Jump to content
Logging In to USMF has changed from using your USERNAME to requiring the EMAIL ADDRESS associated with your USMF account. Click to read more.

Marine Col Ripley

Oldcop

By Oldcop,
in TAPS

 Share

Recommended Posts

Oldcop

Oldcop

Posted
Posted

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Retired Marine Col. John Ripley, who was credited with stopping a column of North Vietnamese tanks by blowing up a pair of bridges during the 1972 Easter Offensive of the Vietnam War, died at home at age 69, friends and relatives said Sunday.

 

Ripley's son, Stephen Ripley, said his father was found at his Annapolis home Saturday after missing a speaking engagement on Friday. The son said the cause of death had not been determined but it appeared his father died in his sleep.

 

In a videotaped interview with the U.S. Naval Institute for its Americans at War program, Ripley said he and about 600 South Vietnamese were ordered to "hold and die" against 20,000 North Vietnamese soldiers with about 200 tanks.

 

"I'll never forget that order, 'hold and die'," Ripley said. The only way to stop the enormous force with their tiny force was to destroy the bridge, he said.

 

"The idea that I would be able to even finish the job before the enemy got me was ludicrous," Ripley said. "When you know you're not going to make it, a wonderful thing happens: You stop being cluttered by the feeling that you're going to save your butt."

 

Ripley crawled under the bridge under heavy gunfire, rigging 500 pounds of explosives that brought the twins spans down, said John Miller, a former Marine adviser in Vietnam and the author of "The Bridge at Dong Ha," which details the battle.

 

Miller said the North Vietnamese advance was slowed considerably by Ripley.

 

"A lot of people think South Vietnam would have gone under in '72 had he not stopped them," Miller said.

 

Ray Madonna, president of the U.S. Naval Academy's 1962 graduating class, served in Vietnam as a Marine at the same time and said his classmate saved countless U.S. and South Vietnamese troops.

 

"They would have been wrecked" if the tanks had crossed, Madonna said. He said Ripley also coordinated naval gunfire that stopped the tanks from crossing at a shallower point downstream.

 

"He was a Marine's Marine, respected, highly respected by enlisted men, by his peers and by his seniors," Madonna said.

 

Miller said Ripley, who was born in Radford, Va., descended from a long line of veterans going back to the Revolutionary War. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1962, after enlisting in the Marines out of high school and spending a year in naval school in Newport, R.I.

 

He earned the "Quad Body" distinction for making it through four of the toughest military training programs in the world: the Army Rangers, Marine reconnaissance, Army Airborne and Britain's Royal Marines, Miller said. He was also the only Marine to be inducted in the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame.

 

Ripley earned the Navy Cross and Silver Star for his service in Vietnam. He later served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff and was regimental commander at Camp Lejeune, N.C., among other postings.

 

After retiring from the Marines, he was president and chancellor of Southern Virginia College in Lexington, Va.

 

Stephen Ripley said his father had a deep and tenacious love for his country, the Marine Corps and his family.

 

"My Dad never quit anything and never went halfway on anything in his life," he said. "He just was a full-throttle kind of person and those people that he cared about, he really cared about."

 

Ripley is survived by his wife, Moline B. Ripley, 67; three sons, Stephen Ripley, 43, Thomas Ripley, 38, and John Ripley, 35; a daughter, Mary Ripley, 39; and eight grandchildren.

 

Funeral arrangements were pending.

 

Another good man gone. It seems this generation is rapidly leaving us. This bothers me because I am part of that generation. Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ItemCo16527

ItemCo16527

Posted
Posted

I just saw the news on yahoo.com and couldn't believe it. A friend of my mother's knew him pretty well as her ex-husband was also Marine Force Recon and friends with Colonel Ripley. She told me once that "Rip", as his friends called him, was a true gentleman and very very modest about his exploits.

 

Rest in peace, Colonel. You will not be forgotten.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nguoi tien su

nguoi tien su

Posted
Posted

The battle of Dong Ha had huge consequences on the NVA moves to the South of VN during the Easter offensive.

A true personal feat. He received the Navy Cross for this action, it might even have been worth a MOH?

 

Can anyone post other photos of (then) Cpt Ripley in Vietnam? Thanks.

 

NTS

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Patrick.

Patrick.

Posted
Posted

in an age where the word hero has been devalued, it is poignant to read of a Gentleman who fully embodied and deserves the term.

 

A sad loss.

 

Rest in peace Mr.Ripley.

 

 

Patrick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dave

Dave

Posted
Posted

RIP Colonel...

 

To answer nguoi tien su's question, he was nominated for the MOH, but there were insufficient US citizen eye witnesses - a requirement to be considered for the award. Thus the reason he was downgraded to the Navy Cross. A diorama of his bridge blowing can be seen on the left side of the entrance into Memorial Hall at the US Naval Academy. A neat place if you ever have a chance to get there.

 

Colonel Ripley was an icon at the Academy. His house overlooked Gate 3, and peered into the Yard of the Academy, thus he was there on a regular basis. (In fact, his granddaughter dated one of my midshipmen, which caused a brawl one night between my mid and some Marine enlisted who felt that she should be dating a Marine instead...)

 

The first time I met the Colonel, I was amazed at how small he was. After all, hearing so much about him, I expected him to be something near "10 foot tall and bulletproof". Turns out he was about 5 foot 6 or so, if that. But being shocked by how short he was, I blurted out, "Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you, but you're a lot smaller than I thought you'd be!" Probably not the BEST use of words for a young officer, but he laughed and replied "Son, I've always been this size". He had a good sense of humor and took it all in stride. He was a great man and never was too busy to talk to anyone, be they enlisted, midshipman or officer.

 

It's unfortunate that this icon has passed, he was a Hero in every sense of the word.

 

RIP Colonel...

 

Dave

 

The battle of Dong Ha had huge consequences on the NVA moves to the South of VN during the Easter offensive.

A true personal feat. He received the Navy Cross for this action, it might even have been worth a MOH?

 

Can anyone post other photos of (then) Cpt Ripley in Vietnam? Thanks.

 

NTS

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ItemCo16527

ItemCo16527

Posted
Posted
Thanks Leigh. That is the only photo of Cpt Ripley I know. I wonder where are the others?

I have a coffee table book called The Marines which was published in the late 1980's, and it contains two photos of Col. Ripley. One is a picture of him in, I think, Bancroft Hall at the Naval Academy wearing his dress blues and all of his ribbons (a very impressive sight). The second photo is in the back of the book and is just a close-up photo of his medals, gold jump wings, and SCUBA badge. If I get the chance, I will try to either scan or photograph these pictures this coming weekend. I won't be able to do it any sooner as the book isn't currently with me and I'm very busy this week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Salvage Sailor

Salvage Sailor

Posted
Posted

Through an odd coincidence, I pulled a nice copy of 'The Bridge at Dong Ha' published by bluejacket books out of a stack of used books on Sunday and purchased it. I have a copy in my library I'd read when it was published, and wanted to re-read it

 

Imagine my surprise in seeing his obituary today.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
4STARCHRIS

4STARCHRIS

Posted
Posted
I have a coffee table book called The Marines which was published in the late 1980's, and it contains two photos of Col. Ripley. One is a picture of him in, I think, Bancroft Hall at the Naval Academy wearing his dress blues and all of his ribbons (a very impressive sight). The second photo is in the back of the book and is just a close-up photo of his medals, gold jump wings, and SCUBA badge. If I get the chance, I will try to either scan or photograph these pictures this coming weekend. I won't be able to do it any sooner as the book isn't currently with me and I'm very busy this week.

 

Would love a chance to see the pics. Can not wait,

4starchris

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ItemCo16527

ItemCo16527

Posted
Posted

If the mods don't mind, these are the pictures from the book The Marines. If there are any issues with copyrights and such, please feel free to remove them.

 

vdln2u.jpg

Col. Ripley prior to the award of his first Legion of Merit.

 

346ajut.jpg

Col. Ripley's medals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 10 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...