Colonel John Ripley Navy Cross Vietnam RARE SIGNED 4x6 PHOTO JSA COA AUTOGRAPHED for Sale

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Colonel John Ripley Navy Cross Vietnam RARE SIGNED 4x6 PHOTO JSA COA AUTOGRAPHED For Sale

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Colonel John Ripley Navy Cross Vietnam RARE SIGNED 4x6 PHOTO JSA COA AUTOGRAPHED:
$350.00

Thissale is for the following Colonel John Ripley (Deceased) USMC Navy Cross Recipient Vietnam Dong Ha Bridge and George Turley (who also took part in Dong Ha Bridge) RARE autographed 4x6 inch photograph that is JSA authenticated #QQ78690.This Colonel Richard Rothwell autographed 4x6 photograph has been authenticatedby the most prestigious and respected authentication company in the hobby JSA.Autographed items that have been authenticated by JSA adds an additional valueto all signed items that bare the JSA authentication process.

BIO: Colonel John Ripley (Deceased) Vietnam USMC 3d Vietnamese Marine Corps Infantry Battalion, Navy Cross Recipient (2nd highest military decoration), Silver Star (2nd highest military decoration), 2 Legion of Merit, 2 Bronze Star (4 th highest military decoration), Purple Heart. Colonel Ripley was a United States Marine Corps officer who received the Navy Cross for his actions in combat during the Vietnam War. On Easter morning 1972, Captain Ripley repeatedly exposed himself to intense enemy fire over a three-hour period as he prepared to blow up an essential bridge in Dong Ha. His actions significantly hampered the North Vietnamese Army\'s advance into South Vietnam. The story of \"Ripley at the Bridge\" is legendary in the Marine Corps and is captured in a gripping diorama at the United States Naval Academy.During his two years of Vietnam service, he participated in 26 major operations. In addition to numerous decorations for extensive combat experience at the rifle company and battalion levels, Ripley was awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism in destroying the Dong Ha bridge during the April 1972 North Vietnamese Easter Offensive (also known as the Nguyen Hue Offensive). That action is memorialized at the Naval Academy with a large diorama titled \"Ripley at the Bridge.\" While under intense unrelenting enemy fire, Ripley dangled for an estimated three hours under the bridge in order to attach 500 pounds of explosives to the span, ultimately obliterating it. His action, conducted under enemy fire while going back and forth for materials, definitively thwarted an onslaught by 20,000 enemy troops and dozens of tanks and was the subject of a book, The Bridge at Dong Ha, by Colonel John Grider Miller. He attributes his success to the help of God and his mother. When his energy was about to give out he began a rhythmic chant, \"Jesus, Mary, Get me there\". His body taxed to its extreme limits, his action is considered one of the greatest examples of concentration under fire in the annals of U.S. military history. Following his tours in Vietnam, Ripley served with Marine Force Reconnaissance, was an exchange officer with the British Royal Marines, he served as the military aide to General Snowden, Chief of Staff of the Marine Corps during the late 1970s, and was a Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines and the 2nd Marine Regiment. His final tours in the Marine Corps were in charge of the NROTC detachments at Oregon State University and the Virginia Military Institute, and as the senior Marine at the United States Naval Academy teaching English and history. 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, Underwater Demolition Team and Britain\'s Royal Marines, according to Miller\'s book. He was the first Marine officer to be inducted in the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame. Ripley retired from the Marine Corps in 1992 after 35 years of active duty service. He received more than five awards for his acts of bravery in Vietnam.

If you are not familiar with Colonel Ripley\'s accomplishments during Vietnam please read his Navy Cross Citation:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Captain John W. Ripley (MCSN: 0-84239), United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism on 2 April 1972 while serving as the Senior Marine Advisor to the Third Vietnamese Marine Corps Infantry Battalion in the Republic of Vietnam. Upon receipt of a report that a rapidly moving, mechanized, North Vietnamese army force, estimated at reinforced divisional strength, was attacking south along Route #1, the Third Vietnamese Marine Infantry Battalion was positioned to defend a key village and the surrounding area. It became imperative that a vital river bridge be destroyed if the overall security of the northern provinces of Military Region One was to be maintained. Advancing to the bridge to personally supervise this most dangerous but vitally important assignment, Captain Ripley located a large amount of explosives which had been pre-positioned there earlier, access to which was blocked by a chain-link fence. In order to reposition the approximately 500 pounds of explosives, Captain Ripley was obliged to reach up and hand-walk along the beams while his body dangled beneath the bridge. On five separate occasions, in the face of constant enemy fire, he moved to points along the bridge and, with the aid of another advisor who pushed the explosives to him, securely emplaced them. He then detonated the charges and destroyed the bridge, thereby stopping the enemy assault. By his heroic actions and extraordinary courage, Captain Ripley undoubtedly was instrumental in saving an untold number of lives. His inspiring efforts reflected great credit upon himself, the Marine Corps, and the United States Naval Service.

THIS IS AN AUTHENTIC HAND AUTOGRAPHED 4x6 PHOTOGRAPH JSA AUTHENTICATED COA. I ONLY SELL AUTHENTIC HAND AUTOGRAPHED MEMORABILIA. I do not sell reprints or facsimile autographs. When you offer on my items you will receive the real deal authentic hand autographed items. You will receive the same JSA COA authenticated signed 4x6 photograph that is pictured in the scan. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me. I combine S&H when multiple items are purchased. I ship items internationally the price for international S&H varies by country. I currently have other rare autographed historical and sports signed items available. Please take a look at my other sales of rare military, historical and sports autographed items.