Colonel William Philip Pipkin was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School, 7 November 1941, class number 2. His first duty assignment was as Platoon Leader, Company I, 186th Infantry, 41st Infantry Division, Australia. | His subsequent assignments include: Weapons Platoon Leader, Co L, 186th Inf, 41st Inf Div, New Guinea; Div Ln Off, Headquarters, 41st Inf Div, New Guinea; Div Ln Off, Headquarters, 41st Inf Div, Philippine Islands; Company Commander, Co M, 378th Inf, 95th Inf Div, USAR, Oklahoma; Btry Commander, Btry C, 391st AAA (AW), Oklahoma; Bn S-3, Bn XO, Bn, Co, Headquarters, 391st AAA (AW), Bn, USAR, Oklahoma; Bn S-3, 53d AAA Bn (90mm Gun), Fort Bliss, Texas; Tng Br, G-3 Sec, Headquarters, U.S. Army Air Defense Center, Fort Bliss, Texas; Asst PMS, University of Toledo ROTC Det, Toledo, Ohio; PMS, University of Toledo ROTC Det, Toledo, Ohio; Sr Adv Van Kiep Nat’l Tng Cent, MAAG-Vietnam; Author/Instructor, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; XO to Dir of Allied Personnel, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Bn Cmdr, 5th Battalion, 1st Artillery (Nike Herc), Wiesbaden, Germany; Dep ACofS Pers, Headquarters, Seventh Army Support Command, Boeblingen, Germany; Dir of Allied Personnel, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. | His awards and decorations include: Combat Infantryman Badge; Good Conduct Medal; Army Commendation Medal w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster; Meritorious Service Medal; Bronze Star w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster.