Uss Missouri Navy battle-ship
...ast long (Mighty MO BB63, 2). In 1984, the USS Missouri and her sister’s ships were called back into the waters to serve her nation once more (Mighty MO BB63, 3). During the summer of 1990, Iraq invaded the tiny country of Kuwait. When General Norman Schwarzkopf’s heard of the attach he commanded the U.S. and Allied Military to assemble, thousands of vessels, aircrafts, tanks, and equipment for immediate duty. At 1:40 a.m. on January 17, (what year), the USS Missouri launched the first of 28 Tomahawk Missiles toward Baghdad (Mighty MO BB63, 3). The last and final journey home came to the Missouri in 1992. After the Gulf War, the Missouri spent four years at the Pacific Reserve Fleet in Bremerton, Washington before she was moved to another Bremerton pier and opened to the public for visitation. Then following an intense competition form four cities to have the USS Missouri permanently berthed at one of these locations, Secretary of the Navy, John Dalton, On August 21, 1996, selected the USS Missouri Memorial Association to receive the Missouri at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This announcement was made 51 years from the date Japan ended World War II at the surrender ceremony held aboard. The Missouri left Bremerton on May 23, 1988 and went on a 300 mile trip to Astoria Oregon. The Missouri left Astoria for Pearl Harbor on June 22, 1998 (Might MO BB63, 3). Know to make this report a little more interesting. Here are some interesting facts about the USS Missouri. The USS Missouri is almost as long as three foot-ball fields, has 844 doors, 90 miles of piping, 4,300,000 feet of welding, 1,185,000reverts, 15,000 valves and 900 electric motors, 852 manholes , and 161 hatches (Mighty MO BB63, 6). In the designing phase, over 175 tones of blueprint paper were used (Mighty MO BB63, 6). The USS Missouri received three battle stars for World War II service and five Battle Stars for the Korean conflict (Mighty MO BB63, 6). The USS Missouri’s three sets of 16-inch guns could hurl projectiles that are equivalent in the weight to a Volkswagen (2,700 pounds) accurately and hit a target 23 miles away (Mighty MO BB63, 6). Two months after the Persian Gulf War the USS Missouri was board by 60,000 students. The students did do much damage to the Missouri that she had to go the naval yard for repairs (Mighty MO BB63, 7). The USS Missouri made many stops around the world, but one of the most memorable trips was in 1986. Later in the year, the USS Missouri made cruises to Hawaii, Australia, Diego Garcia, Egypt, Turkey, Italy, Spain, and Portugal; then transited the Panama Station on December 19, 1987. It was an around-the-world Shakedown Cruise. It was the first battleship to circumnavigate the world since President Theodore Roosevelt’s “Great White Fleet” of 1907 (Mighty MO BB63, 4). One of he stops for the Missouri was to beautiful Hawaii. The USS Missouri stopped at Pearl Harbor and had hours of fun, but there was a serious side to the trip. The USS Missouri was to hold a ceremony in memory of the shipmates on the USS Arizona. A wreath was cast upon the water in their honor (USS Missouri BB63, 74). Another stop was Sydney Australia were they celebrated the 75th Anniversary Naval review for the Royal Australian Navy. As the USS Missouri entered, hundreds of people stopped working to watch the Missouri come into the docks (USS Missouri BB63, 116). In Istanbul, Turkey, some of the crew went off into the snow for sleighing and some went to the shops to find the best bargains. But the rest of the crew went to the local bars and performance rooms to see the belly dancers; one of Turkey’s must see cultural sights (USS Missouri BB63, 182). Next is the interview with James Loseman, Jr., conducted by Kayliegh Loseman. The questions asked will be basic questions about his life on the Mighty USS Missouri. Kayliegh: What was your job on the Missouri? Jim: I was a Gunner’s Mate. I worked, cleaned, reloaded, fired, and controlled all damages on the 16” guns. A Gunner’s Mate would have to be flexible, because one of he daily jobs was to slide down into the guns and clean the insides. Kayliegh: What was the saddest thing you remember about being on the boat? Jim: It was July 25, 1987, and the ship was leaving for the Persian Gulf. I was waving goodbye to you and your mother. It was the saddest because on that day it was your first birthday and I wasn’t there to celebrate it. Kayliegh: What was the funniest thing you remember on the Missouri? Jim: It was a ...