The FReeper Foxhole - CholeraJoe visits the USS Missouri & USS Arizona Memorial - Feb. 29th, 2004

CholeraJoe and other educational sources

[snippy_about_it]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.


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USS Missouri joins Arizona on 'Battleship Row'


New home for 'Mighty Mo'

March 7 1999

HONOLULU -- The USS Arizona -- sitting solitary, silent and hallowed on Battleship Row for almost 60 years -- is not alone anymore.



The battered ship, resting on the bottom of Pearl Harbor, has become a national symbol, the sunken memorial to the Americans who died during the Japanese attack on Oahu and Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. It is the most sacred U.S. Navy monument on Earth, the final grave for the 1,177 sailors and Marines who perished aboard during the attack.



Now, anchored near the Arizona is the USS Missouri, the second most-famous battleship of World War II, official designation BB-63.

Like the Arizona, the Missouri sits next to a pier at Ford Island in the middle of Pearl Harbor. For the "Mighty Mo" -- the ship's famous nickname -- a berth in Pearl Harbor marks the end of an illustrious career that spanned more than a half-century and service in three wars.



Today, the Missouri's huge 16-inch guns are silent, pointing symbolically toward the Arizona. It is poetic that these two U.S. warships should end up next to each other. The Arizona was sunk at the beginning of the U.S.-Japanese conflict, and it was aboard the Missouri that the Japanese signed the formal surrender ending World War II four years later.



On Jan. 29, in ceremonies aboard ship, the Missouri was officially opened to the public as a floating museum -- 55 years to the day after it was launched. Along with the Arizona and the other Navy relic of the war anchored at Pearl Harbor -- the submarine Bowfin -- the Missouri is fated to become part of one of the major tourist attractions in Hawaii.



It was a long voyage from Brooklyn, where the Missouri was built, to Pearl Harbor, half an Earth away. The Mighty Mo was the last battleship launched by the United States, entering service in 1944. It was christened by Margaret Truman, the daughter of the newly elected vice president, Harry Truman, a former U.S. senator from Missouri. After going through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, it was involved in the invasions of Okinawa and Iwo Jima and attacks on the Japanese homeland.



On Sept. 2, 1945, a month after the U.S. atomic attacks at Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the Japanese formally surrendered aboard the Missouri. The site of that ceremony -- now called the "Surrender Deck" -- is marked by permanent plaques and is a major stop on public tours of the ship. (An elevator has been installed to allow wheelchair access to the Surrender Deck and other areas of the ship.)



The end of World War II also saw the end of the "Battleship Age" and the beginning of the "Carrier Age," meaning the demise of most of the Navy's battleships.

Most were scrapped, a few were mothballed, some were used as targets for U.S. atomic tests. Among those saved -- just in case of future need -- were the Missouri and its sister ships -- the New Jersey, the Iowa and the Wisconsin.

By 1950, the Missouri was the only U.S. battleship on active duty, and in September of that year was involved in the invasion of Inchon at the beginning of the Korean War. Later, the other three Iowa-class ships were also called back for the war.



In 1955, the Missouri was decommissioned and put into the mothball fleet at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Wash. While there, it was visited by as many as 180,000 tourists a year.

There it sat until 1986, when the Navy (and President Ronald Reagan) decided to create a 600-ship navy and recommissioned the Missouri and several other battleships. The recommissioning ceremonies took place in San Francisco on May 10, 1986.

San Francisco desperately wanted the Missouri home-ported at Hunters Point, but in the end, the ship ended up at Long Beach.

In 1990, after Iraq invaded Kuwait, the Missouri -- along with the Wisconsin -- was sent to the Persian Gulf. Near the beginning of the hostilities -- Jan. 17, 1991 -- the Missouri fired Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iraqi targets, and in February, fired its 16-inch guns for the first time since Korea.



The Mighty Mo fired its weapons in anger for the last time at targets in Ra's al Khafji, Saudi Arabia, occupied by the Iraqis. The ship fired 209 rounds from its 16-inch guns, which are capable of sending a 2,000-pound shell 23 miles.

The Missouri was decommissioned again in 1992. A number of U.S. cities wanted to claim the battleship, but in the end, the Navy donated it to the USS Missouri Memorial Association in Honolulu in 1998.

There has been some resistance to putting the Missouri near the Arizona, with some veterans and Navy personnel feeling that the Arizona, as a sacred site, should not share honors on Battleship Row with another ship, no matter how famous. (The name "Battleship Row" came about because the Navy's World War II Pacific-based battleships were normally lined up in rows along Ford Island -- where the Japanese found them tightly packed during the attack.)



The Missouri sits about 300 yards from the Arizona. The Navy has given permission for the ship to remain there for three years, when it will be moved to another spot farther away, but still next to Ford Island.

The official Navy position is more congenial, noting that the Missouri, in conjunction with the Bowfin and the Arizona, is part of a rich historical experience.

For their part, Missouri supporters are hoping that in the end, given what is expected to be intense public interest, the Navy will leave the Missouri where it is.



"Look at the big guns," Tom Pinet, the Missouri's tour program manager, said. "The way they point, they're symbolically protecting the Arizona. The last thing we want in the world is to turn this into Disneyland. We all respect the Arizona."

The U.S. Park Service, which is in charge of the Arizona Memorial, is upbeat about the Missouri's arrival.

In a news release issued before the opening ceremonies, the Park Service noted that "each of the three (ships) are coming together to service a single critical purpose -- to sustain the rich history of this very special place -- the living history of Pearl Harbor."

Copyright © 2004, Knight-Ridder/Tribune (KRT)

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FReeper Foxhole Armed Services Links

[snippy_about_it]

CholeraJoe's Vacation



During my visit to Hawaii, I thought it would be nice to visit the USS Arizona memorial again as I had 18 years ago.



Much to my surprise, the USS Missouri was now on static display not far from the sunken hull of the Arizona. How ironic that the ship where the War with Japan began and the ship where it ended were less than 1000 yards apart. The Arizona Memorial is very solemn and moving. The US Park Service operates it and there was about a 2 hour wait before I could get on the boat to ride out to Ford Island to actually see the memorial.



One of the Arizona's gun turrets (I thank they call it a barbette) protrudes above the water at low tide. You can see the outline of the ship through the clear water.





The Missouri is operated and funded entirely by private donations and admission fees ($16). It is on display in fighting condition just as it was during the first Gulf War when it fired its 16 inch guns and Tomahawk cruise missiles on positions in Kuwait.



The Surrender deck where Japan's formal surrender was signed is very nice.



The have a bronze plaque on the deck in the actual spot where the surrender was signed as well as the actual surrender documents on display.







The Mess facility, called the Truman line for President Truman (from Missouri; his daughter Margaret christened the ship) still functions as a snack bar.



The standard tour includes tours of the bridge, the weather deck, 5 inch gun turrets, Officers mess and cabins and the Tomahawk launchers.



There was a deluxe tour that I didn't take where they put you in hard hats and safety vests and take you everywhere including the engine room and 16 inch gun turrets.



All in all, a very moving experience and well worth it. It takes an entire day to do both tours.

cj

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CholeraJoe, thank you for sharing your pictures with the Foxhole.
SAMWolf, thanks for your help putting this thread together. :-)

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Today's Educational Sources and suggestions for further reading:
www.ussmissouri.com
www.navy.mil
News item from;http://new.blackvoices.com/travel/sns-hawaii-pearlharbor-ussmissouri-home.story
Freeper CholeraJoe

[snippy_about_it]

From Tragedy to Victory

The symbolism is undeniable. On one end is the USS Arizona Memorial, a few hundred yards away is the USS Missouri. These two battleships, at rest in Pearl Harbor, represent the beginning and the end of WWII.

The USS Arizona (BB-39), is the symbol of the start of America’s war in the Pacific. On December 7th, 1941, she was torn apart by an armor-piercing bomb in Japan’s sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. In less than 9 minutes the magnificent battleship sank, entombing more than 900 servicemen.

In 1945, aboard the deck of the USS Missouri (BB-63), General Douglas MacArthur, along with Japanese dignitaries solemnly signed the treaty of surrender ending WWII. The USS Missouri (nicknamed “Mighty Mo”) continued to serve her country in two other wars.

The USS Missouri and the USS Arizona – One proudly afloat, the other tragically below the calm waters of the Pacific Ocean. One cannot fail to be deeply moved by their historic significance and emotional symbolism.

[snippy_about_it]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!



Good Sunday Morning Everyone

If you would like added to our ping list let us know.

[Aeronaut]

Good Sunday morning Snippy.

[Aeronaut]

Great post Snippy. I am going to a reunion of my father's WWII ship come August. The guy organizing it was at Pearl Harbor. I am looking foreward to talking with him.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Aeronaut. What ship did your father serve on?

[Aeronaut]

What ship did your father serve on?

USS Taylor, DD-468. It was a Fletcher class Destroyer. It was the first (non-minesweeper) ship into Tokyo Bay for the surrender.

[The Mayor]

Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.

There is no such thing as insignificant service for Christ.

[snippy_about_it]

We are thankful for your father's service. They have a really cool patch, too. ;-)

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning Mayor.

[Aeronaut]

Wow, that was quick!

[barker]

Thanks everyone for putting this story together. Being from Missouri and living near Independence I have a soft spot for the Missouri and Harry Truman. Hope they leave her near the Arizona. She's still beautiful.

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

We just had a squall line move through with some rain as well as a little bit of lightning. That's about it.

Watching for severe weather in parts of Northern Oklahoma today.

[Valin]

On this Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on February 29:
1468 Paul III last Renaissance pope (1534-49)
1736 Anna Lee Manchester England, founder (Shaker movement in America)
1784 Franz von Klenze German architect (Hermitage, St-Petersburg)
1792 Gioacchino Rossini Pesaro Italy, composer (Barber of Seville)
1792 Karl Ernst von Baler Russia, naturalist (discovered human ovum)
1840 John Philip Holland Liscannor Ireland, pioneer in submarine building
1904 Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenberdorft Sr near Hamburg, Germany; had a Christian name for every letter in the alphabet, shortened it to Mr Wolfe Plus 585 Sr
1904 Jimmy Dorsey Shenandoah PA, orchestra leader (Stage Show)
1920 Louise Wood director of Girl Scouts of USA (1961-72)
1936 Alex Rocco actor (Blue Knight, Stanley, Stunt Man)
1936 Henri "Rocket" Richard NHL center (Montréal Canadiens)
1936 Jack R Lousma Grand Rapids MI, Colonel USMC/astronaut (Skylab 3, STS-3)
1944 Dennis Farina Chicago IL, actor (Mike Torello-Crime Story)
1952 Raul Gonzalez Mexican 50K speed walker (world record)
1952 Tim Powers US, sci-fi author (Epitaph in Rust, Night Moves)
1968 Bryce Paup NFL linebacker (Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills)

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Deaths which occurred on February 29:
0468 St Hilary [Pope Hilarius] Catholic Pope (461-468), dies
0642 Oswald English missionaries/saint, dies in battle
1528 Patrick Hamilton Scottish protestant martyr, burned at stake
1604 John Whitgift Archbishop of Canterbury (1583-1604), dies at about 74
1932 "Big Ed" Morris pitcher (Boston Red Sox), dies
1980 Yigol Alton Israeli Foreign Minister, dies at 61
1992 Earl Scheib CEO (Earl Scheib Auto Paint), dies at 85
1996 Duncan Stuart Wilson Fighter pilot-MacDonald dies at 83

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1968 FITTON CROSLEY J.---HARTFORT CT.
[12/21/75 SRV RETURNED REMAINS]
1968 HARRIS CLEVELAND S.---BIRMINGHAM AL.
[REMAINS RETURNED 03/20/85]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0468 St Hilary ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1504 Columbus uses a lunar eclipse to frighten hostile Jamaican Indians
1692 Sarah Good & Tituba, an Indian servant, accused of witchcraft, Salem
1696 English ex-premier Earl Danby accused of corruption
1704 French & Indians attack Deerfield MA, kill 50, abduct 100
1784 Marquis de Sade transferred from Vincennes fortress to the Bastille
1796 Jay's Treaty proclaimed, settles some differences with England
1856 Hostilities in Russo-Turkish War cease
1868 1st British government of Disraeli forms
1880 Gotthard railway tunnel between Switzerland & Italy opens
1892 Britain & US sign treaty on seal hunting in Bering Sea
1904 Theodore Roosevelt, appoints 7 man committee to study Panamá Canal
1908 Dutch scientists produce solid helium
1936 FDR signs 2nd neutrality act
1940 Frederic from G & S "Pirates of Penzance" finally released by pirate
1940 "Gone with the Wind" wins 8 Oscars
1940 Hattie McDaniel becomes 1st black woman to win an Oscar
1944 5 leaders of Indonesia Communist Party sentenced to death
1948 Stern-group bomb Cairo-Haifa train, 27 British soldiers died
1952 Dick Button wins his 5th consecutive world figure skating title
1956 Islamic Republic established in Pakistan
1956 President Eisenhower announces he would seek a 2nd term
1960 1st Playboy Club, featuring bunnies, opens in Chicago
1960 Earthquake kills 1/3 of Agadir Morocco population (12,000) in 15 seconds
1960 JFK makes "missile gap" the Presidential campaign issue
1964 North Carolina high school basketball teams play to 56-54 score in 13 overtime
1968 1st pulsar discovered (CP 1919 by Jocelyn Burnell at Cambridge)
1968 National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Kerner Commission) reports against racism & demands aid given to blacks
1968 US end regular flights with nuclear bombs
1972 Hank Aaron becomes 1st baseball player to sign for $200,000 a year
1972 Jack Anderson discloses Dita Beard (ITT) memo indicating antitrust charges were dropped for $400,000 contribution to Republican Party
1980 Gordie Howe becomes 1st NHL player to score 800 career goals
1980 Michael Bracey ends 59 hours 55 minutes trapped in an elevator, England
1988 Nazi document implicates Waldheim in WWII deportations

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"
World : Leap Day
US : Bachelors Day
International Boost Your Self-Esteem Month

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Religious Observances
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Hilarius, pope (461-68), calendar reformer (leap years)
Christian : Commemoration of St Oswald, archbishop of York

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Religious History
468 Death of Pope St. Hilary (Hilarius), 46th Bishop of Rome. During his seven-year pontificate, he reaffirmed the earlier church councils of Nicea (325), Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451), at which the major creeds of the Early Church were hammered out.
1528 Martyrdom of Scottish reformer Patrick Hamilton, 24. Having spent time with Martin Luther and William Tyndale, Hamilton began promoting Reformation in Scotland. He was afterward arrested and burned at the stake one of the first martyrs of the Scottish Reformation.
1692 The Salem Witch Trials began on this Leap Day when Tituba, the female Indian servant of the Rev. Samuel Parris, and one Sarah Goode were both arrested and accused of witchcraft.
1880 American evangelist Frank Sandford, 18, was converted to a believing Christian faith. As an adult Sandford became an instrumental figure in Holiness and Pentecostal history.
1948 American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'Redemption marks the new beginning of life. Men and women do not live at all until they have life eternal.'

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

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Thought for the day :
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."

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Ever Wondered...
Why is it that if someone tells you that there are 1 billion stars in the universe you will believe them, but if they tell you a wall has wet paint you will have to touch it to be sure?

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You Know You're Having A Bad Day When...
The bird singing outside your window is a vulture.

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Amazing Fact #67,098...
You share your birthday with at leas nine million other people around the world.

[snippy_about_it]

Wow, that was quick!

LOL. And I was just cruisin'. We thread researchers have this down to a science. ;-)

[snippy_about_it]

Your welcome barker. The Missouri sure has a long and interesting history. We may do a thread just on her someday.

[snippy_about_it]

Good morning EGC. Sounds like spring has already made it to Oklahoma.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning everyone in The Foxhole.

[CholeraJoe]

Thanks, snippy and SAM. Well constructed and informative thread.

[Soaring Feather]

Thank You for this wonderful thread. I have not mentioned this until now, but my brother living in MO is learning to use the computer. I sent him the url for the plane thread the other day. He loved it. I have also send him the links page for all Foxhole threads.

He remembers a lot more about WWII than I, but we do have our memories.