For over a century, battleships were the physical embodiment of a nation’s strength. Much as nuclear-tipped missiles are today’s strategic weapons, battleships filled that function long ago. A government’s ability to enforce its policies and exert its will was tied directly to the number of battleships it could put to sea. In most cases, these great ships never had to fire a shot. All they had to do was show up.
In 1946, the Ambassador from Turkey died in Washington DC. President Truman ordered that the Ambassador be taken home, but not by air. USS Missouri, enjoying some otherwise quiet post-war years, was tasked with carrying the Ambassador back home for the last time. This was seemingly a straightforward and honorable thing to do. But in Turkey, a threat was growing. The Soviet Union, seeking a free passage for their Black Sea Fleet into the Mediterranean had put the Turkish government under tremendous pressure to give up control of the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. The government of Turkey was becoming shaky, and the people were fearful. But on April 5, 1946, Missouri arrived and dropped anchor in the harbor of Istanbul. The presence of this powerful ship, this unmistakable statement of support for that beleaguered government changed the entire situation. The Turkish government stood tall, knowing they were not alone. The Turkish people had their faith restored. And the Soviets? They backed down, knowing that nothing they had could stand against Missouri. History was changed, this time without firing a shot.
She is a magnificent sight, a presence both majestic and powerful. Battleship Missouri is a symbol of American strength and resolve. She is also a physical reassurance, a promise to our friends that America will stand by you. And, a message to our potential foes…think twice.
We tell the story of this ship so people can connect to it in a deeply personal way. That Missouri’s history and the history of the nation whose flag she still proudly flies is also their history. And they can also feel a sense of pride in the strength and resolve she represents. People from other lands visit us, and they see America in this mighty ship. They feel the shared sense of America’s moral obligation to the world; the lengths we will go to ensure justice and protect the innocent and downtrodden. It is a fact that no nation in history has shed so much of her own blood in the defense of other people’s freedom. That we have, and are still so willing to fight and die for complete strangers. It is so much who and what we are as a people, and to many throughout the world, a presence of sacrificial nobility.
In the battles of war we took a lot of territory from the enemy, more than Rome, Egypt, and Britain combined. But what we had taken, we gave back with one exception. In the words of General Mark Clark, “All we asked was enough of their soil in which to bury our gallant dead.” Consider for a moment a nation that holds and treasures such values above all others. It says something about us, something we should remember and hold close. That even in our darkest, most difficult moments, we will not let go of our humanity.
Yes, Missouri is a battleship; a vessel of war. But she is also a symbol of peace.
It was here on these decks that humanity’s longest and bloodiest war came to an end.
It was here on these decks where two nations, once the bitterest of foes, began a friendship and partnership that would change the future.
It was here on these decks where peace was restored throughout the world.
And it was here on these decks where hope was reborn. That is important. For of all the possible futures, the best future will always be the one founded on hope.
This is the story we tell. Our official title is “Tour Guide;” sometimes we are called “Docent.” But the real reason we are here every day runs so much deeper.
We are custodians of the past; keepers of memory. Those who once knew come to us and remember. Those who never knew come to us and learn. With respect, dignity, and pride we share the story of this great ship, and her place in history.
We are her voice.
We are her legacy.
We are her life.
We will ensure that the world will never forget Battleship Missouri.
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