naval officers from the Nicholson family who served in the United States Navy during the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the American Civil War. The dominant colors of the crest are blue and gold, traditional to the Navy. The five spears and the five shields each represent the five members of the Nicholson family. The shields are red, signifying that each namesake distinguished himself in combat during his service to his country. The chevron, a symbol of strength and support, alludes to the prow of the ship. The three bomb bursts signify the threefold mission of a Spruance class destroyer. The lower bomb burst symbolizes a subsurface depth charge or torpedo, while the two upper represent surface and aerial firepower. The sea lion is an ancient symbol of the sea and naval powers. The traditional Latin ship's motto, "FORTES FORTUNA ADIUVAT," translates to "Fortune Favors the Brave," or "Fortune favors the bold." Gallery References http://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/10/nyregion/the-destroyer-arrives-for-refitting-at-navy-yard.html External links navsource.org: USS Nicholson united-states-navy.com: USS Nicholson Spruance-class destroyers Cold War destroyers of the United States 1977 ships Ships sunk as targets