Battleship Missouri Revamped and Ready
Pearl Harbor is famous to visitors the world over as the site of the December 7, 1941 attack that pushed the United States into World War II. Not surprisingly, people most often think of the iconic U.S.S. Arizona memorial when they think of Pearl Harbor.
But another Battleship also resides there which represents the end of World War II. The U.S.S. Missouri was the site of the Japanese surrender in 1945 which finally ended the war. The ship sailed right into Tokyo Bay and the surrender proceedings where held on its deck. Some years ago I ask a veteran who had served on the Missouri what his thoughts were as the ship steamed into the Bay that day. “I thought were were going to be blown to Hell for sure,” he told me.
Thankfully his fears were not realized. And the ”Mighty Mo” is now docked not far from where the Arizona rests, and a fitting compliment to any visit to that hallowed spot.
The ship has just come off of 12 weeks and $18 million worth of maintenance and preservation work in Pearl Harbor’s largest dry dock facility. Visitors to touring the ship will get a feel for how the Missouri looked when she was first launched with a brand new coat of paint and a number of improvements to the overall visitor experience.
“We are grateful to have the expertise and resources to drydock the Missouri in Hawaii, thanks to BAE systems and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard,” said Michael A. Carr, president and chief operating officer of the non-profit USS Missouri Memorial Association, which owns and operates the ship as the Battleship Missouri Memorial. “We enlisted a dream team worthy of a national treasure like the Mighty Mo. Now, we look forward to doing what we do best as a memorial — welcoming visitors — beginning Jan. 30.”
The U.S.S. Missouri is included in the Go Oahu Card program, which gets visitors to Oahu into 30 museums, activities, and tours around the Island for one low price. For example, visitors to Pearl Harbor not only get access to the Missouri and an audio tour of the Arizona Memorial, but also receive included admission to the Pacific Aviation Museum and the U.S.S. Bowfin.
If you are headed to Oahu, be sure to visit the freshly restored U.S.S. Missouri.
Planning a trip to Oahu? Read about attractions, tours, discounts, and more with the Go Oahu Card.
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