John Paul Jones

This 1911 statue of John Paul Jones by John Charles Niehaus stands in East Potomac Park in Washington DC.

"John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish American sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made many friends[1] and enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day. As such, he is sometimes referred to as the 'Father of the American Navy' (an epithet he shares with John Barry). He later served in the Imperial Russian Navy, subsequently obtaining the rank of rear admiral." -- Wikipedia

 1747                           1792

First

to Compel Foreign

Man-of-War

to Strike Colors

 to the

Stars and Stripes

"John Paul Jones (1747-1792) was born in Scotland as John Paul; the Jones was added later. In 1775, he joined the American navy where he had a distinguished career. Later he made a name for himself in the Russian navy. In 1905, his grave was discovered in Paris and his body was found to have been preserved in a barrel of rum. His body was sent to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland where it was buried. Congress authorized a memorial to the naval hero on June 8, 1909 and 50,000 dollars was appropriated. The original installation site was Union Station, but it was thought too crowded and Franklin Park was selected, but turned down. The John Paul Jones Commission then approved Niehaus' selection of the current site near the Tidal Basin despite the need to drive piles for the installation. Clark and Winston Company was responsible for driving the piles necessary for the installation. Niehaus designed not only the sculpture, but also the pedestal base. John Grignolai assisted with the carving of the eagle and wreath, the two dolphins, and the relief on the base. Ross and Republic Marble Company did the stonework." -- Smithsonian

Surrender?

I have not yet begun to fight!

 In Life He Honored

The Flag in Death the

Flag Shall Honor Him

C. H. Neihaus, Sc.

1911

Hear historian Richard Norton Smith describe the John Paul Jones Memorial, C-Span, Nov. 2, 2012. "He almost certainly never said 'I have not yet begun to fight.'"