What do you think?
Rate this book
An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC
On October 28, 2008 America mourned the death of John W. Ripley. On October 28, 2009 America will have the opportunity to celebrate and honor his life.
This first cradle-to-grave biography of Colonel John W. Ripley provides readers with the complete story about a great man who is considered by Marines, such as General Carl Mundy, former Commandant of the Marine Corps, to be on the same level as legends Chesty Puller and Dan Daly.
Colonel Ripley is most commonly known for his heroics in Vietnam during the Easter Offensive of 1972, where Colonel Gerald Turley ordered him to “hold and die,” in the face of over 30,000 North Vietnamese and 200 enemy tanks. John Ripley proceeded to blow the Dong Ha bridge, preventing the enemy from crossing. He unhesitatingly obeyed and earned the nation’s second highest honor, the Navy Cross.
As stunning as the Dong Ha story is, there was much more to Colonel John Ripley. An American The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC narrates his early life and the influences which shaped his personality.
In youth, he was a rambunctious “Huckleberry Finn” who spent his days getting into all kinds of mischief in Radford, Virginia. The stories from this time period, so well narrated in An American Knight, will leave the reader with at least a smile, if not a laugh.
After his mischievous “Huckleberry Finn” days in Radford, he learned to discipline his wild side and, in spite of his intellectual weaknesses, went on to graduate from the Naval Academy. The strength of will with which he accomplished this task was later applied on the battlefield, where he earned the status of legend during his first tour in Vietnam as a 28-year-old Captain.
Readers will also get to know about John Ripley, the father, but more importantly the chaste husband. When he was approached by people wanting to make a movie about his life he agreed as long as his character was not portrayed as having a romantic relationship in Vietnam. “I have never been,” he said, “nor will I ever be unfaithful to my wife.”
This was one of the motivating factors which led him to give a brilliant testimony before congress against sending women into combat. He could not conceive of women being subjected to the harsh realities of war and spoke out strongly against it.
An American Knight also narrates his courageous stands against homosexuals in the military. He saw their admittance as “a deviation from values that Marines hold dear and one which attacked their very honor.”
The final chapters narrate the struggle Colonel Ripley endured with a bad liver. He would finally undergo two liver transplants, the last one of which was defined as the “most dramatic” in history.
“If a young officer or Marine ever asks what is the meaning of Semper Fidelis” Colonel Ripley once told a friend, “tell them my story.”
This is his story!
This first cradle-to-grave biography of Colonel John W. Ripley provides readers with the complete story about a great man who is considered by Marines, such as General Carl Mundy, former Commandant of the Marine Corps, to be on the same level as legends Chesty Puller and Dan Daly.
Colonel Ripley is most commonly known for his heroics in Vietnam during the Easter Offensive of 1972, where Colonel Gerald Turley ordered him to “hold and die,” in the face of over 30,000 North Vietnamese and 200 enemy tanks. John Ripley proceeded to blow the Dong Ha bridge, preventing the enemy from crossing. He unhesitatingly obeyed and earned the nation’s second highest honor, the Navy Cross.
As stunning as the Dong Ha story is, there was much more to Colonel John Ripley. An American The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC narrates his early life and the influences which shaped his personality.
In youth, he was a rambunctious “Huckleberry Finn” who spent his days getting into all kinds of mischief in Radford, Virginia. The stories from this time period, so well narrated in An American Knight, will leave the reader with at least a smile, if not a laugh.
After his mischievous “Huckleberry Finn” days in Radford, he learned to discipline his wild side and, in spite of his intellectual weaknesses, went on to graduate from the Naval Academy. The strength of will with which he accomplished this task was later applied on the battlefield, where he earned the status of legend during his first tour in Vietnam as a 28-year-old Captain.
Readers will also get to know about John Ripley, the father, but more importantly the chaste husband. When he was approached by people wanting to make a movie about his life he agreed as long as his character was not portrayed as having a romantic relationship in Vietnam. “I have never been,” he said, “nor will I ever be unfaithful to my wife.”
This was one of the motivating factors which led him to give a brilliant testimony before congress against sending women into combat. He could not conceive of women being subjected to the harsh realities of war and spoke out strongly against it.
An American Knight also narrates his courageous stands against homosexuals in the military. He saw their admittance as “a deviation from values that Marines hold dear and one which attacked their very honor.”
The final chapters narrate the struggle Colonel Ripley endured with a bad liver. He would finally undergo two liver transplants, the last one of which was defined as the “most dramatic” in history.
“If a young officer or Marine ever asks what is the meaning of Semper Fidelis” Colonel Ripley once told a friend, “tell them my story.”
This is his story!
227 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2009
26 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 27, 2013
There are plenty of books that tell the soldier’s story and take the reader beyond media accounts by showing the human face of war.
However, there are few books that go beyond the soldier’s story. That is not to say the soldier’s story is not inspiring. However, these are times that clamor not only for soldiers but for heroes. People need stories of moral leadership from those who can get things done on any field of battle.
An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC is one such story. Author Norman J. Fulkerson has written a riveting cradle-to-grave biography of Col. John W. Ripley that engages, inspires and motivates. In his warm and appealing style, Mr. Fulkerson not only tells of a true Marine legend of the Vietnam era, he tells the story of an American knight.
At first glance, this portrayal might seem difficult. Knights are supposed to be riding white horses and wearing shining armor not combat fatigues. Knights usually aren’t Americans since they belong to times past. Yet Mr. Fulkerson seems to relish the paradox as he tells his story.
Indeed, Col. Ripley was an archetypal American. His upbringing in a small town America is all apple pie. One is treated to accounts of his mischievous “Huckleberry Finn” childhood adventures that warm the heart with a glimpse of those simpler “cracker barrel” times. John Ripley’s story starts like that of so many other energetic youth who lived on the wild side of things during the fifties. And it may well have ended there.
But then, suddenly we see a change in John Ripley. He comes to represent another no less archetypal American – that heroic American with a can-do attitude, relentless drive and solid patriotism. One sees him join the Marines, enter the U.S. Naval Academy, and deploy in distant Vietnam where he became a living legend.
Here the archetypal American meets the knight.
One can definitely see the knight in the feats of Col. Ripley. He is more famously known for his heroic action in Vietnam during the Easter Offensive of 1972, where he faced down over 30,000 North Vietnamese and 200 enemy tanks. Praying to God for help, Ripley proceeded to blow up the Dong Ha Bridge, preventing the enemy from crossing.
As stunning as the Dong Ha story is, there are only a few chapters dedicated to this feat. It is obvious however, that Mr. Fulkerson is not just telling the story of a Marine legend; he is telling the story of a real knight.
Capt. John W. Ripley under heavy enemy fire, chants "Jesus, Mary, get me there! Jesus, Mary, get me there" as he crawls hand over hand to set explosives to blow up the Dong Ha bridge.
Knights do more than just fight battles. They fight that most important of all struggles: the battle against themselves. With unshakable faith in God, they overcome their defects and vices and present a role model of spotless character to a society in need of them. They go beyond the call of duty and sacrifice themselves for the common good on any battlefield. They live up to a code of chivalry that our permissive society believes impossible to follow.
And thus, Mr. Fulkerson presents Col. Ripley as a true knight. Inside the pages of his book, one finds the devout manly Catholic, the faithful husband, the loving father, and the Southern gentleman. One sees the commander, the warrior and leader. There is also the administrator, scholar and mentor.
There is one field of battle where Col. Ripley excelled and that was the field of public opinion. This knight was not afraid to voice his opinions even when they went against the “politically correct” opinion of the times. When testifying before Congress, he did not waver in expressing his opposition to homosexuality in the military and women in combat. Such moral battles are often more terrible than those of the physical battlefield!
Thus, Mr. Fulkerson presents a figure who is both American and knight. He proves that such a portrayal need not be a paradox. It should rather be a model.
An American Knight is an inspiring story but it is also a challenge. In these times of political correctness, it challenges all Americans to have the moral courage of someone who stands firm. When so many wilt and waver, it calls upon all to find and look to an uncommon human type – the knight – for the kind of moral leadership needed to weather the storms ahead.
John Horvat, Author of Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Society Where
However, there are few books that go beyond the soldier’s story. That is not to say the soldier’s story is not inspiring. However, these are times that clamor not only for soldiers but for heroes. People need stories of moral leadership from those who can get things done on any field of battle.
An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC is one such story. Author Norman J. Fulkerson has written a riveting cradle-to-grave biography of Col. John W. Ripley that engages, inspires and motivates. In his warm and appealing style, Mr. Fulkerson not only tells of a true Marine legend of the Vietnam era, he tells the story of an American knight.
At first glance, this portrayal might seem difficult. Knights are supposed to be riding white horses and wearing shining armor not combat fatigues. Knights usually aren’t Americans since they belong to times past. Yet Mr. Fulkerson seems to relish the paradox as he tells his story.
Indeed, Col. Ripley was an archetypal American. His upbringing in a small town America is all apple pie. One is treated to accounts of his mischievous “Huckleberry Finn” childhood adventures that warm the heart with a glimpse of those simpler “cracker barrel” times. John Ripley’s story starts like that of so many other energetic youth who lived on the wild side of things during the fifties. And it may well have ended there.
But then, suddenly we see a change in John Ripley. He comes to represent another no less archetypal American – that heroic American with a can-do attitude, relentless drive and solid patriotism. One sees him join the Marines, enter the U.S. Naval Academy, and deploy in distant Vietnam where he became a living legend.
Here the archetypal American meets the knight.
One can definitely see the knight in the feats of Col. Ripley. He is more famously known for his heroic action in Vietnam during the Easter Offensive of 1972, where he faced down over 30,000 North Vietnamese and 200 enemy tanks. Praying to God for help, Ripley proceeded to blow up the Dong Ha Bridge, preventing the enemy from crossing.
As stunning as the Dong Ha story is, there are only a few chapters dedicated to this feat. It is obvious however, that Mr. Fulkerson is not just telling the story of a Marine legend; he is telling the story of a real knight.
Capt. John W. Ripley under heavy enemy fire, chants "Jesus, Mary, get me there! Jesus, Mary, get me there" as he crawls hand over hand to set explosives to blow up the Dong Ha bridge.
Knights do more than just fight battles. They fight that most important of all struggles: the battle against themselves. With unshakable faith in God, they overcome their defects and vices and present a role model of spotless character to a society in need of them. They go beyond the call of duty and sacrifice themselves for the common good on any battlefield. They live up to a code of chivalry that our permissive society believes impossible to follow.
And thus, Mr. Fulkerson presents Col. Ripley as a true knight. Inside the pages of his book, one finds the devout manly Catholic, the faithful husband, the loving father, and the Southern gentleman. One sees the commander, the warrior and leader. There is also the administrator, scholar and mentor.
There is one field of battle where Col. Ripley excelled and that was the field of public opinion. This knight was not afraid to voice his opinions even when they went against the “politically correct” opinion of the times. When testifying before Congress, he did not waver in expressing his opposition to homosexuality in the military and women in combat. Such moral battles are often more terrible than those of the physical battlefield!
Thus, Mr. Fulkerson presents a figure who is both American and knight. He proves that such a portrayal need not be a paradox. It should rather be a model.
An American Knight is an inspiring story but it is also a challenge. In these times of political correctness, it challenges all Americans to have the moral courage of someone who stands firm. When so many wilt and waver, it calls upon all to find and look to an uncommon human type – the knight – for the kind of moral leadership needed to weather the storms ahead.
John Horvat, Author of Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Society Where
December 19, 2019
The only book I read in one day.
November 30, 2013
I read this book in 2012 and it was one that I instantly got sucked into. Definitely one of my favorites.
January 12, 2021
This is the story of a real elite. "An American Knight" by Norman Fulkerson is a compelling biography of Colonel John Ripley, a US marine from an elite American family, who served in Vietnam. The book not only delves into Colonel Ripley's incredible military exploits, but it also discusses his moral leadership. Like the knights of old, Colonel Ripley was a faithful defender of Catholic morals. Ripley's courageous actions didn't end on the battlefield. In the early 1990s he defended the honour of the marines by giving a testimony before a US congressional committee against allowing homosexuals into the US military. This book is well worth reading!
August 11, 2017
Colonel Ripley is amazing. The book, no so much. I am not a huge reader of biographies but this one seemed a bit light. Other than his first tour in Vietnam and his famous action at Dong Ha you don't learn much about his career.
August 29, 2018
A Warrior in Every Sense of the Word
If this was a fiction novel, no one would believe it. John Ripley is a legend in the Marine Corps. The destruction of the bridge at Dong Ha reads like an impossible task bit it actually happened.
If this was a fiction novel, no one would believe it. John Ripley is a legend in the Marine Corps. The destruction of the bridge at Dong Ha reads like an impossible task bit it actually happened.
July 6, 2012
I thought the book gave an interesting look on a practicing Catholic dedication and patriotism of his country. Yes, Colonel Ripley had an impressive resume but I had a hard time following the author's train of thought in the middle of the book. Nonetheless, I recommend the read as a short story and to find a better biography of this man's life than this book. I found that this book is too short to explain the whole story; hence, I found the story hard to follow.
November 27, 2013
The book narrates his early life and the influences which shaped his personality. From a wild young man he disciplined himself to become an American Hero. Colonel Ripley is a role model for all young people to appreciate. Nothing in life is worth more then how you leave it. A true gentleman and outstanding citizen!
Read
July 20, 2016Ripley at the Bridge. Col. John W. Ripley is a big-time, legitimate American hero. Every U. S. Marine should be able to recite a brief history of what then-captain Ripley did at the Dong Ha bridge to blunt an assault by NVA tanks.
February 11, 2012
A real hero, almost impossibly so, but the book is written too much like the hagiography of Saint Ripley to merit a full 5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews