From the Shores of Tripoli to Somers Point

 

Portrait of Richard Somers

From the Shores of Tripoli to Somers Point: War Hero's Remains May Be Returned

By John Barna/Gloucester County Times

http://connect.nj.com/user/jbarna/index.html

The remains of Richard Somers — one of our nation’s greatest military heroes — are one step closer to returning to his Atlantic County home some 207 years after he and 12 other Navy commandos were killed during the First Barbary War.

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed an amendment that would require the Department of Defense to unearth from two mass graves in Tripoli, Libya, the remains of the 13 commandos killed in the 1804 explosion of the USS Intrepid in Tripoli Harbor. The Intrepid was on a mission at the time to destroy Tripoli’s naval fleet.
Richard Somers was 25 at the time.

“One of our nation’s greatest heroes is closer to coming home to Somers Point,” said U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-Ventnor, one of the authors of the amendment.

“I think it is very relevant,” LoBiondo said of bringing Somers’ remains home. “He died fighting pirates and we have the same pirate problem 207 years later.”

As their bodies washed ashore, LoBiondo’s staff noted the sailors were fed to a pack of dogs. American prisoners of war from the USS Philadelphia were forced to bury their remains outside the walls of a castle fort.

“The Department of Defense never acknowledged the disgraceful burial these heroes underwent,” LoBiondo said.

The two mass graves are in “terrible disrepair, and one is about to wash out to sea,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, co-author of the amendment with LoBiondo. “One of the mass graves is located near the Tripoli plaza where (Libyan President) Muammar Gaddafi has held his anti-American protests for decades.

Knowing the specific burial location “for close to 200 years, the Somers family has requested that his remains be returned,” said Sally Hastings, president of the Somers Point Historical Society.

The House measure — which would not occur until after military activity in Libya ceases — would permit the descendants of the sailors to select the burial site, Hastings noted.

“There are a lot of Somers descendants living in this area,” she said, referring to the town one travels through to get to Ocean City.

There are two Somers family burial sites in town. One is at the New York Avenue School.

“That’s where the family intended for him to be buried,” Hastings said, noting both of his parents — Richard and Sophia — are buried at the site. There is also a memorial for the war hero at that site.

Local campaigns to bring Richard Somers’ remains home have existed for years.

“These people have worked tirelessly,” LoBiondo said.

Hastings admitted “in the last two years, not much had happened.”

In March, town officials were contacted by the office of U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. LoBiondo is a member of that committee.

“He said he was interested in the story for a long time,” Hastings said.

She joined Mayor Jack Glasser and others in a trip to Rogers’ Washington office in April.

“We thought this was a year away,” she said of the House action. Thursday’s passage, she said, “is very exciting.”

The amendment – which would repatriate, identify and honor the sailors with a military funeral through existing federal funding – was attached to the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House by a vote of 322 to 96.

“We have the opportunity to do the right thing — a lot of years later,” LoBiondo offered.

“Bringing the remains of those brave members of our military home and giving them a proper military funeral will finally end a tragic story that has lasted far too long,” Rogers
said in a statement.


US votes to bring back remains of troops from Libya, killed in 1804

http://gulfnews.com/news/world/usa/us-votes-to-bring-back-remains-of-troops-from-libya-killed-in-1804-1.813567

The US House of Representatives voted Thursday to repatriate from Libya the remains of 13 navy commandos killed in 1804 during the First Barbary War and buried in mass graves in Tripoli - Published: 09:45 May 27, 2011

Washington: The US House of Representatives voted Thursday to repatriate from Libya the remains of 13 navy commandos killed in 1804 during the First Barbary War and buried in mass graves in Tripoli.

The measure, an amendment to a $690 billion defense bill, passed by voice vote. But it acknowledged that no action should be taken until the end of the current war in Libya pitting loyalist troops against rebel forces seeking to oust longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi.

"The United States has an obligation to leave no member of our military behind, regardless of how long ago they were killed," said Congressman Mike Rogers, an army veteran who sponsored the bill with fellow Republican Representative Frank LoBiondo.

"Bringing the remains of those brave members of our military home and giving them a proper military funeral will finally end a tragic story that has lasted far too long."

USS Intrepid

The American sailors, the first US commandos and precursors of today's prestigious Navy SEALs, were killed when the USS Intrepid exploded in Tripoli Harbor.

After washing ashore, their bodies were fed to a pack of dogs as US prisoners of war looked on before being dumped into two mass graves, according to Rogers.

He said the sites were in "terrible disrepair" and one was about to wash out to sea.

The First Barbary War of 1801-1805 was the first of two wars fought between the United States and a group of North African nations known as the Barbary States.


Rogers Wants To Bring Home Sailors Killed 207 Years Ago

http://whmi.com/news/article/12380
5/27/11 - Congressman Mike Rogers has sponsored legislation that would right a more than two century old wrong. The House has passed a bill that includes an amendment authored by the Howell Republican and his GOP colleague from New York Frank LoBiondo requiring the Department of Defense to return to the United States 13 Navy commandos buried in mass graves in Tripoli, Libya since 1804. Rogers, an Army veteran himself, said that bringing the remains of the commandos home and giving them a proper military funeral would finally end what he called, “…a tragic story that has lasted far too long." The 13 sailors were killed in the explosion of the USS Intrepid in Tripoli Harbor in September of 1804 while on a mission to destroy Tripoli’s naval fleet during the First Barbary War. When their bodies washed ashore on the beach in Tripoli, they were fed to a pack of dogs as American prisoners of war looked on and then dumped into two mass graves. Rogers, who visited the graves during a trip in 2004, said that both are in terrible disrepair, with one about to wash out to sea. Any effort to return the remains is on hold, however, until military action to remove Muammar Gaddafi from power is concluded. (JK)


STARS & STRIPS

The House of Representatives has passed a measure calling for the Defense Department to bring home the remains of 13 sailors buried in Tripoli more than 200 years ago.

The sailors were aboard the USS Intrepid, which exploded and sank in 1804 while on a mission during the First Barbary War. After washing ashore, their bodies were fed to dogs. What was left was unceremoniously buried, although most of the remains were transferred to a cemetery in Tripoli more than 100 years later.

The provision to bring them home is part of the latest National Defense Authorization Act, which still has to be passed by the Senate. It is unclear whether the measure will be part of the final version of the bill.

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., introduced the bill, which would not take effect until after the current NATO campaign against Libya ends.

“Bringing the remains of those brave members of our military home and giving them a proper military funeral will finally end a tragic story that has lasted far too long,” Rogers said in a news release.

In a separate news release, a descendant of Intrepid Captain Richard Somers said his family was “delighted and encouraged” that the measure was included in the House version of the authorization act.

"We've still got a long way to go, but we're more and more hopeful every day," Dean Somers said in the news release.

Congressman wants remains of 13 sailors buried in Tripoli returned
By JEFF SCHOGOL
Published: April 26, 2011

WASHINGTON – For more than 200 years, the remains of 13 U.S. sailors have been interred in Tripoli, and now a congressman is calling on the Defense Department to bring them home.

The USS Intrepid exploded and sank in 1804 while on a mission during the First Barbary War to destroy the Tripolitan Fleet. The captain and 12 volunteer officers were killed.

When their bodies washed ashore, they were fed to dogs, dragged through the streets and dumped into holes, said U.S. Rep Mike Rogers, R-Mich.

Rogers said it is only a matter of time before Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi is deposed, so it is important to get ready to work with a new Libyan government to bring the Intrepi’ crew back to the United States. He has been working on this since he saw some of their graves during a visit to Libya in 2004.

“One of the places there is right by the square where they regularly protest the United States of America – hardly a place that you would like to call your final resting place when you’ve sacrificed so much for your country,” said Rogers, an Army veteran.

After feeling the Navy was unwilling to pursue the issue, Rogers introduced a bill earlier this month that would require the Defense Department to exhume the sailors and bury them in the United States. The bill, which is still in committee, requires those remains that could not be identified to be transferred to the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

“If it’s one day, if’s one hour, if it’s 100 years, we have the obligation and the responsibility —and I argue the dignity and the honor –to say that we will leave no fallen member of our military behind,” Rogers said. “I look it this way: If that were me, I’d want someone to try to bring me home.”

For more information, go to "The Intrepid Project."

http://www.intrepidproject.org/

http://mikerogers.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=243361

House Passes Rogers-LoBiondo Measure to Bring Navy Commandos Home from Libya after 207 Years

Washington, May 26 -2011

The House has passed a bill that includes an amendment authored by U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers, MI-08, and Frank LoBiondo, NJ-02, that would require the Department of Defense to return to the United States 13 Navy commandos buried in mass graves in Tripoli, Libya since 1804.

The amendment – which would repatriate, identify and honor the sailors with a military funeral – was attached to the National Defense Authorization Act. Rogers and LoBiondo had introduced their own bill on it, H.R. 1497.

"The United States has an obligation to leave no member of our military behind, regardless of how long ago they were killed," said Rogers, an Army veteran. "Bringing the remains of those brave members of our military home and giving them a proper military funeral will finally end a tragic story that has lasted far too long."

In September of 1804, the 13 American Sailors were killed in the explosion of the USS Intrepid in Tripoli Harbor.

The Navy’s first commandos – precursors to today’s Navy Seals – were on a mission to destroy Tripoli’s naval fleet during the First Barbary War. When their bodies washed ashore on the beach in Tripoli, they were fed to a pack of dogs as American prisoners of war looked on and then dumped into two mass graves.

Both are in terrible disrepair, and one is about to wash out to sea. One of the mass graves is located near the Tripoli plaza where Muammar Gaddafi has held his anti-American protests for decades.

Rogers joined the effort to bring the remains of the Navy commandos back to the United States for a proper burial after visiting the grave sites in 2004.

"The way that they were treated after dying in service to their country is inexcusable," LoBiondo said. "They deserve to be buried with dignity by their families on their own home soil, especially after sacrificing so much for their country."

Editor’s note: No action would be taken until after the military activity in Libya ends.