Launched on January 29, 1944 and commissioned as the USS Missouri on
June 11,1944 with at its command Capt. William M Callaghan, the USS
Missouri is the fourth battleship with the name carrying the Missouri
legacy into the future. It was on board the USS Missouri that on
September 2, 1945, a peace agreement was signed which effectively ended
the war. After the signing of the peace accord, general MacArthur
concluded the ceremony, saying " let us pray that peace be now restored
to the world, and that God will preserve it always."
When in on
the 25th of June North Korea invaded South Korea, the USS Missouri found
itself in action again, off the coasts of South Korea armed and ready to
provide assistance to allied forces. Most recently, during operation
desert storm, the USS Missouri participated by launching remotely
piloted vehicles and tomahawk missiles. The USS Missouri final mission
was to return to Pearl Harbor for the commemoration of the 50th
anniversary of the attack. It moored a little distance from the USS
Arizona. Along with the USS Arizona, the USS Missouri offer symbolic
connections of the events of the Second World War. On June 29, 1999, the
battleship became part of the centerpiece of the Battleship Missouri
Memorial in Pearl Harbor.
The USS Missouri Memorial contains many
artifacts which give account to the legacy of the USS Missouri
particularly the crucial part it played in ending the Second World War.
Visitors can go on tour of the battleship, take part in various events,
and obtain insight about the battleship mission, its crew, and its
legacy. Some events include: Military event, signing of agreement event,
band and education events.