Pearl Harbor Cruise Is ‘Mighty Mo’s’ Last Mission

The battleship Missouri, site of the Japanese surrender in 1945, steamed out of Long Beach on Friday on its final mission: a Pearl Harbor cruise to mark the 50th anniversary of the attack that brought the United States into World War II.

Although the 58,000-ton “Mighty Mo” pulled away without fanfare about 9 a.m., its crew and shore-based support staff were aware of the significance of the moment. “It’s sad,” said Lt. Wes Carey, one of the ship’s 1,500 crew members. “It’s the end of an era.”

A declining economy, strained defense budget and waning Soviet threat combined to end the career of the fabled Missouri, which costs $38 million a year to operate and maintain. After the Pearl Harbor ceremonies early next month, the Missouri will return to its Long Beach home on Dec. 16, where it will remain until it is formally decommissioned on March 31.