Presley O'Bannon

Presley Neville O'Bannon
Nickname(s)	"Hero of Derna"
Born	1776 Fauquier County, Virginia
Died	September 12, 1850 (aged 73–74) Henry County, Kentucky
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1801-1807
Rank	First lieutenant
Battles/wars	First Barbary War Battle of Derna

Presley Neville O'Bannon (1776 – September 12, 1850) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps, famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War. In recognition of his bravery, he was presented a sword for his part in attempting to restore Prince Hamet Karamanli to his throne at Tripoli. This sword became the model for the Mameluke Sword, adopted in 1825 for Marine Corps officers, which is still part of the uniform today.

Presley O'Bannon was born in Fauquier County, Virginia to William O'Bannon, a captain of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. and Anne Neville, a sister to General John Neville, commander of Fort Pitt during the Revolution. O'Bannon was probably named after Neville's son Presley, who was aide-de-camp to the Marquis de Lafayette. O'Bannon entered the Marine Corps on January 18, 1801. As a first lieutenant assigned to USS Argus, he commanded a detachment of seven Marines and two Navy midshipmen in General William Eaton's small army during the Tripoli campaign of the First Barbary War. In the combined operations with the U.S. Navy, he led the successful attack at the Battle of Derna on April 27, 1805, giving the Marines' Hymn its line "to the shores of Tripoli". Presley O'Bannon became the first man to raise a United States flag over foreign soil in time of war. O'Bannon's superior, William Eaton, a former Army officer, had raised the American flag several months earlier while traveling on the Nile from Alexandria to Cairo, but it had not been in a time of war. According to Marine Corps tradition, Hamet Karamanli was so impressed with O'Bannon's bravery that he gave him a Mameluke sword as a gesture of respect.

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