USS Missouri BB-63
The formal grand reopening ceremonies for the historic battleship, USS Missouri BB-63, were held at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on January 30, 2010. Attendees included Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, as well as Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Commander, Captain Greg Thomas. This grand reopening capped a month of activities for the historic Mighty Mo.
On January 7, 2010, the Mighty Mo was returned to her home pier near the USS Arizona Memorial on Pearl Harbor’s famous Battleship Row. The Mighty Mo had spent 12 weeks in dry dock for maintenance and preservation work at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. The Mighty Mo entered dry dock on October 14, 2009. The repairs included a fresh repainting, and modern humidity detection equipment was installed as well as such practical improvements as restroom facilities.
Once these repairs were complete, the battleship was towed back to her permanent dock. During the tow from Pearl Harbor dry dock to Battleship Row, a ceremony was held for personnel from all branches of the armed forces, including the U.S. Air Force. On January 15, 2010, the Mighty Mo opened to visitors again.
Her Legacies Carry Forward
The Mighty Mo was engraved in history as the site of the Japanese surrender, ending World War II. Her return to Battleship Row near the USS Arizona Memorial marks the appropriate bookend to the Pacific War. The Mighty Mo now stands as a museum ship, where visitors can see firsthand the interior of a World War II battleship.
A lesser-known legacy of the USS Missouri was the asbestos exposure by crew members and shipyard workers, which was typical of Navy vessels constructed and overhauled in the 1940s through the 1970s. For the past 30 years, the Galiher DeRobertis Ono law firm has been proud to have represented not only veterans who served on battleships like the USS Missouri, but also Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard workers who overhauled these ships over the past half century. Tragically, these former sailors and shipyard workers are now at an elevated risk for various asbestos-related diseases, such as malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
