This is the tomb of John Paul Jones, located at the Naval Academy.
Born in Scotland in July 1747, John Paul Jones went to sea at a very young age and was a merchant ship master
by the age of 21. By the time the War of Independence had begun, he had become a resident of Virginia and so
volunteered to serve in the fledgling Continental Navy. He is credited with actually raising the Continental ensign on board the flagship of the Navy's first fleet. He became notorious for his daring and courageous raids along the British coast and especially for the legendary victory of the Bonhomme Richard over HMS Serapis. After his ship, Bonhomme Richard had been badly battered and had begun to take on water, the British commander asked Jones if he was ready to strike his flag. Jones' reply was, "I have not yet begun to fight!" At the end of the engagement, the British commander was forced to surrender. Jones is thus most remembered for his relentless pursuit of victory and his persistence even under the most trying circumstances. His indomitable spirit lives on in the Sailors of the United States Navy and is personified by his words: "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way."
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