JFK GeoTour
#14 J.D. Tippit Gravesite
6300 S R. L. Thornton Fwy, Dallas, TX 75232
JD Tippit was born in Clarksville, Texas. He had no first or middle name, only the letters “JD”. He was a decorated WWII veteran (awarded the Bronze Star while serving in the Army Airborne Infantry in Germany). His DPD badge # was 848.
A marker was finally placed for Officer Tippit in 2012 at the site of his encounter with Lee Harvey Oswald. The marker was placed during a ceremony that his wife attended. A year after the marker was placed, as part of the 50th memorial activities for President Kennedy, Officer Tippit’s wife was finally presented with a folded U.S. flag as is customary for officers that are killed in the line of duty. She had never received a flag, which was a wrong that took half a century to correct.
At the time of his death, Officer Tippit was married and had 3 young children. Within 2 months of his death, the American Police Hall of Fame posthumously awarded him the Medal of Valor. He later received several more awards for his public service.
Upon his death, he was interred at the Laurel Land Cemetery. In one of the more uplifting stories from these sad days, Officer Tippit’s family received an unusual amount of support and well-deserved attention following his death. JFK’s brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and new President Lyndon Johnson called Mrs. Tippit to offer condolences. Mrs. Tippit also received a special hand-written note from Jackie Kennedy, which the Kennedy family has only now allowed to be read in public. The Kennedys allowed it to be read for a Tom Brokow television program recognizing the significance of the events 50 years later. In one of the greatest acts of kindness, Abraham Zapruder donated the first $25,000 he received for selling his video of the Kennedy assassination. He gave this money to Mrs. Tippit, which helped start a wave of donations to the Tippiits, eventually reaching nearly $650,000.