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USS Missouri

The Might Mo

The USS Missouri, was the last battleship commissioned by the United States. It was decommissioned in 1992 and now serves as a Memorial Ship, docked at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, HI.

Some Noteworthy Facts

    1. Years of Service – Commissioned in 1944, it did fight in some late WW II battles in the Pacific (including Iwo Jima) and the Korean War. It was decommissioned in 1955. In 1984, Ronald Regan had it modernized and recommissioned. Tomahawk missiles were shot from her in the Gulf War, 1991.  Big Mo was decommissioned a second time in 1992.
    2. Japan Surrender – On September 2, 1945, representatives of the Empire of Japan signed the agreement that formalized their surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri, while anchored in Tokyo Bay, under the direction of General MacArthur.
    3. Final Resting Position – On June 22, 1998, the Might Mo was docked at Ford Island, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  It is positioned facing east.  She is 500 yards from, and bow-to-bow with, the sunken USS Arizona, which was sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor.  It is a symbol of peace.
    4. Can Visit – Visitors may go aboard and explore Big Mo. The USS Missouri Memorial Association is dedicated to preserving the Battleship Missouri and sharing her story and place in history. (Our family did visit in 2019.)

Links

A Few Pictures

The modernized (1980’s) Mighty Mo.

The spot on the deck where the surrender papers were signed by the representatives of Japan to end WW II in the Pacific.

Japanese representatives on board USS Missouri (BB-63) during the surrender ceremonies, 2 September 1945. Standing in front are: Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu (wearing top hat) and General Yoshijiro Umezu, Chief of the Army General Staff. Behind them are three representatives each of the Foreign Ministry, the Army and the Navy. They include, in middle row, left to right: Major General Yatsuji Nagai, Army; Katsuo Okazaki, Foreign Ministry; Rear Admiral Tadatoshi Tomioka, Navy; Toshikazu Kase, Foreign Ministry, and Lieutenant General Suichi Miyakazi, Army. In the the back row, left to right (not all are visible): Rear Admiral Ichiro Yokoyama, Navy; Saburo Ota, Foreign Ministry; Captain Katsuo Shiba, Navy, and Colonel Kaziyi Sugita, Army. (Identities those in second and third rows are from an annotated photograph in Naval History and Heritage Command files.) Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

 

Gen. Douglas MacArthur signs as Supreme Allied Commander during formal surrender ceremonies on the USS MISSOURI in Tokyo Bay. Behind Gen. MacArthur are Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright and Lt. Gen. A. E. Percival, September 2, 1945

Tomahawk missile fired from the USS Missouri in the Gulf War, 1991.

 

The Might Mo bring brought to her final resting place in Pearl Harbor. She sits bow-to-bow with the sunken USS Arizona.

Tourists now visit, walk the decks, and explore the Might Mo.

The Olsen family visits the USS Missouri Memorial ship in 2019.