John Ripley (USMC)
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| John Walter Ripley | |
|---|---|
| Born 1939 (age 68–69) | |
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| Place of birth | Virginia |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1957-1992 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | 1st Battalion 2nd Marines 2nd Marine Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Navy Cross Silver Star Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star (2) Purple Heart |
| Other work | Southern Virginia University Hargrave Military Academy USMC History & Museums Division, Director |
John Walter Ripley (born 1939) is a retired United States Marine Corps officer who received the Navy Cross for his combat actions during Vietnam. On Easter morning 1972, Captain Ripley, while under intense enemy fire, blew up a bridge to stop a major invasion; the story of Ripley's actions — "Ripley at the Bridge" — is legendary in the Marine Corps and is captured in a diorama at the United States Naval Academy.
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[edit] Military career
Born in Radford, Virginia, Ripley enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1957. A year later he was selected to attend the United States Naval Academy and graduated with the class of 1962.
During his two years of Vietnam service he participated in 26 major operations. In addition to numerous decorations for extensive combat experience at the rifle company and battalion levels, Col. Ripley was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism in destroying the Dong Ha bridge during the 1972 North Vietnamese Easter Offensive (also known as the Nguyen Hue Offensive). That action is memorialized at the Naval Academy with a large diorama titled "Ripley at the Bridge."
Following his tours in Vietnam, Colonel Ripley served with Marine Force Reconnaissance, was an exchange officer with the British Royal Marines and was a Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines and the 2nd Marine Regiment. His final tours in the Marine Corps were in charge of the NROTC detachments at Oregon State University and the Virginia Military Institute and as the senior Marine at the United States Naval Academy teaching English and history.
In addition to the Navy Cross, his personal decorations include the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals with Combat 'V', the Purple Heart, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, the South Vietnamese Army Distinguished Service Order, 2nd Class, and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold Star.
[edit] Post-active duty
Upon his retirement from active duty in 1992, Colonel Ripley was president and chancellor of Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista, Virginia and subsequently as president of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia. He was selected by the Marine Corps Commandant in 1999 to be the director of the Corps' history and museums division.
As a result of combat action, Colonel Ripley contracted a disease that would require a liver transplant in the summer of 2002. On his death bed, with little time left and already having received Last Rites twice, a liver was located. This spurred the Commandant of the Marine Corps to send a section of CH-46s to Philadelphia to retrieve the liver. After further coordination with the Washington D.C. Police for landing zones in the city the liver arrived in time and the transplant was successful.[1]
In October 2006, John Ripley returned to the site of the Dong Ha Bridge to film a documentary of his exploits. The documentary was hosted by Oliver North, and was shown on November 12, 2006 on Fox News.[2]
[edit] Awards and honors
In 2002, he also became the very first Marine officer to receive the “Distinguished Graduate Award”, the highest and most prestigious award given by the United States Naval Academy. Also, in May of 2004, Marines of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit named a Forward Operating Base after him (FOB Ripley) in south-central Afghanistan.[3] In July 2006 the Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, Rhode Island dedicated its new dormitory as "Ripley Hall", honoring their former graduate.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Gamerman, Ellen. " 'Semper Fidelis' Saves a Life", Baltimore Sun, August 16, 2002.
- ^ The Furious Fight for Dong Ha, War Stories with Oliver North, Fox News [1]
- ^ Milks, GySgt Keith A. "22d MEU (SOC)'s FOB in Afgahanistan pays homage to Marine hero", Marine News, May 10, 2004.
- John Grider Miller. The Bridge at Dong Ha. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
- Character Development at USNA. Col John Ripley Biography. Retrieved on 2006-07-15.
