BLAZON
SHIELD: Celeste on a pile reversed wavy Argent a pile reversed Gules bearing a griffin rampant grasping in his dexter hand a battle-axe bendwise sinister Or and in his sinister hand a shamrock bendwise Vert and on his wings three smaller shamrocks of the last, in chief two enflamed grenades Proper fimbriated Or.
CREST: From a wreath of the colors Argent and Celeste, issuant from cresting ocean waters Azure and throughout a voided mullet bottony one point to base Gules fimbriated Or, transfixed by a demi-spear bearing on the foreshaft a stylized representation of the Medal of Honor rosette, all Proper.
MOTTO: A scroll Azure (Dark Blue), edged Or, with the inscription “CERTA UT UNITAS NON UT SINGULI” Argent.
SUPPORTERS: Behind the shield, four swords--a U.S. Navy Officer’s sword, U.S. Marine Corps Officer’s Mameluke, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer’s cutlass and a U.S. Marine Corps Non-commissioned Officer’s sword, all in saltire, points downward.
SYMBOLISM
SHIELD: Dark red symbolizes self-sacrifice in the face of extreme peril and light blue alludes to loyalty and the sea. The piles suggest the sharp bow of Richard McCool’s amphibious ship, Landing Craft Support 122, cutting through the waters of the Ryukyu Chain on 10 and 11 June 1945 during operations against enemy Japanese forces. The enflamed grenades indicate separate kamikaze attacks on both days. On 10 June, McCool aided in evacuating all survivors from a sinking destroyer, the USS PORTER (DD-579). On 11 June, McCool’s landing craft was attacked and his indomitable determination in the face of crisis saved many lives. The white wavy portion of the shield recognizes McCool for saving his landing craft for further combat service. The griffin is a symbol of courage and vigilance and embodies Richard McCool’s warrior spirit. The battle-axe represents the proper execution of military duties. The shamrocks denote McCool’s Irish heritage and recognizes the sacrifice of military families. The larger shamrock honors Richard McCool’s wife, and the three smaller shamrocks are for his three children.
CREST: The wreath adopts the first-named metal and color from the shield and blazon. The spear symbolizes an honorable warrior and illustrates Richard McCool’s actions on 11 June 1945 when he hurled the full power of his gun batteries at enemy suicide aircraft. The Medal of Honor star symbolizes conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, beyond the call of duty. The dark red color on the star indicates Richard McCool’s incredible strength to lead his crew while suffering with shrapnel wounds and painful burns. The Medal of Honor rosette denotes McCool’s humbleness, as most of his friends never learned that McCool had received the military’s highest honor.
MOTTO: The ship’s Latin motto, “CERTA UT UNITAS NON UT SINGULI,” evolved from remarks made by Richard McCool and translates to “FIGHT AS A UNIT, NOT AS INDIVIDUALS.”
SUPPORTERS: The U.S. Navy Officer sword, U.S. Marine Corps Mameluke, and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps enlisted swords symbolize the synergy between the two services. Furthermore, the placement of the swords represents the leadership and direction provided by commissioned officers, combined with the strength and support of the senior enlisted cadre, forging the foundation of USS RICHARD M. McCOOL JR.’s crew and the Navy-Marine Corps Team.
SEAL: The coat of arms as blazoned in full color on a white oval within a dark blue designation band, edged with a yellow roped border and bearing the name “USS RICHARD M. McCOOL JR.” at the top and “LCS 29” at the base, all yellow.