This Friday, the USS Missouri will host a ceremony to celebrate the 66th anniversary of the Japanese surrender on Sept 2, 1945. The event effectively was the end of WWII.

Discover Hawaii Tours will continue to operate regular tours to Pearl Harbor that day. 

Here’s an excerpt from Discover Hawaii News about the Surrender Anniversary and the Second World War:

…On the deck of the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay, after nearly forty-five months of war, General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan’s surrender, effectively ending World War II.

Japan’s efforts in the war were waning in 1945. A series of events in July and August brought the end in sight for the Imperial Japanese Navy. By the end of July 1945, despite public statements that Japan will fight until the very end, the country’s leaders were quietly preparing a peaceful request for sympathy from the neutral Soviet Union.

And then, tragedy struck the islands of Japan…

Read more at Discover Hawaii News.

Read more: Celebrating the 66th Anniversary of the End of WWII

On June 4, 2010, the USS Missouri Battleship celebrated another achievement in its long and illustrious history. Though this did not take place in battle and there was nothing fired from the deck, it is still quite an accomplishment.

As Rachel Chmiel boarded the great battleship, she was met with gifts and celebration as the 4-millionth guest to visit the deck of the retired war vessel. With ties to Oahu and the daughter of a Navy man, she certainly understood the magnitude of the battleship and all of the glory that she carries. Various attractions from Pearl Harbor and around Oahu provided gifts to help Rachel celebrate her achievement that she will forever share with the Mighty Mo.

The Mighty Mo and all Her Glory

On the heels of a major preservation effort, the proud Missouri is still going strong and attracting an average of about 1400 visitors each day. The memorial recently announced that, in order to keep up with the demands of visitors, they will be extending its hours by 90 minutes each day. New opening time will be 7:30am and closing at 5:00pm, with the operating hours remaining in effect until Labor Day at the least.
With the busy summer season, we have seen a great increase in visitors to the islands and Pearl Harbor remains as a top attraction. Book your tour today for your chance to see the USS Missouri, the USS Arizona Memorial, or any other attractions that Pearl Harbor or Oahu has to offer. See you on tour!

Read more: 4 Million at Mighty Mo

Each June, Hawaii gears up for a fantastic celebration of their greatest ruler, King Kamehameha. The great monarch led the unification of the Hawaiian Islands under one rule, creating the Kingdom of Hawaii. Long remembered for the “Law of the Splintered Paddle”, which protects human rights of non-combatants in times of battle, Kamehameha was a very ambitious ruler who has been honored and celebrated in many ways since his death in 1819.
The first Kamehameha day occurred in 1872 after the King’s great grandson, Kamehameha V, established the order in the previous year. June 11 brings a parade and a block party through Downtown Honolulu and Waikiki, complete with food, games, and music, with a ceremonial lei ceremony draping his statues on not only Oahu and Big Island, but a statue located in Washington DC in the company of federal officials. A 2-day hula competition also takes place in Honolulu at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center.
Many of our tours visit King Kamehameha’s statue located in downtown Honolulu near the Iolani Palace. To see this and many more Hawaii landmarks, join us on one of our fantastic island tours.

Read more: King Kamehameha Day June 11

With Memorial Day weekend upon us, what better way to celebrate than with family, friends, baseball, and barbecues. It is also important to remember what the meaning of the holiday is and salute the brave soldiers that have served our country both presently and over the many years through our countries history.
History lives on at Pearl Harbor everyday with remembrance and tradition; and perhaps the most storied and touching tradition that lives on with the USS Arizona is the burial of the surviving crew members. Crew members who were assigned to the Arizona on December 7, 1941 have the right to have their remains cremated and interred inside the remains of the battleship. Those who were crew members before the fateful date, have the right to have their ashes scattered over the ship, also in a private ceremony. Accordingly, any survivor of the Pearl Harbor attacks can have their ashes scattered over the location in the harbor where their ship was located during the attack.
This tradition began on April 12, 1982 when retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Stanley M. Teslow was returned to his ship, becoming the first survivor to return. This tradition has since continued, and as of 2006, 28 surviving crew members have chosen to return to the ship on which they once served.
The process to return the survivor’s remains to the ship is a private ceremony for the families, consisting of a two-bell ceremony from the Fleet Reserve Association, a rifle salute from the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps, and a benediction with the echo of Taps being played across the harbor. These services are conducted inside the memorial and consist of an invocation, a funeral ceremony, and a flag presentation to the family. As the ceremony concludes, the urn with the remains of the sailor are presented to divers, who swim the urn into the open barbette of gun turret number four and proceed to a large opening where the urn is placed and slides into the ship.
Though these ceremonies are entirely private and restricted to family, you can discover Pearl Harbor on one of our tours. We offer many tour options and give you the best chance to see Pearl Harbor and tours are available from Big Island, Maui, and Kauai, as well as Oahu. We look forward to sharing Pearl Harbor with you and showing you our beautiful island.

Read more: Memorials at Pearl Harbor

For a part of the morning on April 14, 2010, the USS Missouri Battleship was back in action. A portion of the once great battleship acted as a foreign merchant vessel that the Navy searched for illegal activity.

Sailors from two Navy destroyers and a frigate came from the sea, climbing the side of the ship in body armor and helmets, wielding fake training guns.

The training, used to better prepare for missions, will assist search and seizure teams from three ships and offered an unfamiliar ship for the teams to search. The Battleship Missouri Memorial volunteered the space and many that were visiting the ship were able to witness the training activity. In locations such as the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Aden, ships are searched for contraband such as drugs and weapons that take place everyday and cost international shipping more than $100 million a year.

The Missouri hosts many ceremonies such as re-enlistments and retirements, and on this day, was able to provide a training venue as it further supports our military.

Check out Tour 2 and Tour 8, as they offer the opportunity to board the USS Missouri Battleship and see many historic locations, both on the deck and below. We’re look forward to seeing you on tour and visiting a truly great piece of American History

Read more: USS Missouri Battleship Provides Training Venue For Military