USS Missouri Flag Flown at 68th Anniversary of Ship’s Launching

January 31, 2012

A flag flown over USS Missouri (SSN 780) will be a part of the 68th anniversary of the USS Missouri’s (BB-63) launching and 13th anniversary of the ship’s opening as a memorial in Pearl Harbor, Jan. 28.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial will feature numerous special events to commemorate both anniversaries as well as culminate the day’s events by remembering the exact time the battleship was officially christened by Margaret Truman at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1944.

“Sixty eight years, and she’s still an awe-inspiring beauty thanks in large part to the countless men and women who have volunteered their time to the maintenance and preservation of this historic ship,” said Michael A. Carr, the Missouri’s president and chief operating officer. “It is fitting that we recognize these volunteers on such a significant day for the Missouri.”

Missouri is the fifth Navy ship to be named in honor of the people of the “Show Me State.” The last USS Missouri, the legendary battleship, was the site where Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and many other U.S. and Allied officers accepted the unconditional surrender of Japan, Sept. 2, 1945, at the end of World War II.

[mappress]
Naval Today Staff , January 31, 2012; Image: navy