History of USS PORT ROYAL (CG 73)
The life of USS PORT ROYAL (CG 73) as an AEGIS cruiser
began at Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Litton Industries
in Pascagoula, MS, with the start of fabrication work on
November 9, 1990. CG 73's keel was laid on October 18, 1991.
CG 73 was launched on November 20, 1992, and was christened
on December 5, 1992, by Mrs. Susan G. Baker, wife of then
Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor to the President, James
A. Baker III. On December 6, 1993, CG 73 sailed into the
Gulf of Mexico for her first pre-delivery sea trials. The
ship was delivered to the U.S. Navy by Ingalls on April 25,
1994, in preparation for formal commissioning ceremonies on
July 9, 1994, in Savannah, GA.
PORT ROYAL is the 27th Aegis Cruiser and completes the
Ticonderoga class. PORT ROYAL was also the first cruiser to
integrate women into the crew, a process which was
accomplished smoothly with great success. After successfully
completing COMPTUEX and JTFEX, PORT ROYAL deployed on
September 03, 2003 with PELELIU Expeditionary Strike
Group-One (ESG-1) in support of the Global War on Terrorism
(GWOT). Following a highly successful deployment, PORT ROYAL
returned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on March 11, 2004. USS PORT
ROYAL completed an extensive SRA (Selective Restricted
Availability) in September 2004. USS PORT ROYAL was awarded
the 2004 Battle Efficiency (Battle "E") Award.
PORT
ROYAL Heritage CG 73 is the second United States Navy
warship to commemorate battles of the American
Revolutionary and the Civil War in the waters of Port
Royal Sound and on the adjacent South Carolina sea
islands. In February 1779, South Carolina troops under
the command of Colonel William Moultrie repelled an
attempted British attack. In November 1861, a combined
Union Army-Navy expedition, under the command of Flag
Officer Samuel du Pont, captured the island, which
became the principal coaling and refitting base for the
Southern Blockading Squadron.
The first ship of the fleet to bear the name “USS
PORT ROYAL” was a 1163-ton "double-ender" side wheel
steam gunboat, built in New York City. Commissioned in
April 1862, she was soon in action against the
Confederate Navy in the Hampton Roads and James River
areas, taking part in bombardments at Sewell's Point on
8 May 1862 and Fort Darling on 15 May 1862. In August,
she covered the Army's withdrawal from Harrison's
Landing. Later in 1862, PORT ROYAL operated on the North
Carolina Sounds. The gunboat was next assigned to the
Gulf of Mexico blockade, raiding Apalachicola, Florida,
in April and July 1863 and capturing a sloop in May. In
August 1864, PORT ROYAL participated in operations in
Mobile Bay, entering the bay with Admiral David
Farragut's fleet on August the 5th and later assisting
in the bombardment and capture of Fort Morgan. Remaining
in the Gulf beyond the end of the Civil War, the first
USS PORT ROYAL was decommissioned in May 1866 and sold
in October.
About
the Ship's Coat of Arms: The Shield: Dark blue and gold
are the colors traditionally associated with the Navy.
Red is emblematic of courage and sacrifice. Gold denotes
excellence and high ideals; blue refers to the sea in
which PORT ROYAL sails. The blue and gray of the shield
recall the Union and Confederate forces and the first
PORT ROYAL's Civil War service, while the embattled pile
alludes to the forts on either side of Port Royal Sound.
The trident represents an Aegis symbol of seapower and
is enflamed to symbolize past and present weapons and
defense. The tines of the trident represent an Aegis
cruiser's capabilities: on the surface, the subsurface,
and in the air. The upward thrust of the trident head
highlights the vertical launch capabilities of CG 73.
The Crest: The demi-palmetto tree, adapted from the
State flag of South Carolina, alludes to the Port Royal
Sound and the Carolina Sea Islands where the battles
occurred for which the ship is named. The sword and
musket, crossed to express combined arms and joint
service teamwork, signify the two PORT ROYALs. The
musket recalls the Revolutionary War battles and when
combined with the Civil War Naval sword symbolize a
continuing heritage of devotion to country, duty and the
defense of freedom. The stylized Aegis array emphasizes
the industrial and naval team which resulted in the
American technological achievement of the Aegis combat
system, while the lightning flash represents the ship's
strike capabilities.
The Motto: An azure edged scroll inscribed "THE WILL
TO WIN " in gold.