I know that you’re familiar with the United States Marine Hymn that tells of the Marines going “to the shores of Tripoli”—but do you know what, or who, it is about? The song refers to an attack on the Tripolitan city of Derne in 1805, and the 8 Marines responsible for leading the attack that led to the city’s capture.  Tripoli is located on the northern coast of Africa in modern-day Libya.

So, what were American Marines doing there when Thomas Jefferson was president?  Well, the battle was part of the First Barbary War.  Pirates from the north coast of Africa had been patrolling the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, seizing and looting American ships and demanding tribute be paid by the American government in order to stop.  When Thomas Jefferson refused to pay the tribute, Tripoli declared war on the United States.

The American force that captured Derne was commanded by a diplomat, naval officer, and soldier named William Eaton, who led the Marines and a few hundred mercenaries across the desert from Alexandria, Egypt.  Eaton’s victory was the first time the American flag was raised over a captured foreign territory and was a turning point in the fight, a significant factor leading to the treaty that ended the War.  The city of Eaton, Ohio is named after him.

Despite his heroic efforts, however, Easton is a little known figure in history—in part because his legacy was tarnished by his drinking and gambling, which subsequently sullied his reputation.  I tell you this story, in part, so that you know a bit more about what you’re singing in that Marine Hymn; in part, because Eaton is something of a unsung hero of our early history; and in part to remind you that a legacy is made up of a whole life—not just our moments of greatness, and also, not just our weaknesses and failures.

Have a wonderful day.

(Credit: https://historycollection.com/18-all-but-forgotten-american-war-heroes/).