An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 27 rable, sea battles in US history. The fight continued into the night, lasting for almost four hours. Despite being outgunned by the better equipped Serapis and losing half his men Jones continued what looked a futile fight. With marines armed with pistols and grenades in the rigging and his ship lashed to the Serapis, Jones eventually prevailed and took the Brit- ish ship. However, the Bonhomme Richard was too badly damaged to survive and sank the next day. The Irish Brigade volunteers in that battle proved them- selves worthy of their Irish Brigade motto 'Semper et ubique Fidelis' (Always and everywhere Faithful), which many believe is also the source of the US Marine Corps' motto 'Sem- per Fidelis', adopted in 1883. According to his- torian and author Professor Lt Col Charles Neimeyer, USMC, the uniform of the Continental Marines changed from green with white facings to green with red facings in late 1779 in tribute not only to the blood shed by the marines of the Bonhomme Richard, but also in memory of their Regiment of Walsh uniforms: red with blue facings. Professor Neimeyer also contends that the blue uni- forms with red piping, that the US Marines inherited from Wayne's Legion in 1798 (and which colours continue today), were accepted as appropriate in that the colours were the same (only in reverse) as those of the uniforms of the Irish Brigade marines on the Bonhomme Richard. In his homily at the 2015 St Patrick's Day Mass for the deceased members of the 69th Regiment of New york, the Most Reverend John O'Hara, Auxiliary Bishop of New york, cited a document signed by George Washington, proclaiming March 17th 1780 as "…a day of celebration to honour the heroic contributions of the Irish … to the Revolutionary cause…" about the authors: Derek Warfield is a singer, songwriter, musician, music historian, and founding member of The Wolfe Tones. Derek has produced two books, 'The Songs and Ballads of 1798' and 'The Irish Songster of the American Civil War'. One of Derek's latest musical record- ings is 'Washington's Irish', Irish music of America's Wars for Independence, 1765 - 1815. He has also written a two-volume biogra- phy of Robert Emmett. Liam Murphy is a retired naval officer, a Vietnam War veteran, and a 1965 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, with an MA in American History from Fordham. His first enlistment was in the Marines. "Come on, you sons of bitches! Do you want to live forever?" – 1st Sgt Dan Daly, USMC, at Belleau Woods June 1918 Painting 'John Adams reviews Jones' Marines, 13th May 1779' by Colonel of Marines Charles Waterhouse ( former Artist in Residence of the US Marine Corps). Ensign flown by Bonhomme Richard in defeating Serapis on 23rd September 1779. Sgt Maj Dan Daly, double Medal of Honour recipient.

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