“Surrender? I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight!”

John Paul Jones, Rear Admiral

Hidden below the Naval Academy Chapel is the final resting place for John Paul Jones (July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792). Born a fiery Scott, Jones grew up on the British Isles and served for the British Navy for a time. However, after killing one of his mutinous crew members, he was forced to flee to Virginia to find a new life.

He quickly became an American Patriot serving the U.S. Navy during the American Revolution. Following the revolution, John Paul Jones returned to the European Continent, retiring in Paris. Passing away in 1792 in his Paris apartment, Jones was buried in a soon forgotten Saint Louis Cemetery due to the French Revolutionary War.

In 1906, after a lengthy six years of search, the U.S. Ambassador located the remains of John Paul Jones. Fortunate was he that a generous patron had Jones interred in alcohol in a lead coffin so that his remains would be intact should the U.S. government decide to locate him in the future. After verification of his remains, John Paul Jones took his last voyage over the Atlantic Ocean to arrive to his final resting place at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Such an incredible journey, and a truly illustrious career. John Paul Jones fearlessness is something all of us should aspire to.