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 … Read more
Many books and articles have chronicled Col. John Ripley’s heroism at the Dong Ha Bridge on 2 April 1972. What distinguishes Norman Fulkerson’s wonderful biography, An American Knight: The Life of Col. John W. Ripley USMC, is that it goes beyond the what and how of Ripley’s actions, giving us the why by painting with … Read more
In turbulent times like ours, examples of heroism can be uplifting. This is why you should know the story of United States Marine PFC Douglas Dickey. This young man who sacrificed his life to save fellow Marines during the Vietnam War is not well known. His story is particularly compelling since he seemed to have … Read more
John Canley knew he wanted to be a Marine when he was only thirteen years old. He and his older brother L.J. went to see the movie Sands of Iwo Jima starring John Wayne. He left the theater transformed. What moved him most was the scene of the marines raising the American flag on Mount … Read more
Honor is a virtue that falls under the category of justice, which demands that we give to each what is his due. Thus, we get the expression “to honor someone.” This is what the citizens of Gainesville, Texas—named after War of 1812 Gen. Edmund Gaines—have been doing every year since 2000 with the Medal of … Read more
