Elliot (DD 967) - Naval Cruise Book

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The USS ELLIOT is the first ship of the SPRUANCE class to be named d ter a Vietnam War hero. Lieutenant Commandei: Art ii»r James Elliot, II, the ■ Kgj r. and Mrs. Albert B. Elliot of Thomaston, Maine, was born April 9, 1933. deceived a Bachelor of Science degree from Gorham State Teachers College in Gorha0 Maine in 1955. In June of 1956, he entered the Navy Officer Candidate School, and was commissioned an ensign in the Naval Reserve in October of that year. He then served successive sea duty tours on USS LYMAN K. SWENSON „XPD 729) and on USS LITTLE ROCK (CLG 4). In 1962 Lieutenant Commander Elliot was assigned as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Naval Service Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Upon completion of this tour, he reported for duty as -Operations Officer aboard USS JOHN KING (DDG 3). In December of 1967 Lieutenant Commander Elliot volunteered for duty in r Vietnam, where he served as Commanding Officer, PBR Squadron 57, operating , in the Mekong Delta. Under his command, his squadron of river patrol boats achieved an outstanding combat record, serving in several major riverine operations. On December 29, 1968 Lieutenant Commander Elliot was killed in action while leading his squadron in a riverine interdiction mission. Lieutenant Commander Elliot ' s awards include the Legion of Merit; the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars, the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm, the National Order of Vietnam (5th class), the Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Service Medal, and the U.S. Navy Expeditionary Medal.

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The coat of arms of USS ELLIOT (DD 967) serves as a heraldic remembrance of the ship ' s namesake. Lieutenant Commander Arthur James Elliot. II. The red, white and blue partitions of the shield are patterned after the insignia of Lieutenant Commander Elliot ' s command, River Squadron Fifty-seven. Red is the heraldic symbol of courage, zeal, and leadership; white symbolizes integrity; blue represents devotion and perserverance The unsheathed sword is symbolic of command, and its position on the shield, point downward, is significant of death in combat The crest, composed of a mainmast and mainsail, symbolizes the Elliot family ' s long association with the nautical heritage of their native state of Maine. Generations of the family engaged in the shipbuilding and .sailing trades, including Lieutenant Commander Elliot ' s paternal grandfather and namesake Arthur James Elliot, who ' s shipbuilding firm launched the last five-masted schooner ever built. The pine tree emblazoned on the sail is the symbol of the state of Maine. The ship ' s motto, Courage, Honor. Integrity, is representa- tive of those values which characterized Lieutenant Commander Elliot throughout his career. The motto serves as both a guide and an inspiration for the men who will serve on USS ELLIOT throughout her commissioned life.