One article said it was originally on the Union Jack, but the Navy is going to have “Don’t Tread on Me” on the back of their helmets.
Yes, that quote is on both the Gadsden as well as the first Navy Jack. Like you, I have ties to both (and own both flags too). Not quite like being a Sox fan at Yankee stadium, but similar. Last game I saw a young one wearing a shirt proclaiming “Army football, making the Navy look good since 1890”. Go Knights!