President Donald Trump presented a posthumous Medal of Honor to Col. John W. Ripley Thursday, June 19.
Ripley’s son, Thomas Ripley, accepted the Medal of Honor on his father’s behalf.
“The Medal of Honor is our nation’s highest award,” said Thomas Ripley. “Only 300 U.S. Marines have worn the medal, and we are incredibly honored that our father, Colonel John W. Ripley, will be included in those ranks. He was a proud Virginian, and loved the Marine Corps. Today is a chance to remember him, his service to our country and to our Corps. Semper Fidelis.”
Congressman Morgan Griffith carried the legislation to authorize the Medal of Honor award for Ripley.
“Communities in Virginia’s Ninth District, including his hometown of Radford, Virginia, are proud that one of their very own is recognized today at the White House with the country’s highest military honor,” said Griffith following the ceremony. “Colonel Ripley’s acts of valor during the Vietnam War helped advance U.S. military interests and saved lives. His actions deserve heavy commendation and praise.”
According to a statement by the White House, Ripley received the award “for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on April 2, 1972, while serving as Senior Marine Advisor to the Third Vietnamese Marine Corps Infantry Battalion in the Republic of Vietnam. While serving in this capacity, he played a pivotal role in halting a major North Vietnamese mechanized assault. The enemy’s rapid advance depended on the capture of a bridge in the village of Dong Ha. To destroy the bridge, Captain Ripley single-handedly moved 500 pounds of explosives into position. For three hours, he repeatedly exposed himself to intense enemy fire as he climbed beneath the bridge along its bridge’s steel beams to emplace the explosive charges at key structural points. After successfully setting the explosives, he detonated the charges, completely destroying the bridge and stopping the enemy’s advance.”
Ripley was also inducted into the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes as a Medal of Honor recipient. According to the U.S. Department of War website, Ripley’s son had this to say about his father’s actions:
“After the bridge was destroyed and the invasion halted, my father was asked to provide an update via radio a few days later. He captured the moment perfectly: ‘Leatherneck, this is Leatherneck Delta. Report: powder dry, morale high, Semper Fi.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth commented on the heroics of Ripley and another recipient of the Medal of Honor last Thursday during the Hall of Heroes ceremony.
“James Capers Jr. and John Ripley proved that the breed of patriots who stood [during the Battles of Lexington and Concord] and on the banks of the Delaware River did not die out, and those kinds of patriots still guard us today,” Hegseth said.
According to the White House, the Medal of Honor “is awarded to members of the armed forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty while: engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States; engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.
