June 5, 1982
WWII started on 1 September 1939 with Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland. It ended on 2 September 1945 when Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri.
We went to Bremerton to see the “Mighty Mo,” as the ship is fondly known, via the Vashon Island Ferry. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. We could have taken the Tacoma Narrows Bridge for a much shorter route, so I can only surmise that we wanted to take a ferry ride.
The ship, which served in both WWII and Korea, was decommissioned in 1955. It served as a museum in the Puget Sound area until it was recommissioned in 1986. After going through extensive modernization and refurbishment, the USS Missouri was deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 and served during Operation Desert Storm. The ship was decommissioned a second time in 1992, taken off the Navy rolls, and established as a memorial — this time in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Waiting for the next ferry to Vashon Island.
On the way to Vashon Island.
Vashon Island
“Mighty Mo”
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Left: Let's go aboard the USS Missouri.
Right: The site of the Japanese surrender.
The two images above are from the “Instrument of Surrender” plaque.
[to read, click for a larger version]
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The guns that helped win wars.
Not that we need an excuse to go to Hawaii, but the “Mighty Mo” would be a powerful incentive to do so.
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