Presley O'Bannon
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| Presley Neville O'Bannon | |
|---|---|
| 1776 – September 12, 1850 | |
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| Place of birth | Fauquier County, Virginia |
| Place of death | Franklin County, Kentucky |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/branch | USMC |
| Years of service | 6 years |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | First Barbary War *Battle of Derna |
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. He received a sword for his role in restoring Prince Hamet Karamali to his throne at Tripoli in recognition of his bravery. 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.[1]
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 Marine Corps Hymn its immortal “to the shores of Tripoli”. At this battle Presley O'Bannon became the first man to raise the American flag over foreign soil. 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 1812, 1817, 1820-21 and in the Kentucky state senate 1824-1826. He died 12 September 1850 in Franklin County, Kentucky. His remains were moved to the Frankfort Cemetery in 1919.
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[2].
Three Navy ships have been named USS O'Bannon in his honor.
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[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Noteworthy Marines. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
[edit] References
- LTC (Ret.) Cureton, Charles H., USMC. “Early Marine Corps Swords,” The Bulletin of the American Society of Arms Collectors, No. 93, 2006, pp. 121-132.
- Crouch, Howard R. Historic American Swords. Fairfax, VA: SCS Publications, 1999, pp. 99-103.
- Mowbray, E. Andrew. The American Eagle Pommel Sword, the Early Years 1793-1830. Lincoln, RI: Man at Arms Publications, 1988, pp. 218-219.
- Peterson, Harold L. The American Sword 1775-1945. Philadelphia: Ray Riling Arms Books Co., 1970, pp. 192-193.
[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 NationNew Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2005.
- Smethurst, David. Tripoli: The United States' First War on Terror. New York: Presidio Press, 2006.
[edit] External links
