Ship's Coat of Arms
The dark blue and white colors refer to the sea, with the angular green area, representing the evergreen terrain of Whidbey Island, backed by blue sky. The color gold is symbolic of excellence, and the ship's wheel of gold reflects the sea-going pride and professionalism of the ship's crew. The green Maltese Cross refers to the humanitarian mission of the USS Whidbey (AG 141), the first ship to carry the name Whidbey. The gold crown emblazoned on red at the center of the wheel recalls the expedition under the British Crown, which explored the Pacific Northwest in the 1790s. The island in these waters is named for Lieutenant Joseph Whidbey, who was a member of this English expedition. The crossed swords of the Navy and Marnie Corps Officers attest to the Navy Marine Corps teamwork and leadership that are the foundation and key elements for accomplishment of Whidbey Island's amphibious warfare mission. The trident is the traditional symbol of sea power; however, the winged trident of LSD-41 further represents the revolutionary dimension of amphibious warfare this ship introduces. The gold and red colors of the winged trident portray the excellence and courage of those who will man the ship. The wreath of Western Hemlock, the State Tree of Washington, represents the spirit of the ship's namesake.
Read more about this topic: USS Whidbey Island (LSD-41)
Famous quotes containing the words ship, coat and/or arms:
“Now launch the small ship, now as the body dies
and life departs, launch out, the fragile soul
in the fragile ship of courage, the ark of faith
with its store of food and little cooking pans
and change of clothes,”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“We want some coat woven of elastic steel, stout as the first, and limber as the second. We want a ship in these billows we inhabit. An angular, dogmatic house would be rent to chips and splinters, in this storm of many elements. No, it must be tight, and fit to the form of man, to live at all; as a shell is the architecture of a house founded on the sea.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“And to your more bewitching, see the proud,
Plump bed bear up, and swelling like a cloud,
Tempting the two too modest; can
Ye see it brustle like a swan,
And you be cold
To meet it when it woos and seems to fold
The arms to hug you? Throw, throw
Yourselves into the mighty overflow
Of that white pride, and drown
The night with you in floods of down.”
—Robert Herrick (1591–1674)