The emblem of the U.S S. ST. LOUIS (LKA-116), symbolically weaving her name and her mission, captures the spirit and pride of the ship and of the city whose name she bears. St. Louis, the Gateway to the west, has long borne an aura of adventure and of daring.
It is a dynamic city, steadily moving forward.

The Arch of St. Louis, recently constructed to commemorate one generation of adventurers expanding to the new frontiers of the west, surmounts the emblem of another, spanning the globe and symbolizing the continually expanding capabilities of the Amphibious Forces to fulfill their
worldwide missions.

The alligator, an ancient amphibian, symbolizes the capability of the amphibious Navy to operate efficiently and fiercely both on the water and the land. On the emblem of the U.S. S. ST. LOUIS, the "gator" displays the capacity of that ship to develop new techniques to meet new challenges. When flight becomes necessary, the "gator" gains wings, suggesting the
ability of the U. S. S. ST. LOUIS to participate in amphibious operations by air, as well as by water and by land.

Finally, the Arch also spans an amphibious ship, for that after all is what the U. S.S.

ST. LOUIS most essentially is, a ship of the United States Navy, capable of amphibious type operations; and capable too, of contributing further pride to the name "St. Louis".