News yesterday of the death of an authentic American hero, Colonel Ripley. Colonel Ripley's exploits are known far and wide, and he has become for many in the Marine Corps the very model of what a Marine should be in service and in retirement.
Colonel Ripley's exploits at Dong Ha earned him the Navy Cross (#2 behind the Medal of Honor). One wonders what more he could have done that day that would have merited the MOH.
I went to college with Ripley's son Steve. To you Steve, and your family, your Dad was the best of the best. Semper Fi.
Colonel Ripley was a hero for sure.
ReplyDeleteOK military folks on this blog. The closest I have come to the military is having a younger brother who was a ship driver ;-) So, I'm not versed in the criteria of most of the medals. So the question I have is the same as what CW wonders - What more could he have done to merit the MOH?
Doc
Nothing. I believe there was some controversy as he was an advisor to a non-American unit, and that may have had some bearing.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, CW and I share a shipmate who was at USNA when Ripley was there, and he was spoken about in reverent whispers.