An important naval officer during the formative years of Argentine history, Luis Py was born in Barcelona in 1819. He joined the Argentine Navy at the age of 24 & served under Admiral Guillermo Brown while defending Montevideo from the British-French blockade. During the difficult times of the Confederación Argentina (basically BsAs vs. the rest of the nation in the 1850s), Py earned the rank of Captain for his defense of Buenos Aires.
The most difficult moment for Py was during the 1860s war with Paraguay when the vessel he commanded was heavily damaged & his son—also enlisted in the Navy & on board—was killed. Py continued to rise in the ranks & was sent by President Sarmiento to defend Argentina’s claim to Patagonia.
At the same time Roca began the Desert Conquest campaign, Py took a small fleet to Santa Cruz discovering an easily overtaken Chilean outpost. Remaining there for several months, Py’s presence effectively warned Chile to stay away. Returning to Buenos Aires, he was promoted to Commodore at the age of 60 & passed away 5 years later in 1884. Py should have received a special mention for his handlebar moustache:
The large number of naval symbols leaves no doubt as to his calling in life:
And an eye-level plaque reminds us that this vault was sponsored by friends & fellow naval personnel:
Excellent your abstract on a great patriot!
Thanks, Néstor!