The Argentine Navy - Monterey, CA
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 36° 36.366 W 121° 53.741
10S E 598764 N 4051744
A bit surprising to find a plaque commemorating (honoring?) an Argentine privateer (pirate) on the grounds of a US military installation.
But to the Argentines..Hippolyte Bouchard is a hero.
Waymark Code: WMRND0
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 07/12/2016
Views: 1
This plaque is set in the base of a flagpole on the grounds of the Presidio of Monterey.
It is not in good condition. It is written in Spanish and English. The English portion reads:
"THE ARGENTINE NAVY
THROUGH THE STUDENTS FROM THE ARGENTINE COUNCIL FOR STUDENT INTERCHANGE - CADIE - IN MEMORY OF THE 161ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY IN WHICH
CAPTAIN HIPOLITO BOURCHARD
HOISTED THE ARGENTINE FLAG AT SAN CARLOS de MONTEREY
AND THE BI-CENTENARY OF HIS BIRTH
NOVEMBER 1970 - JANUARY 1980"
Wikipedia (
visit link) adds:
"Hippolyte Bouchard, or Hipólito Bouchard (15 January 1780 – 4 January 1837), was a French Argentine sailor and corsair who fought for Argentina, Chile, and Peru.
During his first campaign as an Argentine corsair he attacked the Spanish colonies of Chile and Peru, under the command of the Irish-Argentine Admiral William Brown. He was the first Argentine to circumnavigate the world. During his voyage around the globe he blockaded the port of Manila. In Hawaii, he recovered an Argentine privateer which had been seized by mutineers. He also met the local ruler, King Kamehameha I. His forces occupied Monterey, California, then a Spanish colony, raised the Argentine flag and held the town for six days. After raiding Monterey, he plundered Mission San Juan Capistrano in Southern California. Toward the end of the voyage Bouchard raided Spanish ports in Central America.[4] His second homeland remembers him as a hero and patriot; several places are named in his honour."