FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEHISTORY COMES ALIVE AT THE “MIGHTY MO”
USS Missouri’s Dual Anniversaries as a Battleship and Memorial
Celebrated at “Living History Day on Ford Island”
Pearl Harbor, HI – (February 1, 2014) – “General Douglas MacArthur” was again presiding over the Surrender Deckwhere peace was restored. A Civil War-era warship was again blowing its steam engine. Couples danced to “BigBand” music. And a huge crowd walked the decks of America’s last and most famous battleship, the USS Missouri.
thIt was all part of the festivities of “Living History Day on Ford Island” celebrating the USS Missouri’s 70 anniversary
thof its launch and the 15 anniversary of its opening as the Battleship Missouri Memorial. Residents of Hawaii andmembers of the military were admitted today for free – a thank you from the Battleship Missouri Memorial.
Michael A. Carr, President and COO of the Battleship Missouri Memorial, commented, “We are very grateful for thewonderful support we have received from all of Hawaii in our first 15 years, and thankful to our Armed Forces
members for their service in protecting America’s freedom.”
State Representative K. Mark Takai honored the celebration of the USS Missouri’s anniversaries with thepresentation of a certificate from the Hawaii State House of Representatives to Carr under the Missouri’s “Big Guns”
fronting Gun Turret 1.
“All of us are very proud of what the USS Missouri represents to Hawaii and the people of our nation, and how it now
stands together forever with the USS Arizona in historic Pearl Harbor as the bookends of sacrifice and triumph,” said
Rep. Takai.
Other festivities taking place today included musical performances by the Pacific Fleet Brass Band and the U.S. Armyth25 Infantry Division Band; displays of military vehicles, memorabilia and weaponry; a flyover by the Pacific Warbird
vintage airplane; several oral history presentations on topics that included the History of Women in World War II andthe Pearl Harbor Navy Shipyard; and people dressed up in period attire dating back to World War II and before.
Guests also enjoyed a new onboard exhibit that pays tribute to the USS Missouri’s launch 70 years ago and its
subsequent rebirth as the Battleship Missouri Memorial 55 years later. The new exhibit features photos ofthe Missouri under construction, as well as never-before-seen film footage of the actual launching taken by aBrooklyn Navy Yard worker.
Carr noted that celebrating the Missouri’s dual anniversaries with Living History Day on Ford Island will become anannual event.
It was 70 years ago on January 29, 1944, when Margaret Truman, sponsor of the USS Missouri and daughter offuture President Harry Truman, christened the last battleship ever built by America. A crowd of Navy leaders,
government officials and workers at the Brooklyn Navy Yard watched the gigantic “Mighty Mo” slide into the East
River and begin a military career spanning three wars over five decades.

Stretching three football fields long and standing 20 stories tall from keel to mast, the USS Missouri was instrumental
to victory in major battles of the Pacific during World War II before serving as the memorable site where General
Douglas MacArthur, Admiral Chester Nimitz and the Allied Forces accepted Imperial Japan’s surrender to end thewar and restore peace on September 2, 1945. The Missouri’s famed “Surrender Deck” is now a must-see monumentfor visitors to the battleship.
The USS Missouri also played a key role in protecting America’s military forces in the Korean War from 1950-1953,and Operation Desert Storm in early 1991.
The USS Missouri’s final mission took place on December 7, 1991, when the Mighty Mo was berthed in Pearl Harborthnear the sunken USS Arizona for the 50 anniversary ceremony commemorating the attack by Imperial Japan thatthrust the United States into World War II. The USS Missouri was then retired and decommissioned for the final timeon March 31, 1992.
On January 29, 1999, exactly 55 years after its launch, the Battleship Missouri Memorial opened in Pearl Harbor toshowcase the history-making achievements of the retired battleship and honor the Armed Forces members
responsible for ensuring America’s freedom.
Today, as the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the Mighty Mo is berthed at Pier Foxtrot 5 on Ford Island, standing bowto-bow to the USS Arizona and creating a stirring bond between America’s two battleships signifying the beginningand end of World War II. Visitors tour the main and upper decks and throughout the inside of the retired battleship tosee historical exhibits and get a first-hand glimpse as to how the Missouri’s crewmembers lived and worked while atsea.
Battleship Missouri Memorial
The Battleship Missouri Memorial is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. General admission, which includes choiceof an optional tour, is $25 per adult and $13 per child (4-12). Military, kama‘aina (local resident) and school grouppricing is available. For information or reservations, call (toll-free) 1-877-644-4896 or visit USSMissouri.org.
The Battleship Missouri Memorial, located a mere ship’s length from the USS Arizona Memorial, completes ahistorical visitor experience that begins with the “day of infamy” and the sinking of the USS Arizona in Pearl Harborand ends with Imperial Japan’s surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Following an astounding career that spans five decades and three wars, from World War II to the Korean conflict tothe Liberation of Kuwait, the “Mighty Mo” was decommissioned and donated to the USS Missouri MemorialAssociation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which operates the battleship as a historic attraction andmemorial.
The Association oversees her care and preservation with the support of visitors, memberships, grants and thegenerosity of donors.
###Please credit images to the Battleship Missouri MemorialLink to image: http://i.imgur.com/6YrYX4f.jpg
Caption: State Representative K. Mark Takai presents Michael Carr, President & COO of the Battleship Missouri
Memorial, with a certificate of recognition from the Hawaii State House of Representatives under the "Big Guns" ofthe USS Missouri.

Link to image: http://i.imgur.com/JfRf1aC.jpg
Caption: "General Douglas MacArthur" returns to the USS Missouri for Living History Day on Ford Island.

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Caption: "General MacArthur" giving orders once again to the crew on the USS Missouri.

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Caption: "General MacArthur" with visitors on the Surrender Deck of the USS Missouri, where World War II ended on
Sept. 2, 1945.

Link to image: http://i.imgur.com/gLdCG0s.jpg
Caption: The Pacific Fleet Brass Band performs on Pier Foxtrot 5 where the USS Missouri is berthed in Pearl Harborfor Living History Day on Ford Island.

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Caption: The Missouri's "Big Guns" were a popular attraction for the crowds of visitors enjoying Living History Day onFord Island.

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Caption: The Pacific Warbird vintage airplane did a flyover above the Battleship Missouri Memorial

Link to image: http://i.imgur.com/mgNdt5q.jpg
Caption: Children enjoyed exploring the military vehicles and exhibits on the USS Missouri's pier for Living History
Day on Ford Island.

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Caption: The Battleship Missouri Memorial's Civil War exhibit was a hit with families.

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Caption: The Navy Mark V diving helmet was one of the exhibits the Battleship Missouri Memorial had on display for
Living History Day on Ford Island.

Link to image: http://i.imgur.com/iWiUGfe.jpg
Caption: A collection of military uniforms and equipment were displayed at the Battleship Missouri Memorial for
Living History Day on Ford Island.
Media Contact:
Patrick Dugan808-539-3411/808-741-2712
Patrick.Dugan@AnthologyGroup.com
Jaclyn Hawse(808) 455-1600 x246
JaclynH@ussmissouri.org