Drew Douglas Shipley was born 28 March 1946, in Miami, Oklahoma, the son of Lois Quick Shipley and Melvin Shipley. He attended public school in Miami and the Military Academy at Claremore, OK.

On his second tour in Vietnam, CPL Shipley was Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) Commander assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion (Mechanized), 50th Infantry, 1st Air Cavalry Division. Taller than most, with knobby shoulder muscles bulging under his jungle fatigues, a testament to years of hard work slinging bales of hay back home, he was a self-sufficient and proficient Soldier which brought comfort to those with whom he served. As squad leader in an ambush patrol on 10 December 1967, CPL Shipley was killed in Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam, when his company came under heavy fire from the village of Truong Lam.

He was awarded the Silver Star for his heroic actions that day and was posthumously promoted to Sergeant. In addition to the Silver Star, his awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and Combat Infantry Badge. His father preceded him in death. SGT Shipley is buried in Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery, Miami, OK, and was survived by his mother and sister.

A black granite monument with the names of 99 former Oklahoma Military Academy cadets, including SGT Shipley's name, was dedicated 4 June 2011 and stands front and center on the Rogers State University campus, Formerly known as Claremore Military Academy, in Claremore, OK.