While relaxing on my lanai and reading an action-filled novel, I came across a passage that stated the battleship Missouri is maintained by the Navy in Bremerton, Washington. My first reaction was, “No it’s not; the ship is docked on Ford Island at Pearl Harbor here in Hawaii.”
On Monday, June 22, 1998, the USS Missouri, nicknamed Mighty Mo, was ceremoniously towed around iconic Diamond Head at the east end of Waikiki. Following a 22-day voyage made with tugboats and a towing bridle attached to the celebrated, ocean-going tugboat Sea Voyage, thousands of us stood on the beach cheering as the decommissioned battleship rounded the extinct volcanic crater. A fireworks display welcomed the ship as it was escorted by local fishing vessels, pleasure boats, and helicopters, slowly making its way along the horizon toward Pearl Harbor’s Poka ‘Ailana (Ford Island), where it would ultimately welcome visitors to its majestic decks.
The battleship’s extensive history dates from the 1940s, and the ship’s quarterdeck witnessed the surrender of the Empire of Japan (which Japan announced on August 15, 1945) ending WWII.
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| USS Missouri Surrender Plaque on deck of ship The novel I was reading while relaxing on my lanai was Clive Cussler's “Vixen 03” which had a copyright date of 1975. The USS Missouri was indeed maintained by the Navy in Washington on that date, long before the decommissioned battleship made its final journey across the Pacific to Hawaii. The USS Missouri Memorial on Ford Island at Pearl Harbor was officially opened to the public in January 1999 and continues to welcome visitors to its decks. |
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| Beginning of USS Missouri Memorial tour |
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| Visitor (me) on deck of battleship USS Missouri |
The stories Mighty Mo could tell! It must be a really interesting ship to explore.
ReplyDeleteYes, Keith, stories indeed. This post encouraged one writer's group member to start writing his memoirs.
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