Spirit of John Paul Jones lives on

Jun 19 2009 by Sharon Liptrott, Dumfries Standard Friday

THE GHOST of a swashbuckling Solway sailor has been enlisted in comic book form to encourage recruitment at the world famous United States Naval Academy at Annapolis near Washington DC.

The new “graphic” approach sees the man regarded as the father of the US Navy, John Paul Jones, who was born at Arbigland near Kirkbean, take on the role of a spirit to encourage five young midshipmen who were on the verge of giving up their careers.

The five “plebes” — first year students — who had become exhausted and discouraged and talked about dropping out, find themselves locked in the crypt of the Academy chapel beside the sarcophagus containing the remains of the Scots born hero at Dumfries’ sister city of Annapolis.

And the ghost of John Paul Jones suddenly appears outlining to each a message from their future pointing out the success they will achieve by carrying on.

The 16-page booklet entitled Bravo Zulu — a US naval signal meaning well done — depicts Jones in a slightly older form than shown in his portraits.

One of the authors Deborah Franco SAID: “Bravo Zulu is no ‘pretend’ world I imagined ... rather I created it to reflect a phenomenal place in our country where young people are shaped into some of our nation’s best leaders and prepared to serve their country with honour and courage.”

And it’s not the first time that John Paul Jones has been a comic-book hero.

More than a hundred years ago after his grave had been found in Paris and his remains transferred back to the United States under a battleship escort, he was the hero in a weekly comic book series called the Paul Jones weekly published in New York at a price of five cents.

Jin Cheevers, curator at the US Naval Academy museum, says: “The origins of caricatures of Jones goes back to probably his own lifetime depicting him as a pirate.

“The current comic strip is very clever though some of the old timers might frown about using this as a recruiting tool, to try to entice future students to the Naval Academy but its interesting …. And I think it will be effective.”