Essex (LHD 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE COAT OF ARMS FOR USS ESSEX (LHD-2) The bald eagle with the shield on his breast is representative of the eagle utilized on the Coat of Arms of the fourth ship to bear the name USS ESSEX. The Marine Officer ' s sword grasped in the eagle ' s talons is showing that the main battery of USS ESSEX is the Marine Corps. The Banner is red and stands for the sacrifice and valor required to win the thirteen battle stars on the top half of the banner for World War II and the four battle stars on the bottom half for the Korean War. The Motto TAKE NOTICE is in black letters on the upper part of the banner, so that it stands out for all to read and heed. It also refers to the notice that went out to the people of ESSEX, Massachusetts, to raise funds for the building of the first ESSEX. The border around the banner and stars is white and symbolizes the purity of cause for which the ship serves and the stars were won. The Shield in the middle is dark blue and scarlet representing the harmony of the two services. A gold diagonal stripe is drawn between the two that shows the unity required for Amphibious Operations. The 2 stands for LHD2. The globe of the world with the Amphibious Assault Insignia superimposed over the Pacific Ocean symbolizes Amphibious Operations from the oceans of the world. The chain surrounding the crest denotes the five naval ships to bear the name ESSEX, represented by the five sides of the Coat of Arms.

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