Customer Reviews

The Bridge at Dong Ha (Bluejacket Books)

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In his desperate attempt to blow up the bridge at Dong Ha and keep some 30,000 men and 200 tanks at bay, Ripley endured three hours of direct fire to rig more than 500 pounds of explosives. Handwalking the beams beneath the bridge, crimping detonators with his teeth, and racing the burning fuses back to shore, he saved his comrades from certain death. This earned Ripley the Navy Cross. He is a 1962 graduate of the United States Naval Academy - - yet another fine American produced at Annapolis.

This is the story of a genuine hero, one of uncountable many that America produces and, thankfully, continues to produce. Someone said: Freedom isn't free and this is amply demonstrated in this book. The story of one person's dedication to duty is vibrantly told.
There is a bridge, a heavy, strong, and a very capable bridge. Ironically, built by the US Army several years before. It is the only big strong bridge across a river separating North Vietnam from the south.
A formidable armored column from the north is approaching, intending to use this bridge as their avenue to overtake the south. It is somewhat late in the war, and America is pulling out ("Vietnamizing" the war), but there is a lot of pain and agony still to go through. The destruction of this bridge slowed the advance of the northern armies by three years.
The book is written on the detail level and therein lies its fascination. We see that Capt Ripley climbs over barbed wire fences, swings across the under girding of the bridge, and fights this battle from street to foxhole around the little town of Dong Ha (just a few miles from the DMZ). The writing is wonderful and gripping, putting you face-to-face with the action as it unfolds hour by hour.
This book does lack a few essentials. The full context, with appropriate maps, in time and space is missing. Additionally, the reader is sometimes lost (as I was) in the minute details of the action at the bridge. A very local map or two would have helped.
The heroism of Capt Ripley is focused on his action in moving around under the bridge, while under direct small arms and cannon fire. It is difficult for a reader to appreciate this without almost an engineering drawing of the undersides of the bridge. We read of channels, stringers, girders, piers, all three stories above the river. Capt Ripley was swinging, crawling, and hauling explosives. I (and maybe this is the engineer in me coming out) would have loved to see drawings showing the design of the bridge, with little arrows and annotations ('crawled from here to here', 'pulled xx pounds of explosvie across this girder', 'I was here when the rifle bullets came in', 'the tank shell hit here').
Finally, we note the very emotional and wonderful human touches, the radioman, the commander of the South Vietnames unit, the commander's bodyguard, are described very well; their humanity is very apparent, as is their own dedication to their country. While we learn a little about them, more would have been a great addition. Similarly with Capt Ripley's American compatriot, Major Jim Smock (USA, Armor), who was with him at the bridge.
The book is 186 pages long; it could have been twice that and welcome.

This book can almost be read at one sitting. It is the little known story of Captain Ripley, USMC, who assisted by an Army officer and some ARVN Marines blew the bridge at Dong Ha, stalling an NVA armored invasion of the Republic of Vietnam in 1972. Great story of individual heroism and courage in the face of strong enemy fire. Captain Ripley is just one of those guys who gets things done. Working alone under the bridge with enemy bullets pinging all around him, swinging arm to arm like on the horizontal ladder in Basic Training, he places the explosive charges and detonates them before the NVA tanks can get over the bridge. The NVA did not try such a move again until 1975, some 3 years later. One man CAN make a difference. My only surprise is that he was awarded a Navy Cross instead of a CMH for his exploits. Well worth the read. Buy it.

This is one of the best written "Marine Legend" books that this former Marine has ever read.

John Grider Miller did an excellent job of interviewing Colonel (then Captain) John Ripley and his other sources. He presents what Colonel Ripley, his U.S. Army counterpart Major Jim Smock, and the Vietnamese Marines did at Dong Ha in 1972 in a fascinating story that is a quick and easy read. He also includes some of those intangible details that civilians may not notice, but that any Marine who served in Vietnam (or anywhere else) will recognize and appreciate.

Colonel Ripley's exploits are legendary in the U.S. Marine Corps. So too the courage of those Vietnamese Marines he served with as a "trusted friend" on that Easter Sunday. Colonel Ripley's visit to the gravesite near Di An tells it all. The bond between these "brothers in arms" was formed by honor, courage, commitment, mutual respect and sacrifice.

This book is on the Commandant's Reading list for all Marines, Private through General. And rightly so. It sets the standard high for all of us. It has an honored place in the "Read Again" section of my personal library.

Real heroes are those who do what is right rather than what will keep them out of trouble with superiors. John Ripley is one of those heroes. Ignoring orders to the contrary, he risked not only his reputation and career but his life for a cause that had long ago become unpopular. Ripley was not concerned about another medal or about career objectives; he acted not for personal gain but for the lives of fellow warriors he had volunteered to help against all odds. This is that daring and inspiring story of initiative that risks all for the sake of comrades.

I would not have know about this Hero's story had the AP not posted Col. John Ripley's death today (02-11-2008). I wonder why this has not been made a movie? Instead we get the Deer Hunter and Platoon. Oh well, I even question the AP's motivation in making this newsworthy, not that it isn't, it definitely is. Knowing the AP's political bent, I think it is implying that a Vietnam War Vet Hero younger then McCain just died of natural causes. Of course that's my paranoid side thinking, but how many war hero's you never really heard of before get AP news worthy treatment when they die? Not many if you ask me, this is basically a first for me and I follow the news pretty close online. Looks like a short book of under 200 pages, I wish it was cheaper so I'll just research the battle online, it sounds gripping. I'm glad he got the Navy Cross, sounds like he deserved even higher but the Navy Cross is the 2nd highest you can get so he is in elite company, I would not be surprised if he is awarded The Medal Of Honor someday. God bless you Sir, I salute you.

"The strongest man in the world is he who stands alone."
Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People, 1882

This story is about one man toward the end of the Vietnam War, whose task was to blow up a bridge so the enemy would have a hard time getting to the south. John Walter Ripley was up to the task.

Read the book. It can be read in an hour.

Certainly Ripley calls to mind Gilliatt, the hero of Victor Hugo's "Toilers of the Sea".

I had the honor of knowing the author of this book and the subject. Both of them were truly great men. This story is beyond gripping and narrated in a refreshing way by Col. Miller. A must read for any one wanting a know what true heroism is.
Norman Fulkerson An American Knight: The Life of Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC

A great book about a true American Hero. Mr. Miller does an excellent job detaining the events of Col. Ripley. A must read for Viet Nam.

This shows the courage of both some elements of the South Vietnamese infantry-in this case the Marines and our own Marines. Ripley stopped the NVA military dead in its tracks by blowing a US build bridge. Thus, the 1972 invasion of South Vietnam was stopped. US airpower and ship gunnery helped slow the North Vietnamese down. It also shows the bravery of some ARVN military personnel. When some 700 personnel were reduced to 52 at the end of this battle, they bled and died too, defending their country.

This is a story of courage by both Viets and Americans. They prevented the North Vietnamese from crossing the river and delayed their invasion. Ripley by blowing the bridge showed his courage also. A exciting story.