At 1:15 am, on June 6, 1944, most people in German-occupied Normandy were asleep. Then, from the west, came the increasing drone of aircraft engines and of anti-aircraft fire. The largest air armada ever assembled was passing over — 882 U.S. planes, which now began to disgorge their contents: thirteen thousand paratroopers … Read more
""""[vc_column_text] “Mrs. O’Callahan, your son is the bravest man I ever saw.” What went through this mother’s mind as she listened to Capt. Leslie Gehres, commander of the USS Franklin? Her son did not fit the stereotypical image of a hero. He was more scholarly than athletic, more likely pictured in front … Read more
On Easter morning, March 25, 1951, the Catholic priest mounted the steps of a partially destroyed church, and turned to face his congregation, some 60 men–gaunt, foul-smelling, in tattered clothing. Fr. Emil Kapaun raised a small, homemade, wooden cross to begin a prayer service, led the men in the Rosary, heard the … Read more
The continuing debate over the debt ceiling raises matters of such a magnitude that it is easy to be overwhelmed and confused. Everyone can agree that there is obviously something terribly wrong about a nation that must survive by borrowing against its future. Elementary economics teaches us that we cannot live beyond … Read more
“War is Hell” General William Tecumseh Sherman once noted. Indeed there is nothing to celebrate about warfare; however unfortunately it has been present with mankind in his fallen nature since departing from the Garden of Eden. War was a common affair throughout the Old Testament. Saint Augustine understood the sometimes unfortunate necessity … Read more
Review of An American Knight by Rear Admiral William A. Heine, USNR, Retired and Colonel Michael D. Wyly, USMC, Retired. Both men were classmates of Colonel John Ripley, Class of 1962, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis. A lone U.S. Marine hand-walked, gripping the girders underneath the bridge over the Cua Viet River in … Read more
""[vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]An American Knight: The Life of Col. John W. Ripley, USMC Written by Norman J. Fulkerson ISBN: 978-1-877905-41-4 Hardcover bound, 218 pages with 33 illustrations $14.95 Order today from The American TFP’s online store: https://store.tfp.org/products/An-American-Knight-%28Hard-Cover%29.html[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]""""[vc_column_text]There are plenty of books that tell the soldier’s story and take the reader beyond … Read more
One of the most cited and least understood wars in American history is Vietnam. Due to these misunderstandings, it has become synonymous with the words quagmire and disaster. Thus, opponents of current military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan decry our operations there saying that America is getting itself into “another Vietnam.” However, … Read more
""""[vc_column_text]As America faces a two-front war and economic fragility, another peril looms on the horizon that threatens the honor and integrity of one of our nation’s most important institutions: our Armed Forces. President Obama promised in his January 27, 2010 State of the Union Address that he would work with Congress and … Read more
Statement of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC, Ret., before the House Armed Services Committee Subject: The preservation on the ban of homosexuals in the armed forces 4 May 1993 The American public has been deluded into a false understanding of the real purpose of its military forces. More specifically, it sees … Read more