Dan
07-31-2006, 17:29
RELEASE NUMBER: 060731-01
DATE POSTED: JULY 31, 2006
Former “Greet Beret” receives honors after a half century wait
By Paul D. Prince
U.S.Army Special Operations Command
RALEIGH, N.C. (USASOC News Service, July 31, 2006) – Retired Col. Richard M. Ripley, archive volunteer at the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, was awarded the Republic of Korea’s Order of Military Merit, July 27, in a ceremony held at the North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, N.C. for his valor, brilliant achievement and selfless devotion during the Korean War.
The Order is awarded for military service during wartime or under a state of emergency.
After waiting approximately a half century, Ripley was presented the Order by Maj. Chongkyong Kil of the ROK Army Headquarters, Army Computer Center, Daejeon, Korea and Capt. Changho Song of the Korea Third Military Academy, Youngchun, Korea, both of whom are currently pursuing advanced degrees from Ripley’s alma mater, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C.
Ripley missed his first opportunity to receive the award when he was unable to attend the ceremony held at Fort Bragg, N.C. years ago.
It was not until approximately a year and half ago when Ripley saw the possibility of one day receiving his award. He met Maj. Nha, a visiting Korean Army officer and doctoral student, at the University North Carolina, Chapel Hill in the NCDCR archives. Nha was conducting research for his dissertation concerning the Korean War.
“The Colonel,” which Ripley is most often called, then shared the story of his service in the Korean War with Nha and how he was unable to attend the ceremony to receive his award almost a half century earlier.
In addition to telling Nha about his situation, Ripley provided documentation to Nha that validated his service. “I gave him a copy of the letter I sent down to Fort Bragg, and I guess when he went back to Korea, he researched it,” said Ripley.
Ripley was not expecting to receive the award at a formal ceremony with all of the “fuss and fanfare,” as he described it. He expected a Major, representing the Army of the Republic of Korea, to show up at his office and give the Order to him informally.
The ceremony took place near a World War II display on the third floor of the museum.
“It is altogether appropriate that we should gather here today to honor a portion of Col. Ripley’s 33 years of service to this country as a member of the Regular Army,” said Retired Lt. Col. Sion H. Harrington III. Ripley fought in WW II in addition to the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
Harrington, a military archivist in the Archives and Records Section of the North Carolina Division of Historical Resources, further lauded Ripley’s courage during his service.
“For a year, Maj. Ripley (Ripley’s rank during that time) trained, supervised and led those brave guerrilla forces in attacks against North Korean and Chinese communist forces,” said Harrington. “This experience was also his introduction to a new kind of warfare for which the United States Army eventually trained a new breed of Soldier with the motto, “De Oppresso Liber.”
“I will always remember those men, the Korean fighters,” said Ripley. “They worked and trained through brutal conditions and survived.”
Among Ripley’s many noted accomplishments is his role as one of the founding members of the U.S. Army’s “Special Forces.” He contributed to the planning and organizing of SF and the institution through which SF Soldiers are groomed, known today as the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.
When asked what his experiences with the SF school were like, Ripley said, “Those were exciting days with Special Forces…At that time there were only two departments, Psychological Operations and Special Forces.” He was an instructor at the school and contributed to the research, development and implementation of the original Special Forces Qualification Course.
Ripley has experienced and documented much history over the course of his life time and said that he himself will one day become a display of history.
“My good friend Tom Belton, who is the curator at the museum has been threatening to put me on a shelf here in the military collection when I die,” said Ripley humorously.
After volunteering approximately 10,000 hours at the archives, Ripley sees himself continuing to conduct oral history interviews with Soldiers and editing “Recall,” a publication of the N.C. Military Historical Society.
- usasoc -
DATE POSTED: JULY 31, 2006
Former “Greet Beret” receives honors after a half century wait
By Paul D. Prince
U.S.Army Special Operations Command
RALEIGH, N.C. (USASOC News Service, July 31, 2006) – Retired Col. Richard M. Ripley, archive volunteer at the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, was awarded the Republic of Korea’s Order of Military Merit, July 27, in a ceremony held at the North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, N.C. for his valor, brilliant achievement and selfless devotion during the Korean War.
The Order is awarded for military service during wartime or under a state of emergency.
After waiting approximately a half century, Ripley was presented the Order by Maj. Chongkyong Kil of the ROK Army Headquarters, Army Computer Center, Daejeon, Korea and Capt. Changho Song of the Korea Third Military Academy, Youngchun, Korea, both of whom are currently pursuing advanced degrees from Ripley’s alma mater, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C.
Ripley missed his first opportunity to receive the award when he was unable to attend the ceremony held at Fort Bragg, N.C. years ago.
It was not until approximately a year and half ago when Ripley saw the possibility of one day receiving his award. He met Maj. Nha, a visiting Korean Army officer and doctoral student, at the University North Carolina, Chapel Hill in the NCDCR archives. Nha was conducting research for his dissertation concerning the Korean War.
“The Colonel,” which Ripley is most often called, then shared the story of his service in the Korean War with Nha and how he was unable to attend the ceremony to receive his award almost a half century earlier.
In addition to telling Nha about his situation, Ripley provided documentation to Nha that validated his service. “I gave him a copy of the letter I sent down to Fort Bragg, and I guess when he went back to Korea, he researched it,” said Ripley.
Ripley was not expecting to receive the award at a formal ceremony with all of the “fuss and fanfare,” as he described it. He expected a Major, representing the Army of the Republic of Korea, to show up at his office and give the Order to him informally.
The ceremony took place near a World War II display on the third floor of the museum.
“It is altogether appropriate that we should gather here today to honor a portion of Col. Ripley’s 33 years of service to this country as a member of the Regular Army,” said Retired Lt. Col. Sion H. Harrington III. Ripley fought in WW II in addition to the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
Harrington, a military archivist in the Archives and Records Section of the North Carolina Division of Historical Resources, further lauded Ripley’s courage during his service.
“For a year, Maj. Ripley (Ripley’s rank during that time) trained, supervised and led those brave guerrilla forces in attacks against North Korean and Chinese communist forces,” said Harrington. “This experience was also his introduction to a new kind of warfare for which the United States Army eventually trained a new breed of Soldier with the motto, “De Oppresso Liber.”
“I will always remember those men, the Korean fighters,” said Ripley. “They worked and trained through brutal conditions and survived.”
Among Ripley’s many noted accomplishments is his role as one of the founding members of the U.S. Army’s “Special Forces.” He contributed to the planning and organizing of SF and the institution through which SF Soldiers are groomed, known today as the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.
When asked what his experiences with the SF school were like, Ripley said, “Those were exciting days with Special Forces…At that time there were only two departments, Psychological Operations and Special Forces.” He was an instructor at the school and contributed to the research, development and implementation of the original Special Forces Qualification Course.
Ripley has experienced and documented much history over the course of his life time and said that he himself will one day become a display of history.
“My good friend Tom Belton, who is the curator at the museum has been threatening to put me on a shelf here in the military collection when I die,” said Ripley humorously.
After volunteering approximately 10,000 hours at the archives, Ripley sees himself continuing to conduct oral history interviews with Soldiers and editing “Recall,” a publication of the N.C. Military Historical Society.
- usasoc -