Elliot (DD 967) - Naval Cruise Book

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Lieutenant Commander Elliot ' s awards include the Legion of Merit Medal, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars, the Vietnam Gallantry Cross with palm, the National Order of Vietnam (5th Class), and the Vietnam Cam- paign Ribbon. ELLIOT ' S Coat of Arms serves as a heraldic remem- brance of the ship ' s namesake. Lieutenant Commander Elliot. The red, white and blue partitions of the shield are patterned after the insignia of Lieutenant Commander Elliot ' s PBR SQUADRON 57. Red is the heraldic symbol of courage, zeal and leadership; white symbolizes integri- ty; blue represents devotion and perseverance. The unsheathed sword is symbolic of command and, its posi- tion on the shield, pointed downward, is significant of death in combat. The crest, composed of a mainmast and mainsail, sym- bolizes the Elliot family ' s long association with the nauti- cal heritage of their native state of Maine. Generations of the family engaged in shipbuilding and sailing trades, including Lieutenant Commander Elliot ' s paternal grand- father and namesake, Arthur James Elliot, whose ship- building 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 rep- resentative of those values which characterized Lieu- tenant Commander Elliot throughout his Naval career. The motto serves as both a guide and an inspiration for the men and officers who will serve aboard USS ELLIOT throughout her commissioned life. PHOTOS. ABOVE: ELLIOT prior to make over before deployment. ABOVE RIGHT AND CENTER; Original USS ELLIOT DD-146. as seen in-port Shang- hai. China. 4 July 1920 and. at-sea circa 1930. A Wickes-Class destroyer. DD- 146 was built between 191 7-1919 and was one of 267 DD ' s mass-produced by the United States during World War I. They were known as Fushdeckers or Fourstackers to that generation of Navy men. DD-146 was armed with four 4- inch guns, one 3-inch anti-aircraft gun and twelve 2 I -inch torpedo tubes. She was capable of speeds up to 36 knots. RIGHT: Current configuration of ELLIOT, conducting underway refueling from USNS PECOS T-AO-197 with USS ROBERT E. PEARY FF-107 3. somewhere in the North Arabian Gulf.

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COMMANDING OFFICER CDR DALLAS G. WILFONG, Commander Dallas G. Wilfong, III is a native of Char- lottesville, Virginia. He graduated from the University of Virginia in June 1972, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Commerce and regular commission through the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps. Commander Wilfong ' s initial sea duty assignment was to USS DALE DLG-19, where he served as Combat Information Center Officer. Upon completion of the Destroyer Department Head Course in February 1979, Commander Wilfong ' s sea duty billets included USS SOMERS DDG-4, USS HALSEY CG-23, Combat Systems Officer for Cruiser Destroyer Group FIVE and Executive Officer in USS CALLAGHAN DDG-994. Commander Wilfong ' s first shore tour was as Naviga- tion Instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy. He attended George Washington University where he received a Mas- ter of Science Degree in Information Systems. Before reporting to USS ELLIOT DD-967, Commander Wil- fong was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as Program Coordinator for the USS ARLEIGH BURKE DDG-5 I and AEGIS Shipbuilding Programs, and subsequently as a financial analyst in the Office of Program Appraisal. He graduated from the National War College at Washington, DC in June 1 990. Commander Wilfong ' s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, and the Navy Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars. Commander Wilfong is married to the former Mary Jane Heilman. The Wilfong ' s reside in San Diego and have three children, Dallas, Caryn and Terril.