PHOTO: USS Missouri (courtesy Battleship Missouri Memorial)
The USS Missouri Memorial Association, the nonprofit organization responsible for bringing the retired USS Missouri to Pearl Harbor and establishing the Battleship Missouri Memorial, celebrates its 20th anniversary on March 16.
In honor of the association's anniversary, the Battleship Missouri Memorial is offering special "mahalo" admission rates to Hawaii residents and military members from March 15 through March 31. Two general admission tickets can be purchased for $20 total, and child admission tickets for $5 each (ages 4-12) - a savings of 50 percent. Showing a Hawaii or military ID upon purchase is required.
It was March 16, 1994, when the association was founded with the objective of having the USS Missouri - the battleship where World War II ended - berthed bow-to-bow to the sunken USS Arizona - the battleship signifying the war's onset for the U.S.
Twenty years and nearly six million visitors later, the vision of the original board members - Chairman Edwin Carter, the late Harold Estes, ADM Ronald Hays USN (Ret.), Fred Hemmings, and Captain Michael Lilly USN (Ret.) - has been fulfilled and continues to grow.
"We are indebted to the association's founding board members for how they devoted their energies to carry out a mission combining the greatness of the USS Missouri with the honor of being in Pearl Harbor to create this world-class historical attraction," said Michael A. Carr, President and COO of the Battleship Missouri Memorial. "Millions of people worldwide have a far greater appreciation about the commitment to duty by our Armed Forces members because of the Battleship Missouri Memorial. We are proud to carry that tradition forward."
The "Mighty Mo" has undergone quite the transformation over the past two decades. Twenty years ago, the decommissioned USS Missouri was rusting, in need of repairs, and seen by few people while stored at the Naval Inactive Ship Facility in Bremerton, WA.
Instilled with the conviction that Pearl Harbor was the nation's most appropriate final home for the Missouri and that a permanent memorial could be created honoring America's Armed Forces, the association's board of directors set out to make their vision a reality. With the support of the late Senator Daniel Inouye and a "Who's Who" list of Hawaii's business leaders, the association put their plan into action.
From 1994-1998, the association went to work to bring the USS Missouri to Hawaii, a monumental task considering the gigantic battleship stretches three football fields long, stands 20 stories tall from keel to mast, and weighs 45,000 tons. A detailed proposal of the association's plans was presented to the Secretary of the Navy, and a $5.5 million line of credit was secured from a consortium of Hawaii banks - led by Bank of Hawaii - to fund the battleship's relocation until the planned memorial could begin generating revenue.
A skeleton crew of employees was hired, each crew member possessing a specific skill set needed to complete the Missouri's relocation and establish a self-sustaining historical attraction. Hundreds of volunteers were also recruited to help with repairs and ongoing maintenance.
In May 1998, the U.S. Navy made it official, donating the USS Missouri to the care of the USS Missouri Memorial Association. It was then towed into Pearl Harbor and moored at the 1,000-foot Pier Foxtrot Five.
On Jan. 29, 1999, seven months after its arrival and 55 years to the day of its launch, America's last and most famous battleship opened to the public as the Battleship Missouri Memorial.
Today, there are 153 employees and countless volunteers caring for the Mighty Mo and creating memorable tour experiences and exhibits for the public's education and enjoyment. Four of the association's "founding" employees who started before the Missouri opened to the public are still serving the memorial today - Tom Manuel as vice president and chief financial officer; Les Lancaster as director of ship operations; Ralph Schmidt as chief machinist, and Mike Weidenbach as curator.
Thousands of visitors from around the world experience the Mighty Mo each week as they tour the main and upper decks and throughout the interior to see historical exhibits and get a first-hand glimpse as to how crewmembers lived and worked while at sea. The most popular site is the famed Surrender Deck where General Douglas MacArthur, Admiral Chester Nimitz and the Allied Forces accepted Imperial Japan's surrender to end World War II and restore peace on Sept. 2, 1945.
In 2013, the Battleship Missouri Memorial enjoyed its most successful year to date with more than 580,000 paid visitors, a record. In addition, the Mighty Mo hosted more than 1,000 special events and ceremonies, including re-enlistment, promotion and retirement ceremonies for Armed Forces members.
Topics From This Article to Explore
