Bon Homme Richard (CVA 31) - Naval Cruise Book

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I 31

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fintt i ammp fitrtfard BON HOMME RICHARD have proudest names in naval history. We of tin- seeo iiiiuTiled one ol tl Mud) more than tiiat, we have inherited tlie memory o Sreat f ' ighliuiJ tradition, for the famous hallle hetvvee si BON HOMMK RICHARD, under Captain Joh the li iid the British Man-oi-War SERAPIS, mor 11 sea battle in history, proved the i ' aniiha ,i ai engai ements are won by men, and tki ■ ■u ve.us ,,llrr the C mliiu ni.il Congress authorized the liisl iwc, ships .d Ih • N.iv mil country was faced Willi a (hkiniua. Ih • unlv W.l vr I oiiid possibly gain our independence was (1 sill . Ihe Bntisii command ol the high seas. With I lis 111 mm 1 tile inhmt Navv was flesjK-rale lor any type , )! er: It that could engage the Sliiphuilding in litis c ountry not lia ing turned oi men-of-war by 1776, John Paul Jones had not been able to get ships fast enough to take on the British in an open encoimter. His famous reply to the French, wiien lliey continued lo offer iiim ships liial wen- lno slow and iiea ' y was, Gi ' e me a fast siiip, lor 1 iiiieiui lo gel in Harm ' s way. At that lime, Benjamin Franklin was our ambassador to France, and had just written a book of maxims and proverbs ciilled Poor Richard ' s Almanac. Leafing ihrough it one day. Captain Jones found the answer lo his problem. He came across the prt)verb, If iui waiii lo have some business done iailiilulK and ish d do A( -ers,,iiles , Bi ilish. ■ Hi asked hu a Heel Willi which lo harass ihe lie uas liidi.ininaii given, as a f called Ihe Di hard , afler F agship. A w.inicul ineMllanl las , shi, h he i.naiiied Bon- ankhn ' s l.,u.k. llegoi logether ,, h,ipli., ,,i h. lilies she he, ..iMci 1 crew ol all n fought with th verc nothing e itionalilies, and it was said the e enemy ni the early months of )mpared with the battles in her