War Hero Honored as U.S. Marine Corps Turns 237

War Hero Honored as U.S. Marine Corps Turns 237 1

On the eve of the Marine Corps’ 237th birthday, November 9, TFP members, supporters and friends gathered to celebrate the outstanding service and sacrifice of its military heroes. The event was graced by the distinguished presence of decorated war hero and Navy Cross recipient, Col. Gordon Batcheller, USMC (Ret.)The virtue of honor was the … Read more

Remembering a Legendary Marine

Remembering a Legendary Marine 3

Anniversaries can be occasions of both joy and sorrow. On March 2, 2012, 112 Vietnam Veterans came together at the Marine Museum in Quantico, Virginia for an anniversary that was both. They chose that day to honor their captain, the late Colonel John Ripley with a monument, because it was on that … Read more

Tribute to an American Knight

Tribute to an American Knight 2

War hero, practicing Catholic and cherished friend of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP), Col. John Ripley, died at his home in Annapolis, Maryland on November 1, 2008. Col. John Ripley was born June 29, 1939 in Radford, Va., and descended from a line of soldiers … Read more

“Jesus, Mary, Get Me There!”

Capt. John Ripley Vietnam 1972 Dong Ha bridge

Introduction When a society no longer respects and honors the fighting men willing to shed their blood for its principles, the fault lies not with the fighting men but with society itself. Ingratitude is a subtle vice, but a vice nevertheless. Saint Thomas Aquinas says that a debt of gratitude is a … Read more

Celebrating Our Military Tradition

Celebrating Our Military Tradition 1

Military musicians have always been an integral part of the American armed forces. However, for the first 100 years, military bands bore little resemblance to the marching ensembles of today. When the British began to colonize the New World, their soldiers brought with them the military instruments they had used at least … Read more