Military Men in the USA Essay Example

Military and political development across the world has been a focus to every nation of the world. The military defines the power a country proclaim as well as the respect accorded to such nation by the rest of the world. The militarization of the world nations leads to the break of great wars in world history (Shi, David, and George 12). Such war leads to loss of both lives and property. World 1 and 11 are such wars that shook the world in the past. Military development is traced to the engineering revolution. Scholars argue that engineering development and the military are intertwined aspects of societal advancement. The engineering developments such as the invention of warships and other powerful marine ships resulted from the pressure of the military need. This study, therefore, examines the military development with a key interest in individuals who propelled the early military advancement within the last two centuries in the United States.

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John Barry's contribution to the military is unmatched. John was born on March 25th, 1745 and he died at the age of 58 years. During the American Revolution War, Barry was a continental navy officer. In the later development of the American history, Barry has credited the father of the American Navy after a great service with the United States Navy. The American Revolution War is a hallmark in American history as it leads to the attainment of American independence from Great Britain (Shi, David, and George 19). The historical moment was marked by the death of both civilians and the military personnel.

Barry rose to different ranks during his service. In 1775 he was appointed captain in charge of the United States' warship making the first American captain in a commanding role. Besides, the warship commanded by Barry was the first commissioned warship under the American flag. When the war died, he became the naval officer at the rank of Commodore. Barry received recognition from President George Washington in 1797. Barry was a remarkable as a force behind the success of the American Revolution war. During the war, he assumed many positions such as Command of Delaware where he helped capture the British vessel along Delaware River in 1778. He also served as Command of Raleigh and Command of Lexington. He led the renowned Battle of Turtle Gut Inlet (Downing and Brian 17).

When John Barry left the stage, Michael Corcoran rose who then lived between 1827 and 1863. The advancements of the military in any nation require competent servicemen who are both patriotic and obedient in their line of duty. Michael Corcoran was such character. He was American with Irish origin. He served as the general of the Union Army through the American Civil War. As part of his patriotism, he was a confidant of Abraham Lincoln during his reign. The Irish man led the 69th the New York regiment which is remembered for building the Fort Corcoran in Washington D.C through military service. Michael Corcoran was enlisted a member of a state militia that was charged with maintaining law and public order within the society. Just like other servicemen, Michael got involved in politics in his life as he was viewed as a vote influencer among the Americans of Irish origin. He became involved actively in politics through democracy which leads being nominated for communal leadership positions (Dingle et al 23). Colonel Corcoran is remembered for refusing to parade the troop for the Prince of Wales. This was in protest to British imposed Irish famine witnessed by then. However, during his service in the military, he was faced with issues surrounding professionalism and work ethics which saw him wounded out of command by court-martial. The contribution of Corcoran is shown by the Ballymote Memorial in New York City.

Patrick Ronayne was the highest-ranking officer who had Irish origin in the history of American military. Patrick was promoted to major general. Through the Civil War, he was a commander of the Yell Rifles. He was a third born to Joseph Cleburne and Mary Anne. He lost his mother at the tender age of eighteen months. He enlisted in the army in 1848. Cleburne served during the Young Ireland Rebellion. In 1849, he rose to the rank of corporal. Cleburne moved to the United States in 1849 and settled comfortably in his new country. He was later elected as a captain to the newly formed militia company by local farmers in 1850 ((Shi, David, and George 27). Cleburne joined the Confederate army in 1862. His military prowess saw him appointed brigadier general. His victory over Hooker's army enabled him to receive a Congressional citation. Cleburne played a key role in enlisting the freed slaves into the Confederacy army. An idea that came too late to deliver victory to the Confederate armies. Patrick Cleburne died in the hands of the Union troops under the able command of General John Bell in 1864.

Alfred Thayer Mahan hailed from West Point where he was born on 27th of September 1840. He is viewed by many as the greatest strategist of the nineteenth century. Thayer was not only an outstanding naval officer but also a great historian and prolific author. Alfred enlisted in the Naval Academy in 1859 against the wish of his father, Dennis Hart Mahan. Alfred Mahan served the Union during the Civil War in the capacity of lieutenant (Mahan 13). His military prowess earned him a promotion to lieutenant commander in 1865. In 1885, Alfred Mahan lectured naval history and at Naval War College. It is in the Naval War College where Alfred Mahan is the man who was later to occupy the White House, Theodore Roosevelt. As a lecturer Alfred underscored the vitality of courage and obedience to the state (Mahan 13).

Alfred military strategies are faulted by many scholars as having placed a lot of emphasis on the power of the sea. He is widely criticized as having neglected the land army and not placing emphasis on diplomacy as ways of protecting the land (Finer and Samuel 9). Alfred Thayer died in 1914. Long after his death. He received international acclaim. Emerging world powers such as Japan, Germany used his naval theories and strategies to strengthen their naval force.

In 1883, another great American intelligence officer was born. A lawyer, a soldier, a diplomat, William Joseph Donovan served as the head officer of strategic service and the precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency during the dark days of World War II. The presence of his statue at the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia attests to how the agency is attributed to him. He was a recipient of countless awards such as; Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, the National Security Medal, the Silver Star and the Purple Heart for his relentless service during the First and the Second World War. From World War I, his comrades nick-named him 'Wild Bill'. Donovan was given this name as an attribute to his audacious courage, which was unmatched even by younger soldiers in the army. According to historians, Donovan refused to be evacuated and continue to instruct his troop even after a bullet got logged in his knee (Savell et al 43). He returned to New York in 1919, amidst speculations he would run for the gubernatorial post. Instead, he quietly resumed his law practice. In summary, the history of USA is written around military men who served with both patriotism and respect to the American flag. When the history of USA politics and military is mentioned, names of great men such as John Barry must feature.

Works Cited

Bailyn, Bernard. The ideological origins of the American Revolution. Harvard University Press, 2017.

Dingle, John H., et al. "Primary Atypical Pneumonia, Etiology Unknown. Parts 1." American Journal of Hygiene 39.1 (1944): 67-99.

Downing, Brian. The military revolution and political change: Origins of democracy and autocracy in early modern Europe. Princeton University Press, 1993.

Finer, Samuel. The man on horseback: The role of the military in politics. Routledge, 2017.

Mahan, Alfred Thayer. Sea Power in its Relations to the War of 1812. Vol. 1. Little, Brown, and company, 1905.

Savell, Joel M., et al. "A study of male and female soldiers' beliefs about the "appropriateness" of various jobs for women in the Army." Sex Roles 5.1 (1979): 41-50.

Shi, David E., and George Brown Tindall. America: A narrative history. WW Norton & Company, 2016.