USS Missouri (BB-63)

The USS Missouri (BB-63), nicknamed "Mighty Mo" or "Big Mo", was an Iowa-class battleship of the United States Navy, commissioned in June 1944 and decommissioned in March 1992. She is best known as the site of the official surrender of the Empire of Japan, which ended World War II. The surrender ceremony took place on her deck in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

Built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City, the Missouri served in the Pacific Theater of World War II, participating in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and bombarding the Japanese home islands. Following the end of the war, she participated in occupation duties in the Far East.

The Missouri was decommissioned in 1955 but was reactivated and modernized in 1984 as part of the 600-ship Navy program. She subsequently participated in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, firing Tomahawk cruise missiles and 16-inch guns at Iraqi targets.

After her final decommissioning in 1992, the USS Missouri was donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association and became a museum ship at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She sits a short distance from the USS Arizona Memorial, a poignant reminder of the beginning and end of the United States' involvement in World War II. The ship offers tours that educate visitors about its history and significance. The USS Missouri remains a symbol of American naval power and a significant historical landmark.