A brief history of the USS Missouri
The USS Missouri (BB-63), famously known as the “Mighty Mo,” was the last battleship ever built by the United States Navy. Launched in 1944 at the New York Naval Shipyard, she was designed with immense firepower and cutting-edge technology for her time. Missouri saw action in the Pacific during the final stages of World War II, supporting the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa with powerful naval bombardments. Her most historic moment came on September 2, 1945, when Japan’s official surrender was signed on her deck in Tokyo Bay, marking the end of World War II and forever cementing her place in history.
After the war, Missouri continued to serve, playing a critical role during the Korean War by bombarding enemy positions and supporting United Nations troops. Decades later, she was modernized and brought back into active service in the 1980s, becoming the first battleship to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles. She participated in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, firing missiles and naval gunfire in combat before being retired in 1992.
Today, the Mighty Mo rests at Pearl Harbor as a museum ship, permanently docked near the USS Arizona Memorial. Together, the two vessels symbolize the beginning and the end of America’s involvement in World War II. Since opening as a memorial in 1999, Battleship Missouri has welcomed millions of visitors, standing as both a powerful reminder of sacrifice and a tribute to peace.
