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| Too cute not to include 🙂 Statue on the left, my parents on the right! |
On Wednesday, the day was kind of dreary so we shipped my sis off to work and my parents and I headed over to Pearl Harbor. We’ve all been there before to see the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, but none of us had visited the U.S.S. Missouri. So, off we went!
In a way, I must admit that I was glad to visit the Missouri instead of the Arizona. For those of you who haven’t been, Pearl Harbor is a very emotional experience, or at least it is for me. My grandmother was a WAC in WWII and my cousin is currently in the military, so I truly appreciate those brave men and women who fight for our country. However, the Arizona Memorial is heart wrenching, and I have to be in the appropriate mental state to be able to handle it. The Missouri, on the other hand, is not as emotional.
My fav fact about the Missouri battleship is that it is literally the location of the end of WWII! The deck of the battleship was the site of Japan’s surrender to the allied forces in 1945, and I was able to stand in the exact location where the documents were signed. Although I did not go into anything history-related for a career, I truly enjoy learning about this stuff, and I will admit to being a nerd. Being on the battleship fascinated me!
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| The plaque marking the site of the surrender |
The other intriguing part about the “Might Mo” is that it still bears a dent from when a Japanese kamikaze fighter crashed into the side of the ship, trying to take out everyone on board. The only person killed in the incident was the Japanese pilot himself. I’ve always been interested in kamikaze fighters, but I was more impressed when I learned how the Missouri’s Captain dealt with the situation. Instead of being angry or full of vengeance, as many would rightly assume him to be, Captain Callaghan ordered an honorable burial for the Japanese fighter pilot, recognizing his dedication to his country.
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| They call this the “million dollar shot.” Someone managed to snap a pic of the kamikaze plane hitting the Mo! (plane in top left) |
Seriously, learning this almost brought me to tears. How incredibly generous and understanding can one man be??!
We explored the Mighty Mo for a few hours, checking out everything below deck as well as above. The living quarters for the regular officers were incredibly small, and I had a hard time even fitting through the hallways!
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| Dad and me on deck |
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| Doorway below deck |
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| Sleeping bunks for crew. Look how tiny! |
Another fun fact? The Missouri was even used in the Gulf War in 1991 before being finally decommissioned in 1992. Kinda crazy how the same battleship could be used in WWII and the Gulf War, huh?! (albeit with obvious modernizations!)