Presley O'Bannon
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| Presley Neville O'Bannon | |
|---|---|
| 1776 – 1850 (aged 73–74) | |
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| Nickname | "Hero of Derne"[1] |
| Place of birth | Fauquier County, Virginia |
| Place of death | Franklin County, Kentucky |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1801-1807[1] |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | First Barbary War *Battle of Derna |
| Other work | Kentucky State Legislature Kentucky State Senate |
Presley Neville O’Bannon (1776 – 12 September 1850) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps, famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War. In recognition of his bravery, he received a sword for his role in restoring Prince Hamet Karamali to his throne at Tripoli. That sword became the model for the Mameluke Sword adopted in 1825 as the Marine officers' sword that is still part of the dress uniform today.[2]
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[edit] Biography
Born in Fauquier County, Virginia, O'Bannon entered the Marine Corps 18 January 1801. As a First Lieutenant, he commanded a detachment of seven Marines in General William Eaton’s little force in the War with Tripoli. During the combined operations with the U.S. Navy, he led the successful attack in the Battle of Derna 27 April 1805, giving the Marines' Hymn its immortal “to the shores of Tripoli”. Although some sources maintain that at this battle Presley O'Bannon became the first man to raise the American flag over foreign soil,[3] [4] his superior William Eaton had done so a few months earlier while traveling on the Nile from Alexandria to Cairo. According to tradition, Hamet Karamanli was so impressed with O'Bannon's bravery that, following the attack, he presented Lt. O'Bannon with his personal Mameluke sword as a gesture of gratitude. Upon his return to the States, the state of Virginia presented him with a silver-hilted sword featuring an eaglehead hilt and a curved blade modeled after the original Mameluke given him by Hamet. Its blade is inscribed with his name and a commemoration of the battle of Tripoli.[1]
After resigning from the Marine Corps 6 March 1807, O’Bannon moved to Logan County, Kentucky, where he built a home in Russellville. He served in the Kentucky State Legislature in 1812, 1817 and 1820-21, as well as in the Kentucky State Senate from 1824 to 1826. He died on 12 September 1850 in Franklin County, Kentucky. His remains were moved to the Frankfort Cemetery in 1919.
[edit] Mameluke sword
Perhaps due to the Marines' distinguished record during this campaign, including the capture of the Tripolitan city of Derna after a long and dangerous desert march, Marine Corps Commandant Archibald Henderson adopted the Mameluke sword in 1825 for wear by Marine officers. After initial distribution in 1826, Mameluke swords have been worn except for the years 1859-75 (when Marine officers were required to wear Army M1850 foot officers' swords), and a brief period when swords were suspended during World War II. Since that time, Mameluke swords have been worn by Marine officers in a continuing tradition to the present day as of 2007.[5]
[edit] Namesakes
Three Navy ships have been named USS O'Bannon in his honor:
- the USS O'Bannon (DD–177), a Wickes class destroyer which was launched in 1919 and struck in 1936;[6]
- the USS O’Bannon (DD–450), a Fletcher-class destroyer which was launched in 1942 and struck in 1970;[7]; and
- the USS O'Bannon (DD-987), a Spruance-class destroyer, which was launched in 1978 and struck in 2005.[8]
O'Bannon Hall, at the Basic School in Quantico, Virginia is named in honor of Presley O'Bannon.[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c "First Lieutenant Presley Neville O'Bannon", Who's Who in Marine Corps History.
- ^ Noteworthy Marines. Tun-Tavern.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
- ^ "Presley Neville O'Bannon", Find-A-Grave.
- ^ a b O'Bannon House Historical Marker. Kentucky Historical Society. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
- ^ Swords of the Marine Corps. Symbols and Icons. Marines.com.
- ^ O'Bannon (I). Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
- ^ O'Bannon (II). Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
- ^ O'Bannon (DD 987). Naval Vessel Register. NAVSEA Shipbuilding Support Office, United States Navy. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
[edit] References
- Crouch, Howard R. (1999). Historic American Swords. Fairfax, VA: SCS Publications, pp. 99-103.
- Cureton, LTC Charles H., USMC (Ret.) (2006). "Early Marine Corps Swords". The Bulletin of the American Society of Arms Collectors (No. 93): pp. 121-132.
- DD 987 O'Bannon. GlobalSecurty.org.
- First Lieutenant Presley Neville O'Bannon, USMC. Who's Who in Marine Corps History. History Division, United States Marine Corps.
- Mowbray, E. Andrew (1988). The American Eagle Pommel Sword, the Early Years 1793-1830. Lincoln, RI: Man at Arms Publications, 218-219.
- Peterson, Harold L. (1970). The American Sword 1775-1945. Philadelphia: Ray Riling Arms Books Co., pp. 192-193.
- Presley O'Bannon at Find A Grave. Retrieved on 2008-03-01.
[edit] Further reading
- London, Joshua E. Victory in Tripoli: How America's How America's War with the Barbary Pirates Established the U.S. Navy and Shaped a Nation. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005.
- Smethurst, David. Tripoli: The United States' First War on Terror. New York: Presidio Press, 2006.
- Zacks, Richard. The Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805. Hyperion, 2005.
[edit] External links
- Presley Neville O’Bannon, 1st Lt., USMC (1776-1850). Namesake. United States Navy. Archived from the original on 2005-06-30.
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