How did Mesa Verde get her name many people ask?
“Mesa Verde is a jewel of our national park system that celebrates the extraordinary beauty and diversity of that region and our nation,” stated then Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig in 2000. “The real richness of Mesa Verde and that of our country’s naval service, however, lies in the people – the remarkable legacy of their past and a future with great promise. The naming of USS Mesa Verde establishes a strong and fundamental link between this nation and those who serve and truly value that bond.” The Prospective Commanding Officer and ship’s crew develop a motto that is part of the ship’s crest. For the Mesa Verde, the motto “Courage Teamwork Tradition” reflects the courage, teamwork and tradition of the Ancestral Puebloans who lived in the Mesa Verde region and built the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park – similar to the attributes displayed by the 21st Century Navy/Marine Corps team. The ship’s crest is designed by the Army’s Institute of Heraldry and based upon the s
