The USS Missouri Memorial Association, thanks the Land of the Free Foundation for their generous support of our mission to “preserve the Battleship Missouri and share her story and place in history.”

The USS Missouri Memorial Association

About

The USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc. (the Association) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation established in the State of Hawaii in 1994. The two key purposes of the Association were initially:

• To relocate the USS Missouri (BB-63) to Hawaii to establish, operate and maintain a national memorial commemorating the end of hostilities in World War II to serve as a lasting tribute to the United States Navy’s role in forging world peace through strength.
• To operate exclusively for charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, within the meaning of Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

On May 4, 1998, ownership of the USS Missouri was transferred from the US Navy to the Association through donation contract #N00024-98-C-0201. The ship was towed from Bremerton Washington to Hawaii, arriving June 21, 1998. The ship was opened to the public on January 29, 1999, after six months of repair and restoration.

The Association receives no funding from either the U.S. Navy or any other governmental agency for the ongoing operations or continuous maintenance of the ship. (Department of Defense grants assisted the Association with funding for the ship’s drydock in 2009.)

The mission of the Association is: "The USS Missouri Memorial Association is dedicated to preserving the Battleship Missouri and sharing her story and place in history."

The vision of the Association is: "The Battleship Missouri Memorial is a world class experience that inspires, educates and motivates all nationalities and generations on the universal values of duty, honor, strength, resolve, sacrifice and peace."