John F. Tipa was the son of Sicilian immigrants. His parents, Giuseppe and Vincenza Tipa, emigrated from Piazza San Lorenza, Palermo, Italy to New York City where they settled in Little Italy, The Bronx, in 1910. Tipa was ordered to active duty with his unit, 212th Coast Artillery New York Army National Guard headquartered in Manhattan, N.Y.

During his five years on active duty he was sent to Washington, D.C, Fort Stewart, Ga., and Seattle, Wash., before being sent to the Pacific where his unit participated in the Battle of Saipan. He attained the rank of first sergeant before returning home.