80
The Battleship Missouri Memorial today hit its goal of welcoming half a million visitors in one year.
Felix Garcia of Arizona was the 500,000th visitor to the Mighty Mo. Garcia, who was accompanied by his wife Erika, was given a commemorative USS Missouri coin and official USS Missouri hat.
"Crossing the half-million mark in visitors for a single year is a significant feat that is a tribute to the tireless dedication and hard work of our employees and volunteers over our first 15 years. The Battleship Missouri Memorial’s popularity reflects its evolution into a magnificent showcase for anyone who appreciates our nation’s history," said Michael A. Carr, President and chief operating officer of the Battleship Missouri Memorial.
After a career that spanned five decades and three wars, from World War II to the Korean conflict to the Gulf War, the Mighty Mo was decommissioned and donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association. Fifteen years later, the famous attraction has achieved its last major milestone in becoming one of Hawaii’s top paid visitor tours. Still, the battleship is best known for serving as the site where General Douglas MacArthur and the Allied Forces accepted Imperial Japan’s surrender to end World War II and restore world peace on September 2, 1945.
