Elliot (DD 967) - Naval Cruise Book

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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.

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ELLIOrS HERITAGE LCDR Arthur James Elliot II was mortally wounded on December 29, 7968 while leading River Squadron 57 on an interdiction mission on the Vam Co Dong River in the Mekong Delta area of South Vietnam. He received the Bronze Star with Combat ' V for heroic achievement in coordinating suppressing fire and personally directing his patrol boat to provide covering fire for the other units during the action in which he was hit by enemy rocket fire. Naval service is steeped in tradition and requires dedication, sacrifice and respect for the unpredictable fury of the seas. A sense of tradition can be a source of courage and strength to a ship. When Mrs. Albert B. Elliot christened USS ELLIOT (DD-967) in honor of her son she said: May she serve with distinction and pride and, as the years go by, forever reflect the courage and valor of the man whose name she bears. May Cod bless this ship, her officers and crew. According to tradition, the spirit of the sponsor enters the ship at the time of christening and remains there forever. The ship becomes a part of her, and she a part of it as it sails the seas. Since ELLIOT is the first ship named after L CDR A rthur Elliot, one might suspect that her roots are recent. A close look at the ship ' s coat of arms, however, indicates that her heritage reaches back to early America. Generations of the family engaged in the shipbuilding and sailing trades. ELLIOT ' s heritage, however, goes beyond the service of LCDR Elliot and his family. Only within the last year have the men of ELLIOT discovered that she is actually the second USS ELLIOT. The first evidence of an earlier ELLIOT came when a Chief Petty Officer temporarily serving onboard remarked that his father had served on the original ELLIOT. He proved himself by bringing in old photos and his dad ' s ELLIOT hatband. The original USS ELLIO T (DD- 146) was named after L CDR Richard McCall Elliot. L CDR Richard Elliot was killed onboard USS MANLEY (DD-74) on March, 19, 19 18 when her depth charges exploded in a collision with a British ship in the convoy she was escorting. USS ELLIOT (DD- 146) was launched July 4, 1918 and commissioned January 25, 1919. With a length of 314 ft. Sin. and a displacement of 1247 tons, the original ELLIOT would be dwarfed by its modern descendant. During the early 1920 ' s ELLIOT stood by in China during civil disturbances which threatened American lives and property. Her service spanned three decades, and during World War Two she earned a battle star for action off the Aleutian Islands. Armed with this information, the Captain contacted the Naval Historical Center at the Washington Naval Yard to inquire about obtaining any artifacts of the original ELLIOT. Within a few months, the ship received th ship ' s plaque from the first ELLIOT. ELLIOT ' S roots not only go back in time, but stretch overseas to Scotland. The ship has enjoyed a warm relationship with the Elliot Clan Society for years, which has included correspondence and occasional ship visits with Americn members of the Elliot Clan. The Elliot Clan is a worldwide society of Elliots, Eliotts, and Elliotts. Sir Arthur Eliott of Rexburghshire, Scotland (Clan Chief) recently wrote: Your mention of an earlier destroyer named ELLIOT caused me to look at an album of portrait drawings of World War, I, which had been left to me by my mother (who was American). Sure enough, in this album is a portrait of LCDR Richard McCall Elliot. According to the citation, he was distinguished for exceptional bravery onboard US Destroyer A YL WIN in 19 15 by rescuing men in the flooded engine room after the boiler had exploded. As you say, sadly, he was killed only a few years later in a collision with a British ship while escorting a convoy. ELLIOT ' S roots are deep and her tradition of naval service and sacrifice inspiring.