Abusing a Hero's Memory

I am very unhappy with Norman Fulkerson.

Mr. Fulkerson has an agenda. That's fine, but he is dishonoring a hero's memory to achieve his goal.

And his timing is pretty poor, too.

Mr. Fulkerson's views are aired at the website "Tradition, Family and Property". I won't be linking. He is free to have these views and I am pleased to live in a country where he can exercise his right to free speech at that website.

However, Mr. Fulkerson has written a book about Col. John Ripley, USMC where he takes certain facts and twists them to forward his agenda. Now we are on the other side of a line.

This article outlines the family's concerns regarding Mr. Fulkerson subverting the memory of their father to his own end.

War hero's family calls book a 'dishonor'

Please read the article and consider spreading the word in email and blogs that this is one book that should not be on any bestsellers list.

Not the birthday gift appropriate for this day, is it?

Not mentioned in the article are the many odd things about Mr. Fulkerson's interactions with the family. These include his request to spend time in Col. & Mrs. Ripley's bedroom following the death of Mrs. Ripley this past September. He had additionally requested to view Mrs. Ripley, alone, in the funeral home after her passing. (Mr. Fulkerson & Mrs. Ripley never met.) He also asked the family that he be given Col. Ripley's Navy Cross that had been awarded for his actions at Dong Ha.

Mr. Fulkerson ignored the family when they pointed out an inaccuracy involving Col. Ripley's son's (John Michael Ripley) name. In my opinion, that was because accuracy is not a concern.

I feel we should do what we can to keep this man from capitalizing on the honored memory of Col. Ripley.

There are certainly better ways to remember this Marine, today on the birthday of the US Marince Corp.