Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 7, 1991                   TAG: 9102070414
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LEXINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

MARINE AT VMI WISHES HE HADN'T MISSED WAR

Col. John W. Ripley was coordinating the training of the 2nd Marine Regiment at Camp Lejune, N.C., when he transferred to Lexington to oversee Marine and Navy units at Virginia Military Institute.

One week later, Iraq invaded Kuwait. Ripley, 51, called the timing that left him lecturing cadets rather than preparing troops for combat "the biggest disappointment of my life."

Ripley is one of the nation's most decorated soldiers. He received the Navy Cross, the highest award the service offers and second in stature only to the Medal of Honor, during service in Vietnam in 1972.

A book, "The Bridge at Dong Ha," was written about Ripley's clandestine operations while advising a battalion of Vietnamese marines.

Ripley joined three professors from VMI and Washington and Lee University Wednesday night for a panel discussion of the war in the Persian Gulf.

While Ripley talked about the war to the more than 200 cadets who attended, Col. Wayne Thompson, a VMI political science professor, talked about the post-war Middle East.

"The future in this region will be as problematic as the present," Thompson said.

Thompson said the allies must weaken Iraq militarily, but not to the point where Iraq could not defend its borders against its neighbors.

Major Bruce Vandervort, a VMI history professor, said Iraq has border disputes with every neighbor except Jordan.

While Ripley is disappointed he's not with his troops, he said they're anxious for the ground war to begin.

His regiment of 3,000 Marines is the ground combat element of an amphibious brigade of 17,000 soldiers.

"I received a letter yesterday from one of them," Ripley said. "He said, `We're ready to do what we came here to do. We just hope it's sooner than later.' "

Ripley said he agrees with the patience that seems to be prevailing in Washington.

"I don't think there is any advantage to going in too early only to satisfy the eagerness and the desire to get it over with," Ripley said.

It would be wrong to begin the ground attack on the coast of Kuwait and its border with Saudi Arabia until the allies have gained clear air and ground superiority, he said. "We appear to be achieving that."