Don't Give Up The Ship Plaque

The brass eagle plaque is a striking and patriotic piece, designed to be displayed proudly on a wall. At its center, a majestic eagle spreads its wings wide, symbolizing strength and freedom. Clutched in its talons is a flowing flag with the bold inscription "Don't Give Up the Ship."  The combination of the powerful eagle and the stirring message makes this plaque a compelling emblem of perseverance and patriotism.  This item is 16" x 7".

“Don’t Give Up the Ship” is the U.S. Naval Academy’s most famous motto, displayed on a historic battle flag.  The original Perry flag is preserved in the U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Preble Hall, and a reproduction hangs in Memorial Hall inside Bancroft Hall, a space visited daily by midshipmen.

The words come from Captain James Lawrence of the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812.  On June 1, 1813, while commanding the USS Chesapeake, Lawrence was mortally wounded in a fierce single‑ship battle with the British HMS Shannon off Boston.  As he was carried below deck, he reportedly ordered: “Don’t give up the ship. Fight her ‘til she sinks.”

Lawrence’s friend Commander Oliver Hazard Perry honored his legacy by having the phrase embroidered on a dark‑background battle flag, without an apostrophe, and raised it aboard Perry’s flagship USS Lawrence during the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813.  Perry’s men fought under this banner, leading to a decisive American victory.