Never heard him called that. He was a major force in the Continental Navy which was the forerunner of the US Navy which was formed by the Naval Act of 1794 to fight the Barbary pirates.
From Wikipedia:
John Barry (March 25, 1745 September 13, 1803) was an officer in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War and later in the United States Navy. He is often credited as “The Father of the American Navy”. Barry was born in Tacumshane, County Wexford, Ireland and appointed a Captain in the Continental Navy on December 7, 1775.
Regards,
Oh yeah, he most certainly is. One of the reasons he has a 24/7 Marine Honor guard in front of his tomb at Anapolis. He was orignally buried in France (Gag), then he was disinterred and brought back for burial at the Naval Academy. H was also an Admiral in the Navy of Catherine the Great.