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 words the first full portrait of an American hero whose family values… deeply held faith… and innate fearlessness imbued him with the physical and moral courage to carry out the impossible and stand firm in his beliefs. In writing An American Knight, Fulkerson placed himself at the forefront of the noble crusade to ensure that Col. Ripley was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor he so richly deserved during his lifetime.
Jane Waterhouse is the daughter of USMC artist-in-residence, Col. Charles Waterhouse, and author of “Valor in Action: The Medal of Honor Paintings of Colonel Charles Waterhouse.” Her father painted the famous depiction of Col. Ripley on the Dong Ha Bridge.