Toughness—pinpointed as a core attribute by Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson in “A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority”—is central to the U.S. Navy’s professional identity. The Navy’s “Full Speed Ahead” training amplified the definition of toughness by raising awareness of the mental, physical, spiritual, leadership, and followership attributes it requires. But hidden in plain sight in the Navy’s history is a model for building self and organizational toughness—the life of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut.
Known as the U.S. Navy’s first admiral, Farragut gained fame for his fearless fighting performance. It is no wonder that the sitting President of the United States attended his funeral with General George Meade, who later remarked, “I believe that the Admiral was more beloved than any other commander of the late war, either of the Army or Navy.”1
Farragut’s life radiated the toughness we seek today. There is a story that when Farragut was a young boy, his mother stood alone with an axe in front of their secluded Tennessee home to face down a band of Native Americans. While some of Farragut’s toughness may have been rooted in his genes, the caring grit he displayed as a naval officer was learned and perfected during his many years of service. He was appointed a midshipman in the U.S. Navy at age 9, rose to command at age 23, and completed his active service at age 69.
Farragut’s toughness was grounded in selflessness. His selflessness manifested in a resolute focus on the mission coupled with an intense commitment to build, and take care of, his team. When given command of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron and charged with the taking of New Orleans, Farragut exclaimed, “I may not come back, but the city will be ours.”2 This reminded his team that he and they had to subordinate everything—including their lives—to the mission. When preparing for battles, Farragut would spend countless hours on details and possible outcomes. In combat, he was known to risk his life and climb aloft to effectively direct the fire of his gun crews. He cared about the mission, and he cared about winning.
He cared equally about his crews. As a young midshipman training under Captain David Dixon Porter on the frigate Essex, Farragut learned the value of caring for his men, specifically tending to their health. As he became more senior, he trained his teams hard but treated them well. Throughout his career, leading ships and squadrons, he “proved that kindliness, honor, love of friends and family, and a tolerant disposition are not incompatible with inflexibility in discipline and greatness as a warrior.”3
Farragut’s toughness was underpinned by a resilience that complemented his selflessness. The way that he directly confronted numerous personal challenges set an example for his crew and built resilience in the face of severe adversity. Serving ashore in Tunisia 1816–18, he suffered sunstroke, which impacted his eyes and left him in a persistent state of discomfort throughout his life. As a result, he was plagued by poor eyesight and had difficulty reading more than a page. He also suffered a bout of yellow fever that hospitalized him for weeks in the summer of 1824.
On top of his health issues, Farragut persevered through many hardships. For instance, he dedicated long stretches on shore duty caring for his ailing first wife Susan. He remained attentive and devoted during her 16-year battle with neuralgia—a debilitating nervous disorder that rendered her invalid until her death in 1840. Farragut overcame every obstacle life threw at him and was still valiantly serving his country into his 60s when his nation became embroiled in the Civil War.
Most important, Farragut was battle tough. He knew and practiced wartime tactics, drilled his teams relentlessly, and capitalized on momentum. Scared or not, he was courageous in pursuit of the mission. Farragut espoused and proved that “the safest way to prevent injury from the enemy is a rapid fire from your own guns.”4 His unceasing drilling of his gun crews was fundamental to his success in passing Fort Morgan approaching Mobile, Alabama. Based on his intimate study of naval weapons, he concluded that the enemy mines at Mobile Bay were useless because they were waterlogged from having been in the water too long. With his famous order to “damn the torpedoes,” his men pressed the fight to victory and sealed his legacy as one of our greatest naval heroes.
Forged through adversity, Farragut’s character was strengthened as he grew into a tough, compassionate leader who would inspire generations of naval officers. His selflessness and resilience were admired by his crews and by the nation’s leadership. Characterized by stamina, consistency, and success, Farragut’s life not only was an amazing naval story, but also epitomized the type of toughness we seek today.
1. James P. Duffy, Lincoln’s Admiral: The Civil War Campaigns of David Farragut (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1997), 261.
2. Ibid., 57.
3. Navy Office of Information—Biographies Branch, Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, U.S. Navy, Deceased, 9 December 1960, 2.
4. Naval History and Heritage Command, Notes summarizing the life and memoirs of Admiral Farragut (Email containing a package of information about the life and career of Admiral Farragut, 2016), 15.