Radford, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Col. John W. Ripley, USMC (Retired)

Photographed by Mark Parker, June 12, 2025

1. Col. John W. Ripley, USMC (Retired) Marker

Inscription.
In honor of
Col. John W. Ripley, USMC (Retired)

Radford High School Class of 1957
U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1962
Awarded Navy Cross for Actions at Dong Ha, Republic of Vietnam 1972

Dedicated November 11, 2008
June 29. 1939- Nov 1, 2008.

Erected 2008.

Topics and series. This memorial is listed in this topic list: War, Vietnam. In addition, it is included in the Distinguished Service Cross/Navy Cross/Air Force Cross Recipients series list.

Location. 37° 8.404′ N, 80° 34.129′ W. Memorial is in Radford, Virginia. It can be reached from the intersection of Berkley Williams Drive and New River Drive, on the right when traveling west. Marker location is near the east parking lot at Bissett Park. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 23 Berkley Williams Drive, Radford VA 24141, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Southwest Virginia

and in the Blue Ridge Highlands.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally,

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it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Service Tree (here, next to this marker); Freedom Tree (here, next to this marker); To Honor All World War I Veterans (a few steps from this marker); Tree of Defense (a few steps from this marker); Viet-Nam War Veterans Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Green Ash Tree (a few steps from this marker); Tree of Honor (within shouting distance of this marker); Dedicated to the Patriots of the American Revolutionary War (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Radford.

Also see . . . John Walter Ripley Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps. Military Hall of Honor

Captain Ripley gained his place in Marine Corps legend on Easter Sunday, 2 April 1972 when, for three hours, he crawled back and forth under enemy
Photographed by Mark Parker, June 12, 2025

2. Rear view Col. John W. Ripley, USMC (Retired) Marker near east parking lot of Bissett Park
fire placing crates containing 500 pounds of TNT on the I-beams under the Dong Ha bridge. He then ran a fuse several hundred feet in length, and blew up the bridge. His actions bottled-up 20,000 North Vietnamese troops, blunted the Easter Offensive, and earned him the Navy Cross.

He was the subject of John Grider Miller's book "The Bridge at Dong Ha" and is honored at the Naval Academy with a diorama called "Ripley at the Bridge."

(Submitted on June 14, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 14, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 173 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 14, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.