Tripoli Tri-Color and Stars & Stripes

A Libyan rebel holds the Stars & Stripes high after liberating Benghazi



The Stars & Stripes and Libya's national tri-color flew side by side when Sen. John McCain visited the Libyan rebel capital of Benghazi and pledged American support.

Star-Spangled Shores of Tripoli

After a heavy shelling of Tripoli by three US warships, a landing party with the Marines in command hoisted the American flag for the first time over a fort in the Old World, April 27, 1805. One of the proudest moments in the storied history of the US Marine Corps. Image courtesy of the National Archives.



William Eaton and Sgt. Presley O'Bannon USMC and eight Marines lead the assault on Darnah.
Their march on Tripoli was thwarted by a peace treaty that allowed Yousef Karamanli to remain in power.

Wall Steet Journal OPINION • AUGUST 18, 2011

The Star-Spangled Shores of Tripoli

The Star-Spangled Shores of Tripolihttps://mail.google.com/mail/?hl=en&tab=wm - inbox/131f9e2f79d62d18

Libyan rebels are advancing on their capital, where 200 years ago the young U.S. won a major victory—and inspired a lasting phrase from Francis Scott Key.

By STEPHEN J. MARMON

Rebel forces in Libya raised their nation's old red, black and green banner over two more towns this week, from which they're now preparing to attack Tripoli. As they move to reclaim Libya from 40 years of tyrannical rule, we should recall that our flag was raised there two centuries ago, marking America's emergence as an international military power.

After our Revolutionary War, the Barbary Coast pirates—based in Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco—were a major foreign-policy crisis for the new United States. Since the 13th century those marauders had attacked European ships in the Mediterranean, freeing crews and cargoes only after receiving ransom payments. Without the protection of the British or the French navy, American shipping began to fall prey to the pirates in 1784.

More than one-fifth of U.S. trade then was with Mediterranean countries. As Michael Oren (now Israel's ambassador to the U.S.) noted in his 2007 history of American involvement in the Mideast, "Power, Faith and Fantasy," enterprising early Americans could sell lumber, tobacco and tools around the Mediterranean in exchange for delicacies like capers, figs and raisins. A brisk business surrounded the exchange of New England rum for Turkish opium.

With the Barbary pirates threatening both profitable trade and national pride, the new country was in a quandary. The need to protect American shipping helped drive the argument for a new and stronger Constitution. James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers that only a more powerful central government could ward off "the rapacious demands of pirates and barbarians," while John Jay believed that the "pirates of Tunis and Tripoli" would compel the feeble American states to unite.

It took 15 years, as well as payouts of tribute to African pirates that sometimes cost 20% of the federal budget, before the U.S. had a sizable Navy. But our fleet ran into trouble after President Jefferson ordered the ships into action. The flagship of the armada, the Philadelphia, foundered on a reef off Tripoli in October 1803. Yusuf Karamanli, ruler of what is now Libya, imprisoned the entire 307-man crew of the 36-gun frigate and aimed its cannon at the rest of the U.S. fleet.

A daring raid by Navy Capt. Stephen Decatur set the ship afire in February 1804, but the American expedition otherwise was frustrated. In 1805, William Eaton, who had served previously as U.S. consul general in Tunis, organized a land attack on Libya. Determined to place a friend on the Libyan throne, Eaton led a former Libyan pasha—Hamet, who had been deposed and exiled by his younger brother Karamanli—plus nine Marines and 400 mercenaries on a sun-baked, two-month march of 500 miles from Egypt to Darnah, then Libya's second-largest city.

On April 27, 1805, after U.S. Navy ships bombarded the town, more than 800 people were killed and 1,200 were injured in a pitched battle. Marines then raised the 15-star U.S. flag over Darnah's harbor fortress. Karamanli's forces tried to retake the city, but the Americans and their allies held them off and prepared to march west on Tripoli.

A month later, Karamanli signed a new treaty and released the captain and crew of the Philadelphia (in exchange for $60,000). He also kept his throne, forced his brother Hamet back into exile, and a decade later was back to the same old pirate attacks, until the U.S. and other countries stopped the marauding for good.

But the American victory in 1805 established our new military prowess. Decatur was feted as a hero and the African battle would be enshrined in the Marine Corps Hymn:

From the halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land, and sea.

At a banquet honoring Decatur that fall, Francis Scott Key read his new poem, "When the Warrior Returns," about the battle in Darnah. In it was a phrase that would define his country's banner for all time, a phrase he would use nine years later while watching the
British attack Fort McHenry:

And pale beamed the Crescent, its splendor obscured
By the light of the Star Spangled flag of our nation.
Where each radiant star gleamed a meteor of war,
And the turbaned heads bowed to its terrible glare.

That 1805 battle gave the U.S. both pride in its ability to use force for just ends, and a phrase that has endured as a lasting symbol of the nation. It would be fitting if Libya's rebels, supported by America and her allies, soon have a new moment of splendor as they raise their flag, with its crescent and star, by the shores of Tripoli.

Mr. Marmon reported on Congress for the New York Times. His new book, "The Cheaters: America's Political Sex Scandals," will be published next year.

Name change for Green Square @ Google

Name change for Libyan square on Google Maps
(AP) –

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google Inc.'s online mapping service has changed the name of a Libyan location to what it was called before Moammar Gadhafi rose to power four decades ago.

The change came late Sunday, just hours after rebel forces pushed into Tripoli with little resistance.

"Green Square" is now "Martyrs' Square" on the online map for Tripoli, reflecting what rebels are now calling it.

The change was made quickly because Google now allows users to update its maps. A user did just that on Sunday night. Google approved it, making it visible to the public, shortly thereafter.

Although the square's name has been re-labeled on the map, users can find it by searching either name.

Google uses a broad range of sources to keep its maps up to date. This includes public and commercial data providers as well as user contributions.

On the Net: http://bit.ly/nq15lj

Richard Somers Birthplace

Richard Somers was born in his father's house at Bethel and Shore Roads in Somers Point, NJ in September 1778, during the American Revolution. This photo was taken in 1912. When Richard Somers was born it was a tavern run by his father, a Colonel and commander of the local militia and a privateer.

Somers died in the explosion of the USS Intrepid at Tripoli Harbor on Sept. 4, 1804 and is buried outside the walls of the old castle fort in what is now Martyr's Square, Tripoli.

American Legion Presses for Repatriation

American Legion Sees Chance To Bring Home Remains Of Sailors Buried In Libya 200 Years Ago.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/22/american-legion-sailors-libya_n_933342.html

WASHINGTON -- Thirteen U.S. sailors who died in 1804 during the First Barbary War and were buried in Tripoli, Libya, may finally be coming home, if the American Legion gets its way.

Since the uprising in Libya broke out six months ago, the veterans organization has been lobbying Congress to bring home the remains of the U.S. servicemen. The crew, led by Master Commandant Richard Somers and Lt. Henry Wadsworth (uncle of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), died whentheir explosives-packed ship blew up prematurely during a mission to Tripoli.

"It's the best chance we've had in a long time," said Tim Tetz, legislative director for the American Legion. "We've got a change of politics in Libya. We've got family members who have stood up and said, 'We want to have our family members brought home.' We've got the will and might of America to say, 'Let's respect those who fought our wars for us, and that includes all wars.'"

As Politico's Dave Levinthal reports, the American Legion is one of 11 groups that have "formally lobbied the federal government on pet causes that, in one fashion or another, concern Libya." Oil companies, the American Civil Liberties Union and United to End Genocide have all been taking their concerns to the federal government.

The American Legion, with the backing of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), was able to secure an amendment to a House bill directing the Defense Secretary to "exhume and transfer the remains of certain deceased members of the Armed Forces buried in Tripoli, Libya."

The Senate, however, has not followed suit. According to Tetz, one stumbling block may be Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who served in the U.S. Navy.

"He has expressed some concern that he doesn't want to see it pass, which is disconcerting to us, and we've tried to influence him where and when we can. So far, to no avail," said Tetz.

McCain did not return a request for comment.

The U.S. Navy also is opposed to the American Legion's request.

In 2008, Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, told Rep. Rogers, "Navy custom and tradition has been to honor the final resting place of those lost in downed ships and aircraft. The Navy considers the Tripoli cemetery to be the final resting place of these sailors who sacrificed their lives for our nation."

Navy spokeswoman Lt. Alana Garas confirmed to The Huffington Post that Roughead's statement remains the position of the service.

But Marty Callaghan, spokesman for the American Legion, said the current resting place of the Barbary War sailors is inadequate.

"They are buried in a hostile land," he said. "Some of them are buried right underneath the place called Green Square where Gaddafi's government often holds protest rallies and things of that nature. The other bodies are buried in a Protestant cemetery that is not kept up and is basically in shambles, more or less. So this is not the way to treat those who serve America."

He added that there are places reserved in Arlington National Cemetery if the sailors' bodies are returned to the United States.

The Teddy Roosevelt Option

When Teddy Roosevelt was president he was informed that the remains of Revolutionary War hero John Paul Jones were discovered buried under a street in Paris. Roosevelt ordered an American warship to France to repatriate the remains and they were reburied in the chapel at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.

New Jersey Mission of Honor

N.J. Mission of Honor gives respectful and dignified burials to forgotten veterans.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2011 BY JAMES QUIRK THE RECORD
http://www.northjersey.com/news/VETHONOR.html

The cremated remains of 12 veterans that had been unclaimed on the shelves of funeral homes across New Jersey — some for more than 30 years — were given a full military internment Thursday.

The burials were part of the ongoing efforts of the New Jersey Mission of Honor, which seeks to pay tribute to deceased and forgotten soldiers.

The day began with a special ceremony outside the Garfield VFW Post. Veterans from all over the state, some in full uniform and others in jeans and denim vests who rode in on Harleys, came to honor their reclaimed comrades.

When the Mission of Honor began two years ago, its members were told that there were no cremains to be found sitting forgotten on the shelves of funeral homes, said Francis Carrasco, chairman of the Mission of Honor and a Lodi resident. But so far, the group has returned unclaimed veterans’ cremains to roughly 130 families, and have buried 31 who had no one else to claim them.

“Destiny has brought us here to gather and pay our respects to these cremains that had been forgotten, but have been found,” said Al Lucente, Bergen CountyCoordinator of the Mission of Honor. “They have endured enough. They now have closure.”

The cremains of the veterans were claimed from Lakeview Memorial Home in Clifton, Codey Funeral Home in Orange, Day Funeral Home in Keyport, and the Aug F. Schmidt Funeral Home in Elizabeth. All but two of the men served in World War II. The cremains of Robert M. Hults, of Orange, who served as a sergeant with the Army from 1942 to 1946, had been on a shelf at the Codey Funeral Home in Orange for almost 38 years before the Mission of Honor came knocking.

Remembering those who served

These 12 veterans were interred at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown Thursday:
• Owen J. Harris. Served 1941 to 1945 in the Merchant Marines. Died April 28, 1977, in Union Beach.
• Neil Krisch. Served 1941 to 1945 as a Tech Sgt. in the Army. Died Oct. 27, 1978 in Union Beach.
• John F. Bannon. Served 1943 to 1946 as a Tech 4 Sgt. in the Army. Died Nov. 17, 1993 in Elizabeth.
• Ralph M. Dorsch. Served 1943 to 1946 as a Tech 3 Sgt. in the Army. Died April 19, 2003 in Elizabeth.
• Andrew Fachet Jr. Served 1942 to 1946 as a Staff Sgt. in the Army. Died Sept. 18, 1977, in Newark.
• Michael Begosh. Served 1942 to 1943 as a Private in the Army. Died Nov. 20, 1991 in Passaic.
• Arthur W. Harty. Served 1943 to 1945 as Seaman 1st Class in the Navy. Died Jan. 31, 1985 in Paterson.
• Frank Fryer. Served in the Army as a Private first from 1920 to 1922, then again as Private from 1938 to 1940. Died Aug. 26, 1979 in Orange.
• Arthur J.C. Omdal. Served 1942 to 1945 as a Private in the Army. Died July 2, 1981 in Orange.
• Robert M. Hults. Served 1942 to 1946 as a Sergeant in the Army. Died Nov. 2, 1973 in Orange.
• George Davis. Served in the Army from 1943 to 1945. Died May 25, 1982 in Orange.
• John Barry. Served in the Army during the Korean War, 1950 to 1953. Died March 23, 1999 in Verona.

After the ceremony in Garfield, the State Police led a funeral procession down the Turnpike to Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, in Wrightstown. The roar of the bikers’ engines gave way to a solemn silence at 2 p.m. as the Mission of Honor, joined by various representatives of the Armed Forces, conducted a full military internment.

Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth, Adjutant General of New Jersey, praised the all-volunteer group for its ongoing efforts.

“There’s not any veteran that should be left alone anywhere,” Rieth said. “Every veteran, regardless of where they are, regardless of what shelf they sit on, should be laid to rest with dignity and honor.”

Mission of Honor Chaplain Jerry Skorch delivered a eulogy for the internment, and gave some insight into who the 12 men were – where they were born, where and when they served, and where they lived out the remainders of their lives once they returned to the U.S. For each veteran, he proclaimed that on that day, everyone present was that man’s family.

After the eulogy, six soldiers in uniform stood before the dark wooden boxes containing the veterans’ cremains and unfurled a large American flag. Across the field, seven volunteers from the Mission of Honor, dressed in black, white and gold, fired three volleys. Retired First Sgt. Richard Pinter played Taps on his bugle. The uniformed soldiers then carefully folded the flag into a tight triangle, and presented it to Rieth. Eleven more flags were then presented to the general in graceful and somber precision, and the ceremony was over.

“This is a beautiful thing,” said Fred Vineyard, of Somers Point, the 1st Vice Commander of American Veterans, a national veteran’s group. “These men were sitting on selves for years and years. They deserve a resting place here in Doyle cemetery.”

The Mission of Honor is currently working to verify that cremains from a home in Cliffside Park are from veterans, Carrasco said. The group expects to hold its next internment ceremony in Toms River in October.

“As long as funeral homes keep working with us to allow us to identify these cremains, we’ll keep going,” Carrasco said.

E-mail: quirk@northjersey.com