USS Missouri is the youngest of the four magnificent Iowa class battleships built by the United States. These battleships were extensively upgraded several times during their half century of naval service. During World War II, Missouri participated in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, screened task force 58 during air strikes against Japan and served as Admiral William F. Halsey's flagship. The Japanese surrender was signed aboard 2 September 1945.

During the Korean War, she supported the Inchon landings, provided support for the evacuation of Hungnam and conducted extensive shore bombardment of North Korea.

At 1:40 am on 16 January, 1991, while underway in the Persian Gulf, USS Missouri launched the first of 28 tomahawk missiles toward Baghdad. During 44 days of Desert Storm, she fired 759 sixteen inch projectiles while bombarding Iraqi forces. USS Missouri is best known as the site where General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, on 2 September 1945, officially accepted the surrender of Japan, ending World War II. USS Missouri was decommissioned for the second time on 31 March 1992. USS Missouri arrived in Hawaii on 22 June 1998, and opened to the public on 29 January 1999.