Battleship Missouri Commemorates End of World War II Anniversary

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Robert Stirrup, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Service members assigned to various commands on Oahu, veterans and government leaders attended a ceremony commemorating the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II aboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial on historic Ford Island Sept. 2.

Sept. 2 1945 Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and other leaders from around the world signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on Missouri, marking the end of the most destructive war of the modern era.

U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for valor during World War II, served as the guest speaker and offered remarks to those in attendance.

"I remember the day when the Missouri pulled into a permanent birth here at Ford Island next to the USS Arizona in June of 1998," said Inouye. "These two magnificent ships are the bookends of World War II. The Arizona represents the sacrifice and resilient spirit of America, and the Missouri represents America's triumphant victory."

"We must support and honor all of our men and women who fought and died during the war," Inouye said. "We also must continue to support our servicemen and women that continue to currently stand the watch in Iraq and Afghanistan."

During the ceremony, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki offered his thoughts during the keynote address.

"I'm most honored to be here on the deck of the Missouri. This is a magnificent battleship," said Shinseki. "Today we are here to commemorate the end of the epic struggle that was World War II."

"It all began here on Dec. 7, 1941 and it ended here as well on the deck of the Missouri on Sept. 2, 1945 in the still waters of Tokyo Bay where the 'Mighty Mo' served as the stage for the signing of the instruments of surrender between the U.S. and Japan," Shinseki said. "The significance of this statement memorial lies not just within the strength of steel, but in the soul of a generation of ordinary Americans who came forward to serve their country in extraordinary ways."

To conclude the ceremony, a U.S. Marine Corps honor guard fired a rifle volley, followed by the playing of echo "Taps" by the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, and a helicopter flyover by the "Easy Riders" of Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron Light 37 (HSL 37).