When America heard that President Donald Trump would posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Col. John W. Ripley today on June 18, 2026, many Americans wanted to learn more about this extraordinary hero.
Fortunately, award-winning author Norman Fulkerson has already produced the first and only cradle-to-grave biography of Col. John W. Ripley. An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC provides readers with the complete story of a great man and an exemplar Catholic, considered by Marines to be on the same level as legends Chesty Puller and Dan Daly.
“If a young officer or Marine ever asks what the meaning of Semper Fidelis is,” Col. Ripley once told a friend, “tell them my story.”
Mr. Fulkerson, who knew Col. John W. Ripley personally, tells his story in all its dramatic details. An American Knight narrates his early life and the influences that shaped his personality. He follows him on the battlefield, where he displayed amazing courage.
Col. Ripley is most commonly known for his heroics in Vietnam during the Easter Offensive of 1972, where Col. Gerald Turley ordered him to “hold and die” in the face of over 30,000 North Vietnamese troops 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 was much more to Col. Ripley. This book explores him as the rambunctious youth, the dedicated “quad body” marine, the faithful husband, the practicing Catholic and patriotic American.
The book also contains the full texts of his brilliant testimony before Congress against sending women into combat and his courageous stand against homosexuals in the military.
An American Knight is an inspiring and gripping story for a nation in much need of role models.
First Published on TFP.org