Namesake:
Carter Hall, VA
The Landing Ship Dock CARTER HALL honors the name of a Virginian estate
steeped in American history. Colonial Nathan Burwell built his country
mansion on 8,000 acres in the lower Shenandoah Valley. The estate is
located near the present town of Winchester in Northern Virginia.
The house took two years to build, 1790-1792. and Burwell named it
after his great-grandfather, Robert "King" Carter. He chose a
commanding site in a grove near a good spring. The clearing for the
buildings left a fine body of oak and timber surrounding the estate,
which still remains today. The panoramic view of the Blue Ridge
Mountains and the Shenandoah River stills thrills visitors.
The mansion was used alternately as headquarters for the Union and
Confederate troops during the Civil War. The family silver and other
valuables were hidden in a secret place between the roof and ceiling to
escape theft.
Burwell donated two acres of his land for a chapel where several
notables are buried. Among those laid to rest there are Edmond
Randolph, the first Attorney General of the United States and
previously a governor of Virginia; novelist John Esten Cook and poet
Phillip Pendleton Cooke.
In 1929, Gerald Lambert bought the mansion and grounds from J. Townsend
Burwell and completely modernized Carter Hall. The People-to-People
Foundation, Inc., parent organization for Project Hope, acqured the
property in 1977. Carter Hall is now headquarters of Project Hope's
worldwide health sciences education and training program.
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Ship's Crest:
 The Shield:
The colors of the field -- red,
white, and blue -- stand for the United States. The saltire recalls the
heritage of the South and the history of Carter Hall, Virginia. The
anchor represents the Navy. The tines are in the form of pheons,
symbolizing the mission to support assault operations. The loose rope
intertwined with the anchor signifies freedom; the border rope denotes
unity. Dark blue and gold are the colors traditionally associated with
the Navy; red is for courage and white is for integrity.
The Crest: The griffin denotes
courage and
vigilance. The crown refers to the heritage of the Carter Hall estate,
recalling the great-grandfather of its builder. The battle stars of the
first CARTER HALL (LSD 3) are commemorated by the arc of stars over the
griffin. The six blue stars are for CARTER HALL's battle stars earned
during World War II. The five gold stars commemorate her service in
Vietnam. The motto is underscored by the olive branch for peace and oak
for war. Gold is for excellence; red is for courage.
SEAL:
The arms are emblazoned on a white oval enclosed by a blue collar edge
on the outside with a gold rope and bearing the inscription "USS CARTER
HALL" at the top and "LSD 50" at the bottom in gold.
MOTTO: "Working for Peace, Ready for
War."
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