South East Tennessee Area Young Marines

06/20/2026

https://youtu.be/B58Ekdz-zj0?feature=shared

What’s a fact that can stop teens, and taxidermy animals in their t...

06/19/2026

06/19/2026

06/18/2026

06/18/2026

Colonel John Walter Ripley, U.S. Marine Corps, posthumously received the Medal of Honor today. The Medal was accepted on his behalf by his son, Tom Ripley.

On April 2, 1972, then-Captain Ripley faced a rapidly advancing North Vietnamese offensive near D**g Ha, South Vietnam.

Knowing a key bridge had to be destroyed to slow the attack, Ripley repeatedly climbed beneath the span while under continuous enemy fire, hanging from its steel girders for hours as he emplaced hundreds of pounds of explosives. His actions helped blunt the enemy advance and provided critical time for South Vietnamese forces to regroup and defend the region.

Known to generations of Marines as “Ripley at the Bridge,” his extraordinary courage and leadership remain a lasting part of Marine Corps history.

The National Medal of Honor Museum will preserve and share his story so future generations can better understand the determination, leadership, and commitment to mission that defined his actions that day.

Learn more about Colonel Ripley and the extraordinary actions that earned him the Medal of Honor: https://bit.ly/4wj0KD9

📷: Jacquelyn Martin

06/18/2026

Major James Capers Jr., U.S. Marine Corps, received the Medal of Honor today.

Born into a sharecropping family in South Carolina, James Capers Jr. joined the Marine Corps in 1956 and went on to become one of the service’s pioneering Force Reconnaissance Marines.

During a reconnaissance mission near Phu Loc, Vietnam, in April 1967, then-Second Lieutenant Capers continued leading his team after suffering multiple gunshot and fragmentation wounds. Refusing evacuation, he coordinated the defense and extraction until every Marine under his command was safely aboard the helicopter.

The National Medal of Honor Museum will preserve and share his story so future generations can better understand the determination, leadership, and commitment to others that defined his actions that day.

Learn more about Major Capers and the extraordinary actions that earned him the Medal of Honor: https://bit.ly/4wj0KD9

📷: Jacquelyn Martin

06/18/2026

Today, June 18, 2026, the President of the United States will award the Medal of Honor to three American warriors whose actions reflect the very highest ideals of courage and selfless service.

🇺🇸 Major James Capers Jr. – U.S. Marine Corps (Vietnam War, Ret.): Then-Second Lieutenant, who led his reconnaissance team through a devastating ambush in 1967, repeatedly exposing himself to enemy fire, calling supporting fires onto his own position, and refusing evacuation until every Marine under his command was accounted for.

🇺🇸 Colonel John W. Ripley – U.S. Marine Corps (Vietnam War, posthumous): Then-Captain, who during the Easter Offensive in 1972 spent more than three hours suspended beneath the D**g Ha Bridge under enemy fire, emplacing explosives that halted a massive North Vietnamese advance and saved countless lives.

🇺🇸 Major Nicholas Dockery – U.S. Army (Afghanistan War, Ret.): Then-Second Lieutenant, who in 2012 led repeated counterattacks against a numerically superior enemy, shielded a fellow Soldier from a gr***de blast with his own body, and rescued a wounded noncommissioned officer from enemy capture.

Their conflicts span generations - from Vietnam to Afghanistan - but honor never fades.

Today we recognize their gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty. In the days ahead, we will share more about each of their actions and the enduring legacy they now join.

Tune in live to watch the ceremony here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r6c6McvHiE

06/18/2026

🚙 JEEP FEST ROLL CALL! 🚙

We want to see what everyone is bringing to Jeep Fest!

Drop a photo of your Jeep in the comments and tell us:
⭐ Your Jeep’s name (if it has one!)
⭐ Year & Model
⭐ Your favorite mod or accessory

Let’s fill the comments with Jeeps of all shapes, sizes, colors, and builds! We can’t wait to see what rolls into Chickamauga Jeep Fest this year.

👇 Show us your Jeep! 👇

Mine is Onyx! 🖤

06/18/2026

The average person shies away from confrontation, but Marines stand firm on the battlefield, ready to win in any arena.

Do you possess the fighting spirit?

(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Van Hoang)