The Command Crest

The Liberty Bell is a beloved symbol of freedom to Americans everywhere. The bell's production was commissioned in 1751 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly to hang in what would later be named Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It was made in London where it cracked for the first time during testing, and was recast twice before it was delivered and placed in the hall in June of 1753.

The bell was rung July 8, 1777, to celebrate the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Shortly after, the bell was removed and hidden when British troops moved in and occupied Philadelphia.

After the Revolutionary War, the bell was returned to Independence Hall and tolled for the final time in 1846 in celebration of George Washington's 114th birthday. At that time it suffered the famous irreparable crack. The bell now rests in a pavilion near Independence Hall and bears the inscription, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land to the inhabitants thereof."

For more than 39 years, USS INDEPENDENCE (CV 62), the fifth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name, has proudly worn the Liberty Bell on her crest, taking it to every corner of the world.