Briscoe (DD 977) - Naval Cruise Book

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A SHIELD OF BRILLIANCE as As unique and colorful as its name- sake, the ship ' s coat of arms is a proud reflection of the distinguished naval ca- reer of Admiral Robert P. Briscoe. Standing boldly at the base of the shield is the Lion of St. Mark, which re- fers to the Admiral ' s leadership Commander in Chief of Allied Southern Forces lEurope. The fess and wavy bar, im- mediately above the Lion of St. Mark, suggest flowing water, passing warships and small land areas. This is re- minescent of the Northern Solo- mon Islands w here Admiral Briscoe com- manded the USS DENVER in World War IL It was during this thirty-six hour battle with en- emy naval forces that the Admi- iral ' s skill and courage as a ship ' s Captain were most appar- ent. He fought his ship brilliantly, as- sisting in the sinking of five enemy war- ships, damaging four others and routing the enemy ' s surface forces. DENVER ' S guns had barely fired their last salvo when she was attacked by sixty-seven dive bombers. Under the Admiral ' s firm command, the ship reacted cooly and ef- ficiently, downing seventeen enemy planes and thwarting the raid. In addi- tion, his skill as a Destroyer Task Force and Cruiser Commander during the war prevented enemy reinforcements and supplies from reaching their destina- tion. The shield is completed by four stars, symbolic of Admiral Briscoe ' s leader- ship, achievement and rank. Atop the shield is a crest symbolic of further achieve- ment in a long and successful career. The trident, sym- bol of Triton, rul- er of the seas, re- fers to the U.S. Naval Academy where the Admi- ral served as a student, instruc- tor and Depart- ment Head. The flash represents Prometheus ' gift of science to man- kind and alludes to Admiral Bris- coe as one of the pioneers of mod- ern electronics develo pment in the Navy. The cross refers to the Navy Cross Ad- miral Briscoe re- ceived for his ac- tion in the North Solomon Cam- paign. The crest is completed by the Teaguk which denotes the Admiral ' s Far East Naval Command. The entire coat of arms is aptly summed up by the ship ' s motto EFFI- CIENCY AND VALOR, given to the ship by former Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Robert Carney, as a tribute to his close friend. It is this proud tradition which will serve as a standard for USS BRISCOE, its officers and men, to bear throughout its naval service.