Jonathan Meredith, born in Bucks County, Pa., about 1772, enlisted in the Marine Corps 6 June 1803 and was promoted to sergeant 1 August of the same year.During an engagement in the harbor of Tripoli 3 August 1805, Sergeant Meredith saved the life of Lt. John Trippe of Vixen, who with a party of nine men had boarded a Tripolitan ship. Heavily outnumbered, the boarding party fought a fierce hand-to-hand combat, in which Trippe was severely wounded; Meredith protected him from what would have been a final blow. Four days later Meredith was killed in the explosion of Gunboat No. 3 during a similar attack against the Tripolitans.
(DD-726: dp. 2,200; l. 376'6"; b. 40'10"; dr. 15'8"; s. 34 k.; cpl. 357; a. 6 5", 10 21" tt., 11 20mm., 6 dcp.; cl. Allen M. Sumner)
The third Meredith (DD-726) was laid down 26 July 1943 by Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; launched 21 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. William Kepper; and commissioned 14 March 1944, Comdr. George Kauspfer in command
After shakedown off Bermuda, Meredith departed Boston 8 May 1944 as an escort to transports assembling for the Normandy invasion. On 6 June, Meredith gave gunfire support to the landing forces on Utah Beach; and early in the morning of the following day, while patrolling the offshore waters as a screening vessel, she struck an enemy mine. Severely damaged, with a loss of seven killed and over 50 wounded and missing, Meredith was towed to an anchorage in the Bay of the Seine to be salvaged. however, on the morning of 9 June, her seams were further opened by an enemy bombing raid and shortly after she broke in two without warning and sank.
On 5 August 1960, the sunken hulk was sold to St. Francaise de Recherches of France. The hulk of the gallant Meredith was raised and scrapped in September 1960.
Meredith received one battle star for World War II service.