During the expedition against the Barbary Pirates, there was hand to hand fighting and an officer was about to be slashed with a sword or a scimitar or something.
Reuben James put himself between the sword and the officer and died saving his life.
Seems like a Marine I once worked with told me this story as he was taught it in boot camp, so I'm sure someone will come along momentarily to refresh my memory.
I once years ago got banned from FR for posting the painting of Reuben James saving Lt. Stephen Decatur’s life, while Decatur was in the process of blowing the head off of a Barbary pirate. Boy have times ever changed.