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USS Missouri Memorial Association
History:
No one could have predicted how a casual get-together with friends would change the way Pearl Harbor is experienced today. It was 1994 and the revered "Mighty Mo" had been recently removed from service and mothballed in Bremerton, Washington - secluded from the public. When World War II Navy Commander Edwin Carter, USNR, (Ret.) sat down with retired Admiral Ron Hays and retired Navy Boatswains Mate Harold Estes for lunch in early 1994, they discussed the battleship and how she deserved a place where she could share her lessons of peace, honor and glory. The three agreed, Why not Pearl Harbor?
Backed by unwavering devotion from volunteers, local business and military leaders, the newly formed USS Missouri Memorial Association embarked on a four-year odyssey to make Pearl Harbor the permanent home for the Mighty Mo. Finally, on May 4, 1998, the Navy officially granted the battleship's care to the Association. Six weeks later, on Father's Day, June 21, 1998, the Missouri received a hero's welcome as she passed the shores of Waikiki. The following day she first took her current post where she proudly stands watch over fallen comrades in the hallowed waters of Pearl Harbor.
On January 29, 1999, seven months after her arrival and nearly five years after Carter, Hays and Estes met for lunch, Mighty Mo welcomed the public with open decks and open doors.
Each day her decks are opened she touches more lives, triggering the memories of veterans, illustrating the awesome talent of American ingenuity and reminding us of the great sacrifices made in the past to ensure peace for the future. Her contribution did not end when she was decommissioned. She now serves a rare tour of duty illustrated each day when she witnesses grandchildren looking at their fathers and grandfathers with an understanding and a respect gained while walking her decks.
No one could have predicted how a casual get-together with friends would change the way Pearl Harbor is experienced today. It was 1994 and the revered "Mighty Mo" had been recently removed from service and mothballed in Bremerton, Washington - secluded from the public. When World War II Navy Commander Edwin Carter, USNR, (Ret.) sat down with retired Admiral Ron Hays and retired Navy Boatswains Mate Harold Estes for lunch in early 1994, they discussed the battleship and how she deserved a place where she could share her lessons of peace, honor and glory. The three agreed, Why not Pearl Harbor?
Backed by unwavering devotion from volunteers, local business and military leaders, the newly formed USS Missouri Memorial Association embarked on a four-year odyssey to make Pearl Harbor the permanent home for the Mighty Mo. Finally, on May 4, 1998, the Navy officially granted the battleship's care to the Association. Six weeks later, on Father's Day, June 21, 1998, the Missouri received a hero's welcome as she passed the shores of Waikiki. The following day she first took her current post where she proudly stands watch over fallen comrades in the hallowed waters of Pearl Harbor.
On January 29, 1999, seven months after her arrival and nearly five years after Carter, Hays and Estes met for lunch, Mighty Mo welcomed the public with open decks and open doors.
Each day her decks are opened she touches more lives, triggering the memories of veterans, illustrating the awesome talent of American ingenuity and reminding us of the great sacrifices made in the past to ensure peace for the future. Her contribution did not end when she was decommissioned. She now serves a rare tour of duty illustrated each day when she witnesses grandchildren looking at their fathers and grandfathers with an understanding and a respect gained while walking her decks.