The USS Missouri (the "Mighty Mo") proudly rides at anchor in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, next to the USS Arizona Memorial, the two marking the beginning and the end of World War II. The USS Missouri Memorial opened January 29, 1999, and already generates more visitors than any other attraction in Hawaii. Virtually all the attendees at the 1999 Conference of Grand Masters, held in Hawaii earlier this year, toured the USS Missouri. Sovereign Grand Commander C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°; the author of this article; and our wives were privileged to receive a private tour which was arranged by the Chairman of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc., Edwin L. Carter, at the request of Past Grand Master of Hawaii, M.W. Stuart M. Cowan, 32°, K.C.C.H.

One cannot fail to be deeply moved by the historic significance of this great ship. She was the last battleship ever built and the biggest. She is almost 900 feet long and over 100 feet in beam and more than 200 feet in height. Each link in the 1,200-foot long chains of her two anchors weighs over 100 pounds. And 17 inches of solid steel protect her citadel from which the ship's operations were directed during battle.

But even greater than her physical size is the size of her place in American history. On a deck of the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, Ill. General Douglas MacArthur, 33°, accepted Japan's surrender, thereby ending World War II. And after World War II, the USS Missouri fought again in Korea and in Operation Desert Storm.

The USS Missouri was launched on January 29, 1944, commissioned on June 11 of the same year, and reported for duty to the Third Fleet in Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve 1944. She became the flagship for Admiral William "Bull" Halsey and was an important part of the war in the Pacific, assisting in the bombing raids over Tokyo and providing firepower in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

She was first decommissioned in 1955 after action in Korea. In 1986 she was modernized, recommissioned, and sent on a tour around the world. Then in 1991, she was sent to the Persian Gulf to protect American-flagged oil tankers near the Straits of Hormuz, and she launched 28 Tomahawk missiles against Iraqi positions in Baghdad and Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. Her final operational mission was to sail into Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1991, the 50th anniversary of the United States' entry into World War II, when she played an important role in the commemoration of that event.

In 1992, the USS Missouri was decommissioned for the second time, and in 1995 she was removed from the Navy's ship registry, enabling her to be donated by the Navy for preservation as a memorial museum. After intense competition, the USS Missouri Memorial Association was selected by the Navy to care for the "Mighty Mo" at Pearl Harbor, and in 1998 title to the ship was transferred to the Association, and the "Mighty Mo" was brought to Pearl Harbor. A massive effort by volunteers was undertaken to refurbish the ship—clean and repaint her exterior, refinish deck planks, polish her brass, and clean a number of her interior spaces in time for her opening this year, 1999.

On the Surrender Deck of the USS Missouri, the visitor experiences history come to life, hearing the unmistakable voice of Gen. MacArthur and seeing the precise spot where the surrender occurred and the world's bloodiest war came to an end. The visitor can see the wardroom, officers quarters, the spot on the fantail where a Japanese attack plane penetrated the USS Missouri's anti-aircraft defenses and crashed into the deck, setting the ship on fire. And the visitor can stand in awe of the USS Missouri's 16-inch guns. Each of those guns (three to a turret) is 65 feet long, weighs 116 tons, and can accurately fire a 2,700 pound shell 23 miles in 50 seconds.

Not a penny of government funds has been spent in bringing the ship to Pearl Harbor, refurbishing her, and maintaining her at her pier on Ford Island in the heart of Pearl Harbor. The ship's preparation and towing were accomplished through bridge financing from seven Hawaii banks. Members of the Hawaii Business Roundtable set to work to raise $1 million in contributions, and the Pacific Region of the United States Navy League committed to raising at least $600,000 for the project. A major national fund-raising effort will raise the remainder of the $25 million required to complete the memorial.

On June 4, 1999, Ill. A. James Wriston, Jr., 33°, Deputy in Hawaii (center), elected an Active Member at the 1999 Biennial Session, had the honor of presenting a $5,000 check on behalf of the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., and a $5,000 check on behalf of the Honolulu Scottish Rite Properties to (l. & r.) Edwin L. Carter, Chairman, and Admiral Robert K. U. Kihune (USN Ret.), President of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc., towards the cost of the ship's Masonic Memorial Bridge.

The particular role in this great effort that the Masons have chosen is to fund the construction of a Masonic Memorial Bridge from the dock to the ship. On June 4, 1999, the author had the honor of presenting a $5,000 check on behalf of the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., U.S.A., and a $5,000 check on behalf of the Honolulu Scottish Rite Properties to Edwin L. Carter, Chairman, and Admiral Robert K. U. Kihune (USN Ret.), President of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc., towards the cost of that Masonic memorial bridge. (See inside front cover of this issue.) And, at the same time, Ill. James P. Malczon, 33°, the Master of Lodge Le Progres de l'Oceanie, presented a $5,000 check on behalf of his Lodge for the same purpose.
Those wishing to make a contribution to the USS Missouri Memorial Association are encouraged to do so by sending their contributions to USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc., PO Box 6339, Honolulu, Hawaii 96718.

If they wish, they might note that their contribution is to be used towards the cost of the Masonic Memorial Bridge from the dock to the USS Missouri. The Association is a 501(c)3 corporation.

A. James Wriston, Jr. is a practicing attorney in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has served as Deputy of the Supreme Council for the Orient of Hawaii since 1986 and has served as President of the Scottish Rite Foundation of Hawaii since its inception. He was elected an Active Member at the 1999 Biennial Session.