The Aircraft Carrier USS America (CV(A)-66 was active 1966-1996) is one of the few Aircraft Carriers who has had proper heraldic arms. Picture and information from http://www.ussamerica.org/coat.htm
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/2369/shipsealfl0.jpg
The design is based on Revolutionary War thems and honours the intended captain of the first USS America John Paul Jones. The Crest symbolises the batlle between USS Bonhomme Richard and HMS Serapis. The Arrowheads denotes the striking power of the Aircraft Carrier. The Rattlesnake was a feature on many Revolutionary War Flags and the White Colour is for the many Ships sent by France to the new Republic. The Stags is from the arms of John Paul Jones, made "naval" by adding Fishtails. The Shields hanging from their Necks denotes the many Decorations awarded to John Paul Jones by the US and France.
Now that is a very attractive coat of arms. I like the symbolism involved. It is, however, the first time I’ve ever seen a sea-stag. :D
I agree. I like this one a lot. Then again, I am something of a sucker for American Revolutionary War symbolism (as he stares at the reproduction tri-corne, with Union Cockade, sitting on his office shelf).
Marcus K;60769 wrote:
The Stags is from the arms of John Paul Jones
JPJ assumed the arms Quarterly, 1st and 4th Gules a stag statant Or (for Jones), 2nd and 3rd Ermine on a fess Azure three crosses crosslet Argent (for Paul). Crest, A stag’s head erased.
Re another thread: Jones did use two dolphins as supporters, but if I remember what Samuel Eliot Morison wrote about this subject (I have notes somewhere on it), he added the supporters either after having been knighted by the King of France or after entering Russian service.
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The Shields hanging from their Necks denotes the many Decorations awarded to John Paul Jones by the US and France.
I wonder what US "decoration" the source of this passage thinks could have been awarded to Jones. Congress did vote him a gold medal, but such medals were not in wearable form. Nevertheless, that may have been what the author had in mind.
Joseph McMillan;60779 wrote:
JPJ assumed the arms Quarterly, 1st and 4th Gules a stag statant Or (for Jones), 2nd and 3rd Ermine on a fess Azure three crosses crosslet Argent (for Paul). Crest, A stag’s head erased.
Re another thread: Jones did use two dolphins as supporters, but if I remember what Samuel Eliot Morison wrote about this subject (I have notes somewhere on it), he added the supporters either after having been knighted by the King of France or after entering Russian service.
Thanks for the information on the arms of JPJ.
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I wonder what US "decoration" the source of this passage thinks could have been awarded to Jones. Congress did vote him a gold medal, but such medals were not in wearable form. Nevertheless, that may have been what the author had in mind.
On the USS America site it did say Honours and Decorations to be more precise, so this Gold Medal centainly fits the Honours side.
It turns out that bits and pieces of Morison’s John Paul Jones: A Sailor’s Biography are available on Google Books. Here’s what Morison has to say about the arms:
p. 143: "About this time [1776 or 1777], to fit his character as an officer and gentleman and possible Virginia planter, Paul Jones ordered to be painted for himself an achievement of arms, and had an heraldic seal cut. The arms are the stag used by several Jones families of Wales, quartered with those of a Paul family of Gloucestershire. The crest is the Jones stag; and the motto, the only original part, is Pro Republica."
The painting of these arms (in the possession of the Grand Lodge AF&AM of Massachusetts) is shown on p. 98. Note that in this emblazonment all the ermine tails are in base in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The accoutrements are the two dolphins (I was wrong about when he adopted them), the Grand Union flag with red, white, and blue stripes, a British red ensign, a blue commodore’s pennant, a pine tree flag with red, white, and blue stripes, crossed cannons, and the Masonic badge below the shield.
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeohzt4/JPJ.jpg
On p. 214: "In Paris [in 1778], Jones had cut for himself two heraldic seals to replace the one he brought from America. The Jones-Paul arms are in an oval shield, supported by an infant Neptune holding a trident, and with flags and other emblems appearing on the dexter side. In the one, the motto Pro Republica appears on a ribbon under the shield, together with the Masonic square and compass; in the other, the shield rests on waves and the motto is over it.
