November 07, 2008, 0:00 p.m. Ripley at the BridgeSemper Fidelis, my friend. By Mackubin Thomas Owens America lost one of its truly great heroes over the weekend. Col. John Ripley, United States Marine Corps (Ret.), a veteran of the Vietnam War, died in Annapolis at age 69. Unfortunately, this hero’s name is far less well-known than that of William Calley of My Lai fame. We Marines love our heroes, and we all know their names: Dan Daley, Smedley Butler, John Basilone, etc. But among those who populate this select pantheon, none surpasses John Ripley and the legend of “Ripley...