Commodore John Barry, USN

Commodore John  Barry

On September 13th, the Ancient Order of Hibernians will celebrate one of the major holidays of their order, Commodore John Barry Day. On June 14, 1794, President Washington appointed John Barry Commanding Officer of the United States Navy with the Commission Number One.

On September 13, 1803, at his home on Strawberry Hill, Philadelphia, Barry died after a long illness. He is buried at St. Mary‟s Catholic Church in Philadelphia.

By Joint Resolution, approved August 20, 1981, the U.S. Congress designated September 13th, the anniversary of his death, “Commodore John Barry Day as a tribute to the father of the United States Navy.”

By Joint Resolution, approved in December, 2005, Commodore John Barry has been recognized as the first flag officer of the United States Navy.

Monuments honoring John Barry have been raised in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New York, Boston and County Wexford, Ireland.

The John Barry Medal is presented by Hibernians throughout the United States to commemorate outstanding academic, cultural and civic achievement.

Hibernian efforts to honor John Barry at the Naval Academy

We hear about great naval heroes of the American Revolution, many were immigrants who bravely served their adopted country and risked their lives in America‟s hour of need. These heroes sailed under the 13 stars and stripes on the high seas. They won great victories over the most powerful naval power of its day – Great Britain. Their heroic deeds are historical and legendary.

One such naval hero is John Barry from County Wexford, Ireland. Although well known in Philadelphia and in the Irish American community, Barry is a forgotten hero at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Retired Rear Admiral William Holland recently declared, “Barry has long been overlooked in our Navy‟s history.”

On the 200th anniversary of Barry‟s death on September 13, 2003, the Washington, DC Hibernians held their annual wreath laying ceremony at the statue in Franklin Park. The then DC State Board President, John E. McInerney, raised this issue in his Barry Day speech. “Barry answered President Washington‟s call to organize the Navy under the Constitution,” said McInerney. “He accepted Naval Commission Number One signed by Washington with the rank of captain and was honored as a Commodore. Like so many other Irish immigrants, John Barry loved and lived for his adopted country and stayed faithful to her until the end of his days.”

Many historians are convinced that had it not been for John Barry, the American Revolution would have been lost. Dr. Benjamin Rush, signer of the Declaration of Independence, said in his eulogy at Barry's graveside, "He was born in Ireland, but America was the object of his devotion and the theater of his usefulness."

McInerney concluded his 2003 talk by saying that “Perhaps John Barry from Wexford needs to receive major recognition at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Once Congress enacts the bill declaring John Barry as the first flag officer of the American Navy, that fact needs to be enshrined in Annapolis. Perhaps John Barry‟s memorial needs to stand proudly on the grounds of the Naval Academy – paid for by contributions by ordinary citizens.”

Congress on December 22, 2005 by Public Law 109-142 clearly recognized and declared Barry “as the first flag officer of the United States Navy.” Former Secretary of the Navy, John F. Lehman, wrote in February 2010 “It has always been an oddity that his (Barry) memory and example have been largely absent from the Naval Academy. … The time to rectify this absence is at hand.”

About three years ago Jack O‟Brien and McInerney proposed honoring Commodore John Barry at the Naval Academy at a DC state board meeting of the AOH in Washington. The project was approved. O‟Brien became the project director and coordinator, and McInerney, a writer, its public relations director. Previously, O‟Brien led the nation-wide effort to successfully erect the Irish Brigade Monument at the Antietam Civil War battlefield dedicated in 1997. McInerney was that project‟s public relations director.

O‟Brien discussed the project with his contacts at the Naval Academy. A statue was proposed but quickly shot down. The idea of a memorial was mutually acceptable. Following the Academy‟s guidelines, O‟Brien and McInerney submitted a proposal on August 29, 2008. On January 5, 2009 Vice Admiral Jeffrey L. Fowler rejected the proposal stating that a memorial to Commodore John Barry “would not be appropriate for placement on the Yard in an exterior location.” Viewing the rejection as only a minor stumbling block, the DC Hibernians filed an appeal with the Academy‟s Superintendent on February 8, 2009.

On June 16, 2009 the Superintendent wrote that he referred the matter to the Executive Director of the Memorials and Grounds Oversight Committee, who is also the President and CEO of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation. He is to make a determination on whether to convene the Committee. As of the date of this article, a hearing is to be held in mid-May 2010.

“The case to honor Commodore Barry at the Naval Academy is based three factors,” O‟Brien pointed out. “(1) He received naval commission number one signed by President Washington. (2) He was the first flag officer of the United States Navy. (3) He was the commanding officer of the Navy under Presidents Washington, Adams and Jefferson until his death in 1803.”

“It is important that we explain,” said O‟Brien, “how a fine officer and gentleman such as Commodore Barry can be an inspiration to future officers of the Navy and Marie Corps. We are asking that the Barry Memorial be placed in a prominent space in the Academy‟s Yard so that midshipmen, officers, and the public will know of the contributions of the Navy‟s first flag officer.”

At the 2008 AOH national convention in New Orleans, the Hibernians adopted a resolution approving of the Barry project. National President Seamus Boyle is backing the project and strongly supports the efforts of O‟Brien and McInerney. During the discussions with the Academy, McInerney brought up the deteriorating condition of Barry‟s original commission number one. He remembered visiting the Academy‟s museum as a college seminary student in 1964. “At that time Barry‟s commission was in good condition and could be read,” McInerney pointed out. “Today it is difficult to read because of its deteriorated state.” The DC Hibernians and the Academy agreed to send the document to a conservator. In the presence of Academy officials as well as Seamus Boyle, Keith Carney, O‟Brien and McInerney of the AOH, and Russ Wylie of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, the document was removed from its original frame and examined. The DC Hibernians paid for the conservator‟s expenses. Today, Commission Number One is safely at the Naval Academy preserved for future generations to view.

Many prominent Americans are currently writing letters of support for the Barry Project. On May 4, 2010, Congressmen Peter King, Eliot Engel, Joseph Crowley, Richard Neil, and Christopher Smith signed a joint letter to the Academy‟s Superintendent endorsing the Barry Memorial. The conclusion of their letter strongly supported the Hibernian efforts “to erect a memorial on the public grounds of the United States Naval Academy. We trust that their appeal will receive the favorable consideration it deserves.”

Many other letters are currently been sent to the Academy‟s Superintendent supporting the Barry Project, including AOH National President Boyle, retired military officers, university and college presidents and professors, Senator Mikulski (member of the Board of Visitors), Governor Martin O‟Malley of Maryland, and members of Congress. Also, Irish American organizations and military associations are sending letters of support. On January 28, 2010 the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick pointed out that Barry trained “many of the officers of the U.S. Navy who became the heroes of the War of 1812.”

Fran O‟Brien, President of Philadelphia‟s Navy League, wrote on November 13, 2009 that Barry was honored “with the first commission of our new country‟s navy, America owes Barry and his legacy nothing less than the rare honor of being memorialized at our country‟s premiere military educational institution.”

  

Recently Congressman Joe Sestak (PA), a retired admiral, wrote that Barry “served a pivotal role in both winning our nation‟s independence and setting the foundation of our military.” 

Father Joseph McShane, SJ, President of Fordham University concluded his July 31, 2009 testimonial by declaring a “memorial at the Naval Academy would provide a concrete teaching experience to your students as well as a reminder that the Navy honors men of courage who have served.”

Maryland‟s Governor O‟Malley wrote on March 11, 2010 that Barry‟s “victories and sacrifices to secure the birth and strength of this nation are too great in number to fully recount in this letter, but I hope that we can seize on this opportunity today to honor the life of a great Irish immigrant who would become one of our greatest Americans.”

For information and details on the letter writing  guidelines, please e-mail John McInerney at McInerneyVerret@aol.com or call (202) 213 – 2055.