Commodore Barry William Flynn

Commodore Barry William Flynn

On September 13th, we will commemorate a day dedicated to a great Irish-American naval

officer. President Ronald Reagan designated September 13, 1981, as “Commodore John Barry

Day” as a “tribute to one of the earliest and greatest American Patriots, a man of great

insight who perceived very early the need for American power on the sea.”

Barry was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1745.

Barry received his first commission issued by the Continental Congress to command the

Lexington on December 7, 1775, becoming a Revolutionary War Commander. He rose from a

humble Irish cabin boy to senior commander of the entire United States fleet. He was fearless in

battle, but humane to his men as well as adversaries and prisoners.

Barry's war contributions: were many. He was the first to capture a British war vessel on the

high seas; he captured two British ships after being severely wounded in a ferocious sea battle; he quelled three mutinies; he fought on

land at the Battles of Trenton and Princeton; he captured over 20 ships including an armed

British schooner in the lower Delaware; he authored a Signal Book which established a set

of signals used for effective communication between ships; he also fought the last naval

battle of the American Revolution aboard the frigate Alliance in 1783. He was the first US

Naval Flag Officer.

Barry was Appointed in 1795 by President George Washington to plan the construction of and later to be in command of the first US Navy

launched in 1798. Commodore John Barry had such insight and vision of a strong navy to command the high seas. He died in Philadelphia,

PA in 1803. Commodore John Barry is also known as “The Father of the American Navy”, a title bestowed on him by his contemporaries,

who were in the best position to judge. He shares that moniker with John Paul Jones and

John Adams.

I respectfully request each Ancient Order of Hibernian Division in the Empire State to commemorate, “Commodore John Barry Day” in

some way during the month of September and also during the year. Examples/suggestions: Irish Flag Raising, Facebook posting, newspaper

article, website etc. Please send your photos, brief notation, and a write up of your Division’s Program of Commodore John Barry Day. “Father

of American Navy”. Email me at aoh1wtn@gmail.com.