Presley O'Bannon

Presley Neville O'Bannon (1776 – September 12, 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 was presented a sword for his part in attempting to restore Prince Hamet Karamanli to his throne at Tripoli. This sword became the model for the Mameluke Sword, adopted in 1825 for Marine Corps officers, which is still part of the dress uniform today.

Biography

Presley O'Bannon was born in Fauquier County, Virginia to William O'Bannon, a captain of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. and Anne Neville, a sister to General John Neville, commander of Fort Pitt during the Revolution. O'Bannon was likely named after John's son Presley who was aide-de-camp to the Marquis de Lafayette. O'Bannon entered the Marine Corps on January 18, 1801. As a first lieutenant assigned to the USS Argus (1803), he commanded a detachment of seven Marines and two Navy midshipmen in General William Eaton's small army during the Tripoli campaign of the First Barbary War. In the combined operations with the U.S. Navy, he led the successful attack in the Battle of Derna on April 27, 1805, giving the Marines' Hymn its line "to the shores of Tripoli". Presley O'Bannon at this battle became the first man to raise a United States flag over foreign soil in time of war. O'Bannon's superior, William Eaton, a former Army officer, had raised the flag several months earlier while traveling on the Nile from Alexandria to Cairo, but it had not been in a time of war. According to Marine Corps tradition, Hamet Karamanli was so impressed with O'Bannon's bravery that he gave O'Bannon a Mameluke sword as a gesture of respect.

O'Bannon

O'Bannon may refer to:

In places:

O'Bannon, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

In ships:

USS O'Bannon (DD-177), U.S. Navy Wickes-class destroyer (1919–1922)

USS O'Bannon (DD-450), U.S. Navy Fletcher-class destroyer (1942–1970)

USS O'Bannon (DD-987), U.S. Navy Spruance-class destroyer (1979–2005)

People with the surname O'Bannon:

O'Bannon (surname)

O’Bannon is an Irish surname. The name refers to:

Charles O’Bannon (born 1975), American basketball player

Dan O’Bannon (1946-2009), American screenwriter and film director

Ed O’Bannon (born 1972), American basketball player and 1995 NCAA Tournament MOP

Frank O’Bannon (1930–2003), American politician, Governor of Indiana 1997–2003

Helen O’Bannon (1939–1988), American academic and economist

Presley O’Bannon (1776–1850), U.S. Marine Corps officer, famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War

Rockne S. O’Bannon (born 1955), American television writer and producer

USS O'Bannon (DD-987)

USS O'Bannon (DD-987), a Spruance-class destroyer, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon (1776–1850), an early hero of the US Marine Corps.

O'Bannon was laid down on 21 February 1977 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss.; launched on 25 September 1978; and commissioned on 15 December 1979, Commander Marshall R. Willenbucher in command.

Homeport

Originally assigned to Naval Base Charleston, South Carolina; when it was closed by the Congressional BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) committee in 1994 transferred to Naval Station Mayport, Florida.

Deployments and Ports of Call

UNITAS XXXII: Cartagena, Columbia; Rodmin, Panama; Manta, Ecuador; Lima, Peru; Valparaíso, Chile; Talcahuano, Chile; Argentina; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Puerta la Cruz, Venezuela

Baltops '92: Edinburgh, Scotland; Kiel, Germany (with bus rides to Berlin); Karlskrona, Sweden; Denmark; Norway; Severnmorsk, Russia (with bus rides to Murmansk, Russia)