Today we celebrate St. Patrick's Day by taking a brief look at the contributions of a few well-known Irish Americans Sailors.
The list of sailors with Irish heritage who have served this nation with distinction is long. Many have been honored and decorated for their courage under fire. Here's a look at just a few from the Revolutionary War to Afghanistan and the War on Terror.
Commodore John Barry
Barry was born in County Wexford, Ireland, in 1745. He grew up with a great love for the sea. As a young man, Barry commanded merchant vessels operating out of England. Eventually, he emigrated to America. Joining the Continental Navy at the Revolutionary War outbreak, Barry commanded many Continental Navy vessels.
After the end of the Revolution in 1783, Barry was appointed the senior Captain of the newly established United States Navy and subsequently put in charge of constructing the large frigate United States. Capt. Barry commanded the new ship in the West Indies during the 1798-1801 quasi-war with France. He died in 1803 in his adopted home of Philadelphia.
Multiple ships have been named for Barry; the latest, the guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52), is currently based in Yokosuka, Japan.
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/us-people/b/barry-john.html
The Sullivan Brothers
Albert, Francis, George, Joseph and Madison Sullivan were born in Waterloo, Iowa, between 1914 and 1920. George and Francis enlisted in the Navy in 1937. Their three younger brothers joined the service in early 1942 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
At their request, all five were assigned to the commissioning crew of the light cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52) in February 1942.
The Juneau was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on Nov. 13, 1942, and all five brothers were lost. Their tragic deaths were widely publicized and resulted in a new Navy policy discouraging family members from serving together n the same ship.
Two Ships have been named for the brothers. In 1943, their mother would help christen the World War II destroyer USS The Sullivans (DD 537). That ship is now a museum in Buffalo, N.Y. In 1997, the Navy commissioned a guided-missile destroyer, USS The Sullivans (DDG-68), based in Mayport, Fla.
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/browse-by-topic/disasters-and-phenomena/the-sullivan-brothers-and-the-assignment-of-family-members0.html
Lt. John F. Kennedy
Long before he was elected President of the United States, John F. Kennedy was an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Following his brother Joseph Jr.'s death in combat, the young JFK followed suit and joined the Navy. Though his family held much influence and sought to protect Kennedy from combat, he volunteered anyway.
In 1943 Kennedy took command of torpedo patrol boat 109 (PT 109) operating in the waters around the South Pacific's Solomon Islands.
While on a night patrol, Kennedy's boat was rammed and sunk by the Japanese destroyer, Amagiri. Abandoning ship, Kennedy personally swam each of his crew. Pulling them together, he led them to a small island, three miles away. With a Coastwatcher and residents' aid, the crew received medical attention and later rescued by the Navy.
Kennedy was later awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Purple Heart. Two aircraft carriers have been named in Kennedy's honor. The first USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) served in the fleet from 1968 to 2007. A second USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) is currently under construction in Newport News, Va.
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/browse-by-topic/people/presidents/kennedy.html
Lt. Michael P. Murphy
Lt. Michael P. Murphy was an Irish American who was awarded the Medal of Honor for putting his mission and Sailors over his own safety in Afghanistan.
He was born May 7, 1976, into a family where Irish traditions and public service ran strong.
Murphy's grandfather was born on the boat as his parents emigrated from Ireland to the United States. That grandfather served in World War II and his father volunteered during the Vietnam war and was seriously wounded.
Feeling the call to service, Murphy joined the Navy to be a Navy SEAL. He was killed on June 28, 2005 while leading a four-man team tasked on a mission to locate a Taliban leader in the mountains near Asadabad, Afghanistan.
The team came under fire from a much larger enemy force with superior tactical position. Murphy knowingly left his position of cover to get a clear signal to communicate with his headquarters and was mortally wounded while exposing himself to enemy fire.
Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, he has been honored both in the United States and in Ireland for his selfless sacrifice.
The Pearl Harbor-based guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) is named in his honor.
https://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2014/01/11/michael-murphy/
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