A U.S. Marine Corps officer whose heroic exploits in the Battle of Derna during the First Barbary War are still celebrated. Born into a military family in Virginia, Presley O'Bannon joined the young Marine Corps in its earliest days. In the early 19th century, North African Barbary pirates preyed on American merchant ships, forcing the United States into the First Barbary War. On the distant Mediterranean front, Lieutenant O'Bannon was about to undertake one of the most legendary overseas expeditions in American military history. When the U.S. naval blockade stalled, William Eaton proposed backing the Pasha's exiled brother to weaken Tripoli's rule. O'Bannon took command at a critical moment, leading only seven U.S. Marines alongside Greek mercenaries and Arab cavalry. During the grueling 500-mile march across the Libyan Desert, hunger and thirst nearly sparked mutiny several times. Only O'Bannon's example and iron discipline brought them to Derna's walls. Outnumbered by Derna's defenders, O'Bannon led his Marines and Greek assault troops in a desperate charge under U.S. naval gunfire. Through heavy fire, he seized the enemy battery, tore down the Pasha's banner, and raised the Stars and Stripes over Derna's walls. The fight was not over. Enemy forces soon launched weeks of fierce counterattacks. At each crisis, O'Bannon held the broken defenses, directed artillery fire, and led close-quarters countercharges. In the end, he shattered wave after wave of attacks and helped force Tripoli's ruler to seek peace. The operation marked the first time the American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil, and O'Bannon became a hero of the United States for holding Derna. The Pasha's brother is said to have given O'Bannon a Mameluke sword, which later became the model for the dress sword worn by Marine Corps officers today. O'Bannon's deeds in North Africa live on in The Marines' Hymn, in the famous line "To the shores of Tripoli," as an enduring symbol of the Corps' glory.