Happy birthday

mike_baram · 6 July 2001, 07:33 AM

None of these are WWI related, but I would like to extend birthday greetings to the following:
George W. Bush - former jet jockey - 55.
Nancy Reagan - former First Lady - 80.
John Paul Jones - former Scot and naval hero - 254.
"...as commander of the Bonhomme Richard, Jones encountered two British ships of war, the Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough. Despite the obvious superior firepower of the other two ships, Jones challenged them:

An initial attempt to board the British frigate and win by sheer desperate fighting failed. In a second effort, he managed to lock the two ships togther. The Serapis was beating in one of the Richard’s sides and blowing out the other. Most of the guns of the American ship were broken and silenced. The Richard with its dry old timbers was afire again and again, and the water in the hold rose ominously. ...Pearson [captain of the Serapis] inquired, "Do you ask for quarter?” Jones then made his memorable reply, "I have not yet begun to fight!”

The battle continued for more than three hours, until the Serapis surrendered and Jones and his crew boarded the ship. Soon after, the Bonhomme Richard sank, colors still flying."

A salute to the Marine sharpshooters in the rigging who picked off Serapis' gunners.

gregoire · 6 July 2001, 07:57 AM

You forget two important name
Mr S Stalone former ...
and Tenzin Gyatso (no point for guessing who he is)

And sadly Louis Satchmo Armstrong died in 71

and just for WW1 T.E. Laurence capture Aqaba
and in 19 a british dirigible landed in New york first crossing of the atlantic by air.

mike_baram · 6 July 2001, 08:04 AM

Louis Armstrong was actually born on August 4, 1901, not in July.

6 July 2001, 08:12 AM

Mike,
Uhhhhhhhhhhh .... you forgot to mention that it was John Paul Jones' French ally who was firing on him during his battle with the Serapis. When it looked like he was losing the French Commander decided to help sink him so that the British wouldn't start hunting French ships. I believe the HMS Duke of Scarborough stood off during the battle under orders from Serapis' Commander who was the senior ranker. Not to mention that HMS SERAPIS was a brand new ship with superior firepower. Needless to say the battle was one of the greatest displays of courage in the annals of US NAVAL history.
And John Paul Jones was a fighting sailor's sailor. His intent was evidenced in a statement to someone, when he said ... "No sir, I intend to go IN harm's way."
Regards,
Jim 'ACE'

6 July 2001, 08:13 AM

If today is the Dalai Lama's birthday, and he is the reincarnation of the First Dalai Lama, dating back thousands of years, how does one calculate the number of candles on his cake, and would it not be the size of a truck tire just to hold the numbers involved? We're talking some major metaphysics here...

Craig · 6 July 2001, 08:14 AM

Ironic isn't it? Miss "Just Say No" sharing the same birthday with Mister Sniffles.

gregoire · 6 July 2001, 08:20 AM

I have not say he was born today (or if I have it was a mistake) he died today (6 july 71)

stephen · 6 July 2001, 08:25 AM

Very close, Jim. Actually, the Countess of Scarborough (not the Duke) was a British 22-gun companion warship to the massive, 50-gun man-o-war Serapis. The Bonhomme Richard was a creaky tank. Her planks had rotted and the weight of her cannon would occasionally crack the decks. Two of her 18 pounders exploded in the first broadside, killing and injuring many of her own American crew. Several more guns malfunctioned or exploded on board the Bonhomme Richard during the 3 hour engagement, which was at such close quarters that the Serapis' heavier guns were indeed caving in one side of the ship and blowing out the other. She was mastless, burning, and sinking when Jones gave his immortal reply: "I have not yet begun to fight!" BTW, the before its guns started to self destruct, the Richard was already outgunned 72 to 32, with most of the American guns being of much smaller caliber (only about half a dozen 18-pounders).

The Serapis was boarded and struck her colors and the Countess of Scarborough surrendered as well. I am not aware of any French ships in the engagement. For all the things we foul up, this was one of America's greatest moments. Happy birthday to John Paul Jones.

Craig · 6 July 2001, 08:49 AM

That's the first I've heard about French ships in the engagement as well.

Aside from sheer determination, and perhaps a little desperation, what possible advantage could Jones & Co. have had? If their ship was so shot up, they had to have suffered some impressive casualties, and therefore diminished in strength. What factors may have weakened the Serapis' crew to the point that such a battered enemy pulled off a boarding party?

mike_baram · 6 July 2001, 09:16 AM

It would be more ironic if she shared her birthday with Mr."I didn't inhale", or with Al and Tipper, Washington's best known potheads.