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| Today, the USS Missouri rests in the heart of Pearl Harbor at the 1,000-foot Pier Foxtrot-5 on Ford Island. // Photo courtesy of Battleship Missouri Memorial. |
Exactly 70 years after history’s most destructive war came to an end, the Battleship Missouri Memorial will honor the veterans who protected America’s freedoms with a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on September 2.
Held on the forward pier where the retired USS Missouri is berthed in Pearl Harbor, the ceremony will begin at 9:02 a.m. That is the exact time on September 2, 1945 when General Douglas MacArthur, supreme commander for the Allied Powers, began the formal proceedings for Imperial Japan’s surrender.
Themed “The Day that Launched a Better Future,” the ceremony will feature remarks by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, Admiral Scott Swift, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Representative Mark Takai and Tim Guard, chairman of the USS Missouri Memorial Association.
Displayed at the ceremony will be several historical artifacts that were part of the original surrender ceremony 70 years ago.
Since opening in January 1999, the Battleship Missouri Memorial has attracted more than six million visitors from around the world with a fascinating tour experience showcasing the USS Missouri’s unique place in history. Located a mere ship’s length from the USS Arizona Memorial, the "Mighty Mo" completes a historical visitor experience that begins with the “day of infamy” and sinking of the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and ends with Japan’s formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.
The USS Missouri had an astounding career over five decades and three wars – World War II, the Korean War and Desert Storm – after which it was decommissioned and donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc. The association operates the Battleship Missouri Memorial as a historic attraction and oversees its care and preservation with the support of visitors, memberships, grants, and donations.
The Battleship Missouri Memorial is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission, which includes choice of an optional tour, is $25 per adult and $13 per child (4-12). Military, kamaaina and school group pricing is available.
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