Marine Col. (Ret.) John Ripley Has Passed Away

Retired Marine Col. John W. Ripley, one of the Marine Corps' most distinguished officers and the man credited with single-handedly stopping a column of North Vietnamese tanks by blowing up two bridges, has passed away at the age of 69.

Col. Ripley, descended from a line of military veterans tracing back to the American Revolution, was born in Radford, Virginia. He enlisted in the Marine Corps directly after graduating from high school in 1957, and a year later was appointed to the Naval Academy, graduating in 1962.

After completing a tour with the Marine Detachment serving aboard the USS Independence, he joined the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, then was transferred to the 22nd Force Reconnaissance Company in May 1965. Later transferred to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines in South Vietnam, Ripley served as Company Commander of Lima Company, which became known as "Ripley's Raiders. He was wounded in action, but recovered and returned to complete his combat tour.

Col. Ripley saw action in 26 major combat operations during his two-year tour in Viet Nam. During that time, besides the Purple Heart, he earned numerous medals for valor, including the Silver Star, Two Legion of Merit medals, two Bronze Stars with Combat 'V', and the Navy Cross. He was also awarded the South Vietnamese Distinguished Service Order, 2nd Class, and the South Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Gold Star.

The action that earner Ripley the Navy Cross has become known in Marine Corps legend as the story of "Ripley at the Bridge." On Easter morning in 1972, Ripley, then a captain leading a force of 600 South Vietnamese soldiers, was ordered to "hold and die" to stop an invading force of 200,000 North Vietnamese soldiers and 200 tanks approaching the twin spans of the Dong Ha bridge.

Ripley knew his forces were overwhelmingly outnumbered, and saw that the only way to stop the oncoming enemy force was to destroy the bridges. Ignoring heavy gunfire from the North Vietnamese forces, Ripley crawled out under each of the bridges, placing and then detonating some 500 pounds of explosives. He said later that he did not expect to survive the attempt, let alone to succeed. The Marine Corps said that if Ripley had failed, the Easter Offensive would have dealt a serious blow to South Vietnamese war efforts.

After completing two tours in Viet Nam, Ripley served with Marine Force Recon, commanded the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines and the 2nd Marine Regiment. He also served as an exchange officer with the British Royal Marines. Later he was placed in charge of NROTC detachments at Oregon State University and the Virginia Military Institute. As the senior Marine at the United States Naval Academy, Ripley taught English and history.

Col. Ripley also completed the four most difficult military training schools in the world to earn the prestigious "Quad Four," successfully completing training with the U.S. Army Rangers, Marine Reconnaissance, Army Airborne school, and the British Royal Marines. He was also the only Marine to be inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame.

Col. Ripley retired from the Marine Corps in 1992 after 35 years of exemplary service. But his service to his country and the Corps he loved did not end there. He became president and Chancellor at Southern Virginia University, and later served as president of Hargrave Military Academy, also in Virginia. And in 1999, he accepted an appointment as the director of the Marine Corps' History and Museums' division. He also supported the acceptance of women into the Naval Academy.

It seems fitting that this gallant warrior passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 28, 2008 at the age of 69, leaving behind his wife Modline, three sons, a daughter, and eight grandchildren. He was buried at his beloved Annapolis Naval Academy in Maryland.

You've done your duty, now rest in peace, Col. Ripley. You earned it.

"Marine Vietnam war hero passes away" http://www.forcerecon.com/Col‑John‑W‑Ripley.htm
"John Ripley (USMC)" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_John_Ripley
"The Official Biography of Lima Company's Commander" http://gruntfixer.homestead.com/files/ripley.html