Elliot (DD 967) - Naval Cruise Book

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USS ELLIOT DD-967 WESTPAC 85 W JULY ' 21 DECEMBER :

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Ship s Coat of Arms The coat of arms of USS ELLIOT (DD-967) serves as a heraldic rememberance of the ship ' s namesake. Lieutenant Command- er Arthur James Elliott, 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 perseverance. The unsheathed sword is symbolic of com- mand, and its position on the shield, point downward, is significant of death in combat. The crest, composed of s 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, whose 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 representative of those values which character- ized Lieutenant Commander Elliot throughout his career. USS ELLIOT A highly versatile multi-mission destroyer, USS ELLIOT (DD-967) is capable of operating independently or in company with Amphibious or Carrier Task Forces. Her overall length is 563 feet 4 inches and she displaces 7800 tons. ELLIOT ' S primary mission is to operate offensively in an Antisubmarine Warfare role. ELLIOT ' S sonar, the most advanced underwater detection and fire control system yet developed, is fully integrated into a digital Naval Tactical Data System. Integration of the ship ' s digital gun fire control system into the NTDS provides quick reaction in the performance of the ship ' s mission areas of shore bombardment, surface warfare and antiaircraft warfare. Four General Electric LM-2500 engines, marine versions of those used on DC- 10 and C-5A aircraft, drive the ship at speeds in excess of 30 knots. Twin controllable reversible propellers provide ELLIOT and her sister ships with a degree of maneuverability unique among warships of their size. Ship ' s weapons include two MK45 lightweight 5 inch guns, two triple barrel MK 32 torpedo tubes, an antisubmarine rocket (ASROC) launcher, NA TO Sea Sparrow Missile System (NSSMS), HARPOON cruise-missile launchers, and a LAMPS antisubmarine helicopter. Designed and built by Ingalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton Industries, Pascagoula, Mississippi, ELLIOT is a member of the first major class of surface ships in the U.S. Navy to be powered by gas turbine engines. Crew comfort and habitability are an integral part of ELLIOT ' s design. Berthing compartments are relatively spacious and the ship is equipped with amenities not usually found aboard destroyers. Automated weapons and engineering systems permit operation of the ship, the size of a World War Two light cruiser, by a reduced crew of approximately 300 officers and enlisted men. Space, weight, and electrical power reservations have been allocated in the design of the ship to provide for the addition of future weapons systems and enable ELLIOT to keep abreast of future technology. Commissioned January 22, 1977, ELLIOT was the first ship of the SPRUANCE Class to be named after a Vietnam War hero. Homeported in San Diego, ELLIOT successfully completed three Western Pacific deployments prior to WESTPAC 85. Highlights of her service have included Indian ocean contingency operations in 1979, rescuing Vietnamese refugees in 1981 and 1983, two awards of the Battle ' E ' , and earning the Meritorious Unit Commendation for search efforts in support of the Korean Airlines Flight 007 which was shot down off the coast of Russia by Soviet fighters.