In my local Sunday newspaper on the World and Nation page, I found a story titled “Navy’s new destroyer rides like ‘souped-up SUV.’” The new destroyer is the USS Zumwalt, and it is to be commissioned in Baltimore on Saturday, 22 October 2016. Here’s a paragraph from the story via the Associated Press:
Kirk says it [USS Zumwalt] generates 78 megawatts of power,
“enough power to power a medium- to small-sized city.” With
a motto of Pax Proctor Vim (Peace Through Power), it’s unique
capability to generate power could be used in ways perhaps not
even envisioned yet, such as in the testing and use of laser and
directed-energy weapon systems.
First, in this fiftieth anniversary year of Star Trek, how amazing is it that the commander of this futuristic new destroyer is named Captain James Kirk?
Second, alas, Pax Proctor Vim is in error; the Latin is Pax Propter Vim, literally translated as Peace On Account Of Force, Violence, Power. Pax Propter Vim is an excellent motto for the USS Zumwalt, a marvel of naval technology. The coat of armshttp://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Catalog/Heraldry.aspx?HeraldryId=15754&CategoryId=9191&grp=5&menu=Uniformed%20Services of the USS Zumwalt clearly shows the Latin motto.
The U.S. Navy just celebrated its 241st birthday, having been founded on 13 October 1775. Power on, U.S.N.!
P. S. Did you also catch the pronoun error in the AP paragraph? It’s is the contraction standing for it is--no apostrophe needed to show possession.
