8:30pm - Sunday, October 11, 2026

Biographies

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John Paul Jones: Father of the American Navy #23

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CH 63 (WBEC)

Description

Jack McKenzie stars in this historical re-enactment on the life of the Revoltionary War Hero, John Paul Jones (1747-17920, the "father of the American Navy." Andrew Faulds hosts and narrates throughout the biography, as we learn the story of the man who, as Commodore of the Bonhomme Richard, rejected the British demand for surrender, uttering the famous saying, "I have not yet began to fight," and went on to defeat a larger vessel, the Serapis. Here we learn the story of this heroic American, who was actually born John Paul in Scotland. Having killed a mutinous crewman in the West Indies, he escaped to Virginia and added the surname of Jones before joining the Continental Navy. Though hailed a hero in Paris and Philadelphia for his great cunning and courage, he encountered such stiff political rivalry at home that after the Revolution he never again held a major American commad at sea. Victimized in Russia, he retired and died in Paris, where his remains stayed buried until after much effort, when they were ceremoniously returned to America in 1913 and today are interred in a bronze an marble sarcophagus at the United States Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis.

Broadcast In: English Duration: 0:26:08

Additional Airings

1:30am, 10/12/2026 | CH 63 (WBEC)

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Calendar Biographies: John Paul Jones: Father of the American Navy (CH 63 (WBEC)) Jack McKenzie stars in this historical re-enactment on the life of the Revoltionary War Hero, John Paul Jones (1747-17920, the "father of the American Navy." Andrew Faulds hosts and narrates throughout the biography, as we learn the story of the man who, as Commodore of the Bonhomme Richard, rejected the British demand for surrender, uttering the famous saying, "I have not yet began to fight," and went on to defeat a larger vessel, the Serapis. Here we learn the story of this heroic American, who was actually born John Paul in Scotland. Having killed a mutinous crewman in the West Indies, he escaped to Virginia and added the surname of Jones before joining the Continental Navy. Though hailed a hero in Paris and Philadelphia for his great cunning and courage, he encountered such stiff political rivalry at home that after the Revolution he never again held a major American commad at sea. Victimized in Russia, he retired and died in Paris, where his remains stayed buried until after much effort, when they were ceremoniously returned to America in 1913 and today are interred in a bronze an marble sarcophagus at the United States Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis. http://pw.myersinfosys.com/becon/airlist/2132/detail.ics