Rippon enlisted as a Second Class Electrician's Mate at an enlistment location in Olean, New York on November 24th, 1942. He was 34 at the time. Rippon was born in 1908, and was the son of Edward Graystock Rippon, and Ann Elizabeth Rippon. Ann's Maiden name was Hinchcliffe. The Rippon's resided at 224 Maple St. in Johnsonburg Pennsylvania. At the time of enlistment Rippon was single and contained a 12th grade education, and there is no evidence that this status changed up to his death. Rippon was 31 at the start of the war, however as the US didn't join the effort until December of 1941, he would have been 33 at the time that the US officially joined the war. This means that Rippon waited a little under a year to join the Navy.