keep you up to date.