John W. Ripley

Branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Era

Vietnam War

Action

Dong Ha, Republic of Vietnam

The citation

Official citation

Then-Capt. John W. Ripley will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously 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, Capt. 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 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.

Sources

• The White House, published by the U.S. Army, 18 June 2026
• https://www.dvidshub.net/news/568137/two-marine-corps-legends-awarded-medal-honor-inducted-into-hall-heroes
• Wikipedia. Linked only. The article text is not copied here.