The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

World War II Museums Show Way to VJ Day-- Part 2: The USS Missouri

One of the best of these museums is none other than the big ship itself, the "Mighty Mo."  The battleship USS Missouri was where the war officially ended and is today permanently moored at Pearl harbor's Ford Island, just a few hundred yards from the USS Arizona Memorial, atop that battleship.  Between the two of these ships, we have the beginning and end of World War II for the United States.

Visitors can now stand on the Missouri's deck by a bronze plaque marking the spot where General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz led a 22-minute surrender ceremony while the USS Missouri was in Tokyo Bay.

SURRENDER OR TRICK?

"On surrender day, all of the guns here were locked and loaded because nobody knew if this was a trick or not," said Mike Carr, president and CEO of the Battleship Missouri Memorial.  "In fact there were almost a thousand planes in the air at that time, with either landing sites or bombing targets designated."

On lower decks, restored crew quarters, exhibits and an excellent film tells the ship's story.

The Missouru was also featured in the movie "Battleship."  When I went to Hawaii, we went out to the USS Arizona memorial, but unfortunately did not have time to go to the Missouri.

--GreGen

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