John Ripley, Vietnam War hero, dies at age 69

Las Vegas Sun ^ | Nov 2, 2008 | NA

[buccaneer81]

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.

Amazing. RIP Colonel.

[WKL815]

Many thanks to him.

[counterpunch]

This story wouldn’t have ever made the news at all if a certain other older Vietnam war hero wasn’t running for President on Tuesday.

[clee1]

RIP Colonel.

Your next duty station is guarding the Gates of Heaven.

POST!

[USNBandit]

Ripley crawled under the bridge under heavy gunfire, rigging 500 pounds of explosives that brought the twins spans down,

This is an extremely abbreviated version of what he did. What he did was carry a total of 500 lbs. of explosives on his back, making multiple trips hanging from the I beams on the bottom of the bridge. All the while being shot at from the opposite bank.

A truly inspiring warrior.

[buccaneer81]

Marine hero ping.

[jwalsh07]

Saluting you Colonel. God bless.

[angkor]

>>>>>>>>Ripley said he and about 600 South Vietnamese were ordered to “hold and die” against 20,000 North Vietnamese soldiers with about 200 tanks.<<<<<

Gee, I didn’t know that any South Vietnamese soldiers fought in the Vietnam War. /sarc

RIP Col. Ripley.

[Vineyard]

There is a nice diorama in Memorial Hall at the United States Naval Academy that depicts the heroic effort at the Bridge at Dong Ha. The write-up beside it is very inspiring, as are all the other displays in Memorial Hall. (Actually, the diorama is just outside Memorial Hall, at an entrance.

RIP Colonel! It is amazing at the caliber of men and women who are willing to come forth and defend and protect this country, and are willing to go forth and help our allies.

Mike

[usshadley]

fwded

[mcshot]

Abbreviated story indeed. As you pointed out what he accomplished under fire seems super human. I have the story here somewhere and he accomplished a Herculean task under intense fire as if protected from above.
May God Grace another of his heroes.

[februus]

RIP and God Bless you, warrior!

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[Edgewood Pilot]

Prayers and God’s love in this time of grief for the family.

Where do we get men like him?

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

“These were not the deeds of a regular man.”

This brief sentence is an eloquent description of Colonel Ripley’s bravery. Rest in Peace, Colonel.

Although I didn’t know Col Ripley, I was privileged to serve in First ANGLICO alongside the Covans later in 1972. LtCol Gerry Turley, Major Gordon Keyser, Captain Joe Robinson, Captain Wayne Rollins, and Captain Ray Smith were all superior Marines advising the Brigades (147; 258; and 369) of the Vietnamese Marine Corps in Quang Tri province in the latter half of 1972.

Colonel Ripley’s passing is indeed a loss for the Nation.

Semper Fi,

[tanuki]

‘The Bridge at Dong Ha’ reads like a Hollywood movie. Except, of course, that this was no movie. He was an amazing warrior.

[buccaneer81]

The Corps certainly held him in high esteem, even in retirement. Check this out:

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]

[tanuki]

Wow! Appropriate for him, but still, wow!

[river rat]

An old warrior — dies at peace and at rest in his own bed...
No better way...
Semper Fi