Saturday, April 1, 2017

Aloha to the USS Missouri - A Legacy of American History



They ain't gonna sink this battleship, no way!
- Old Salt, BATTLESHIP

Yesterday I missed a special anniversary ... on March 31, 1992, the USS Missouri, America's last battleship, retired from active duty during a decomissioning ceremony in Long Beach, CA.

From her website (link),

Born in the midst of World War II, the shipyard workers at Brooklyn’s New York Navy Yard constructed the battleship in time for her launch on January 29, 1944 and commissioning as the USS Missouri on June 11, 1944 with Capt. William M. Callaghan in command.

On September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri, representatives of the Allied and Axis powers met in solemn ceremony to “conclude an agreement by which peace can be restored”. General MacArthur concluded the ceremony by saying: “Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world, and that God will preserve it always. These proceeding are closed!” With those words, World War II was over.

On 25 June 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea.  By mid-September USS Missouri was underway off the coast of Korea, armed and ready to support U.N. forces in the "Police Action" that would become known as the Korean War.

At 0140 (1:40 a.m.) on January 17, 1991, USS Missouri was first battleship to fire Tomahawk cruise missile at Iraqi targets as Operation Desert Storm commenced. The USS Missouri then conducted patrol and armistice enforcement operations in the northern Persian Gulf before sailing for home on March 21, 1991.

But the USS Missouri had one final mission to complete. On December 7, 1991, the Missouri returned to the historic waters of Pearl Harbor for the 50th anniversary commemoration of the attack on the Hawaiian Islands. Moored a short distance from the USS Arizona Memorial, the Missouri and Arizona provide a symbolic connection from the “day which will live in infamy” to the formal ending of World War II.


The Mighty Mo is now a floating museum, permanently moored on Ford Island to stand guard over the USS Arizona Memorial. During our four years in Hawaii, my family enjoyed the USS Missouri:

- Scout overnight encampment with my husband (link)

- Scout overnight encampment with moms (link)

- Eagle Scout ceremony (link)

- Special tour for the premiere of BATTLESHIP (link

- My husband sang with the Sounds of Aloha aboard the USS Missouri to commemorate the anniversary of the end of World War II.


Have you visited a historic ship, battlefield, or military museum? One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Sunday, April 9, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Monday, April 10.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Old Salts in the movie BATTLESHIP

14 comments:

  1. Thanks for the post - always interesting to hear our history. I did visit a ship twice while on field trips to D.C. with my two daughters but it was a very long time ago and I can't remember the name.

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  2. Thank you, Kim! We should never forget her.

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  3. I've visited the Navy ship museums in Charleston, SC and Pearl Harbor, but didn't get on the Missouri (maybe another trip is in order).

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  4. We traveled to Mobile, AL with Antiques Roadshow tickets and while there toured the USS Alabama. My dad served in the USN during WWII, so I found it very interesting. We have photos of him on his ship... young, thin, tan.... now I now why he was thin!!! It was stinking hot down in the ship... they must have sweated every bit of fat off!

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  5. We did visit Gettsburgh and saw a show there, visited fort in SC.
    ladbookfan813@gmail.com

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  6. We've been to the Intrepid Museum several times.

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  7. There is a large military museum in Canberra, our capital. I went to find my uncle's name on the Wall of Remembrance. He died during WWII.

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  8. I've been to a few military museum's with my son while in Texas and S. Carolina. I love history. Thank you for this post. Thank you.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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  9. I have visited quite a few. I do not remember the names. I have been on ships in Hawaii, San Diego, Boston and here in Connecticut. We have the Nautilus, a submarine. My husband and I are using the National Parks book to try and visit many of them.

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  10. I've visited the USA Lexington a few times in Corpus Christi as well as multiple visits to the National Museum of the Pacific War in Admiral Nimitz's childhood home of Fredricksburg, Texas. It's off the beaten path but is a very impressive museum.

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  11. I have visited the USS Lexington in Texas and loved it. Amazing to see for those who haven't been near one before!

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  12. I have visited Gettysburg with my family.

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  13. Every year my husband and I go to Catigny and visit the museum there .....the museum is home to the Big Red 1.

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