USS Ponce: The United States Navy Ship named after the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico
USS PONCE is designated an LPD, Amphibious Transport Dock. USS PONCE is the first United States Ship to be named after the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico, which in turn is named in honor of the Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon. Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the State of Florida and served as the first Governor of Puerto Rico. The ship was constructed by the Lockheed Shipbuilding Company and commissioned on July 10, 1971 in Seattle, Washington.
Interestingly, when you visit the official site for USS PONCE (http://www.ponce.navy.mil) you will notice how it embraces traditional symbols of the city of Ponce to their daily lives. An example of this can be seen in the Lion which is the center of the ships insignia.
USS PONCE’s insignia, as displayed, is comprised of four major elements: a rampant lion signifying the high spiritedness of the Navy-Marine Corps team that serves on her and is the coat of arms of Juan Ponce de Leon which is a continuing reminder of our bond with the people of our namesake city; a trident, emblematic of U.S. Naval power and supremacy; an anchor chain, linking the ship’s name and its designator symbols; and the “commission pennant”, which is distinctive of a ship in active service and serves as the commanding officer’s personal pennant – representative from the days of knighthood and chivalry.
Since commissioning, PONCE has deployed numerous times to include the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic, Persian Gulf and operations in the Caribbean.
For more details about USS Ponce visit:
USS PONCE Official Site: http://www.ponce.navy.mil
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