John Lang was a sailor

Sailor

A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...

 in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

.

Born in Curaçao

Curaçao

Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...

, Dutch West Indies, Lang was a resident of New Brunswick, New Jersey

New Brunswick, New Jersey

New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...

. Lang was a seaman on board Wasp

USS Wasp (1807)

The second USS Wasp of the United States Navy was a sailing sloop of war captured by the British in the early months of the War of 1812. She was constructed in 1806 at the Washington Navy Yard, was commissioned sometime in 1807, Master Commandant John Smith in command. In 1812 she captured , but...

 during her engagement with HMS Frolic

HMS Frolic (1806)

HMS Frolic was a 18-gun Cruizer-class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was built by Boole, of Bridport and was launched on 9 February 1806. In 1812 the American sloop captured her after a fierce fight, but later that day the British recaptured Frolic and captured Wasp...

 18 October 1812. He was the first man to board the British

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....

 ship in the closing stage of the action, and his ardor and impetuosity carried the remainder of the boarding party with him.

USS Lang (DD-399)

USS Lang (DD-399)

The first USS Lang was a Benham-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for John Lang.-History:...

 and USS Lang (FF-1060)

USS Lang (FF-1060)

USS Lang was a Knox class frigate of the US Navy. Named for John Lang, the first man on USS Wasp to board HMS Frolic in the closing stage of action 18 October 1812, and his ardor and impetuosity carried the remainder of the boarding party with him...

were named for him.