USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) Nickel Belt Buckle

USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) Nickel Belt Buckle

“Damn the torpedoes!” bellowed Union Admiral David Farragut as he and his eighteen ships stormed the port of Mobile, Alabama, annihilating the scant four-ship defense of the Confederacy in the decisive Battle of Mobile Bay during the Civil War. This finely-minted belt buckle pays tribute to the crew of the USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) who embody that battle cry of courage and perseverance as they transverse the globe defending liberty.

After commissioning in 1987, the USS Mobile Bay and her crew struck out for freedom’s defense in 1987, primed for action. During that maiden voyage, her crew earned its first two awards: the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Armed Services Expeditionary Medal for operations in the Gulf of Oman.

In 1990, she pulled anchor once again for liberty’s cause in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The USS Mobile Bay and her courageous crew helped shatter the Iraqi navy with strategically dispatched land-attack missile strikes and air attacks. The carrier also lent a hand in Operation Southern Watch to garrison the No-Fly Zone over southern Iraq, and assisted in sustaining stability in the Arabian Sea.

As a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, the USS Mobile Bay can be armed with anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine missiles, naval guns, and two SH-60 Sea Hawk LAMPS III helicopters to aid her crew in striking for freedom at a moment’s notice in any sea or port.
Minted in nickel, the CG-53’s likeness stands bold in the center of the slide-lock buckle, spotlighted by a brilliantly enameled U.S. flag and the ship’s coat-of-arms. Completing the buckle’s composition is the USS Mobile Bay’s motto, “Damn the Torpedoes.” The military slide-lock buckle attaches easily with a clasp to secure the fixed end of the webbing and a slide pin to hold the adjustable portion of the belt.

Whether this is worn proudly on a uniform aboard ship or displayed in a shadow box, this nickel buckle designed for the officers of the USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) makes a perfect gift, souvenir, or award for service.