Elliot (DD 967) - Naval Cruise Book

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Built by .... ..... I ngalls Shipbuilding Division of - Litton Industries Pascagoula, Mississippi Keel Laid . . . ..... 15 October 1973 Launched ..... ..... 1 9 December 1974 Christened ........ ..... 1 8 January 1975 Commissioned .... ..... 22 January 1977 Sponsor ....... ..... H elen M. Elliot Length .... ..... 563 Feet 4 Inches Beam ..... ..... 55 Feet Personnel . . . ..... Of5cers . . . . . CPO ...... Enhsted ........................ Armament .... ..... Tw o 5 Inch 54 Ca. Gun Mounts N x x X MK 41 VIS Launcher Two MK 32 Torpedo Tubes NSSMS Missile Launcher 1 ,,,, 111111111111 11111111111, ffffllldll 0111111111111 'Nvo I-IARPOON Missile launchers x ',. ,,,l ,0 Four SRBOC Chaff Launchers - 8- I . 'Nvo CIWS Gun Mounts ', an ,ll ELLIOT is the first of the Spruance-class to be named after a Vietnam War hero. Lieutenant Commander Arthur James Elliot ll, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert B. Elliot of Thomaston, Maine, was born 9 April 1933. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Gorham State Teachers College in Gorham, Maine, in 1955. In June 1956 he entered the Navy Officer Candidate School and was com- missioned an Ensign in the Naval Reserve in October of that year. He then served successive sea duty tours on USS LYMAN K. SWEN- SON DD-729 and USS LITTLE ROCK CLG-4. ln 1962 Lieutenant Com- mander Elliot was assigned as Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Command- er, 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. ln December 1967 Lieutenant Commander Elliot volunteered for duty in Vietnam, where he served as Commanding Officer of PBR Squadron 57, operating in the Mekong Delta. Under his command, 1 his squadron of river boats achieved an outstanding combat record, taking part in several major riverine operations. On Q9 December 1968 Lieutenant Commander Elliot was killed in action while leading '1 ,,,fl, 4' S ,,,,- 1 'X ' I Q xx Q 9 . Q 0 f s N Q 0 x 5 5 .O x hx N X N ....24 . ' 24 s 320 N m c x . , his squadron in a riverine interdiction mission. Lieutenant Commander Elliot's awards include the Legion of Merit Medal, 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 Viet- nam C5th Classb, the Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, the Armed Forces Expedition Service Medal and the U.S. Navy Expedition Medal. ELLlOT's coat of arms serves as a heraldic remembrance of the ship's namesake, Lieutenant Commander Elliot. The red, white and blue partitions of the shield are patterned after the insignia of Lieu- tenant 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 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 nautical heritage of their na- tive state of Maine. Generations of the family engaged in the ship- building and sailing trades, including Lieutenant Commander Elliot's paternal grandfather and namesake Arthurlames El- liot, whose shipbuilding firm launched the last five- masted schooner ever built. The pine tree emblazoned on the sail is the sym- bol of the state of Maine. The ship's motto, Courage, Honor, lntegrity, is representative of those values that characterized Lieutenant Commander Elliot throughout his career. The motto serves as a guide and an inspiration for the men who will serve onboard USS ELLIOT throughout her commissioned life. 3 l

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USS ELLIGT DD-967 USS ELLIOT DD-967, a Spruance-class destroyer, is one of the world's most modern warships possessing advanced propulsion systems, fully integrated combat systems and crew habitability not usually found aboard destroyers. Commissioned in 1977, ELLIOT is homeported in San Diego, California. Designed and built by lngalls Shipbuilding Division of Litton ln- dustries, Pascagoula, Mississippi, ELLIOT is a member of the first ma- jor class of surface ships in the U.S. Navy to be powered by gas tur- bine engines. Four General Electric LM-QSOO engines, marine ver- sions of those used on DC-10 and C-5A aircraft, drive the ship at speeds in excess of 30 knots. Twin controllable reversible pitch pro- pellers provide ELLIOT and her sister ships with a degree of maneu- verability unique among warships of their size. A highly versatile multi-mission destroyer, ELLIOT has a primary mission of operating in an Anti-Submarine and Strike Warfare role. She is capable of operating independently or, in company with Am- phibious or Carrier Task Forces. Her overall length is 563 feet and she displaces 7800 tons. ELLIOT is one of the most powerful and advanced platforms in the Navy's arsenal. ELLlOT's ASW Suite, the most advanced underwater detection and fire control systems de- veloped, is fully integrated into a digital Naval Tactical Data System CNTDSJ providing the ship with faster and more accurate processing of target information. Integration of the ship's digital gun and missile fire control systems into NTDS provides quick reaction in the per- formance of ELLlOT's other primary mission areas which are Anti- Surface Warfare, Anti-Air Warfare and Naval Gunfire Support. The ship's weapon systems include two MK45 5-inch light weight guns, two triple barrel MK39 torpedo tubes, a NATO Sea Sparrow missile launcher, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and two Vulcan Phalanx Close-in Weapon Systems. Also installed is the new MK41 Vertical Launch System that can carry and fire TOMAHAWK land-at- tack and anti-ship cruise missiles. A LAMPS MK III antisubmarine heli- copter is embarked onboard to provide long range reconnaissance and targeting data. Space, weight and electrical power reservations have been built into the design of the ship to provide for the addi- tion of future weapons systems and enable ELLIOT to keep abreast of future technology. Q . -W Crew amenities in ELLIOT are an integral part of her design with spacious berthing compartments, library, classroom and weight room. Automated weapons and engineering systems permit opera- tion of the ship with a crew of Q4 Officers, 24 Chief Petty Officers and 390 enlisted personnel. ELLlOT's decorations include the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal and two Battle E Awards. ln1984, ELLIOT was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for search efforts in support the Korean Airlines Flight 007 that was shot down off the East Coast of the Soviet Union. ln January 1987, ELLIOT was awarded a second Meritorious Unit Commendation for operations in support of. exercise Kernel Potlatch 87-1 requiring cold weather operations in the Northern Pacific and Bering Sea.

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COMMANDING OFFICER CDR TIMOTHY W. LAFLEUR Commander Timothy W. LaFleur, U. S. Navy, is a na- tive of Oak Park, Illinois. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in June 1970 with a degree in Na- val Science. Commander LaFleurfs initial duty assignment was to USS CONSTANT MSO-427 where he served as Mine Countermeasures Officer and Executive Officer. Upon completion of Naval Destroyer School in August 1973, Commander LaFleur's sea duty billets included Opera- tions Officer on USS HAWKINS DD-873, Chief Engineer of USS FORT SNELLING LSD-30, Flag Lieutenant for Com- mander Cruiser Destroyer Group Five, Executive Officer of USS HEWITT DD-966 and Chief Staff Officer of De- stroyer Squadron Thirty One. Commander LaFleur's first shore tour was as Sea Coordinator in the Junior Officer Assignment Branch of the Naval Military Personnel Command from 1978 to 1980. He then attended the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California where he received a Mas- ter ofScience Degree in Financial Management. Before reporting to USS ELLIOT DD-967, Commander LaFleur was a financial analyst in the Office of Program Appraisal and then served as Administrative Aide to the Secretary of the Navy. Commander LaFleur's personal awards include the Legion of Merit Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and the Navy Achievement Med- al. Mrs. LaFleur is the former Miss Judy Guido of Long Beach, California. The LaFleur's have two children, Patrick and Amy, and reside in San Diego, California.