The USS Missouri is an Iowa-class battleship with a storied history. While the USS Missouri wasn’t present for the attack on Pearl Harbor—it was built afterward—it served as a flagship in several major operations in the Pacific Theater, including the surrender of Japan in World War II. Today, the Mighty Mo is docked in Pearl Harbor and is a popular museum for visitors.
Many WWII memorials tend to focus on male soldiers, sailors, and airmen. Did you know women served on the Missouri as well? If you’re curious what positions they held and what duties they performed while serving on the battleship, let’s take a closer look at the Ladies of the Mighty Mo and how they helped shape history.
The United States entered World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The nation needed to mobilize its forces quickly. This mobilization opened new doors for women who wanted to serve their country. Before the war, women’s roles in the military were quite limited, mostly confined to the Army and Navy Nurse Corps.
The creation of the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, or WAVES, in 1942 changed everything. The WAVES program allowed women to enlist in the Navy for the duration of the war plus six months. They filled thousands of shore-based jobs, which freed up men for combat duty overseas. This program marked a monumental shift in military policy.
WAVES members weren’t just secretaries or clerks. They took on a wide array of technical and specialized jobs. They worked as aviation machinists, parachute riggers, control tower operators, and intelligence analysts. Their contributions were diverse and touched almost every aspect of naval operations on the home front.
The success of the WAVES program demonstrated that women were more than capable of handling complex and demanding military roles. Their dedication and skill paved the way for the permanent integration of women into the U.S. Armed Forces after the war. It was a step that redefined the roles of women on a ship like the USS Missouri.
The USS Missouri (BB-63), affectionately known as the “Mighty Mo,” was commissioned in June 1944. It was the last battleship built by the United States. Its service history is packed with action, from providing fire support in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa to its famous role as the site of the official Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.
During its active years in WWII, the crew of the USS Missouri was entirely male. At that time, regulations prohibited women from serving on combat ships. The WAVES and other female service members performed their duties at naval bases, shipyards, and air stations across the United States. They didn’t see combat, but their work was directly tied to the success of the fleet.
Women who worked in shipyards helped build and repair vessels like the Missouri. They were welders, riveters, and electricians. Their labor was critical to the war effort. These women kept the Navy’s ships afloat and ready for battle.
Years later, the rules would change. The USS Missouri was decommissioned and recommissioned multiple times. After its final reactivation in the 1980s, the landscape for women in the Navy had transformed. Women were no longer limited to shore duty. They began to serve on a variety of naval vessels, including support ships and eventually combat ships.
The USS Missouri’s journey didn’t end with its final decommissioning in 1992. In 1998, it found a new home in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It now serves as a museum ship, moored just a short distance from the USS Arizona Memorial. In this new capacity, women are a constant and visible presence on the Mighty Mo.
As a historic site, the USS Missouri welcomes thousands of visitors each year. The team that maintains the ship and guides these visitors includes many dedicated women, some staff members, others volunteers with personal connections to the Navy or military history. These women are historians, archivists, tour guides, and restoration specialists. They work to preserve the ship’s legacy and educate the public about its history.
They’re also storytellers. They share the personal accounts of the men who served during the war, the Korean War, and Operation Desert Storm. They highlight the technological innovations of the ship and its impact on naval warfare. Their work helps bring the battleship’s history to life for a new generation. They connect the past to the present with their expertise and passion.
The female staff and volunteers at the Battleship Missouri Memorial continue the tradition of service associated with the Mighty Mo. They do it not with guns and cannons, but with knowledge and dedication. Their work is a different kind of service, but it’s one that honors all who came before them.
Because of these women, visitors can experience this historic battleship and gain a deeper understanding of its legacy and how it shaped history. Without their work, we wouldn’t have the preserved deck to walk across, the artifacts like uniforms and letters, or anyone to share the tales of the soldiers and sailors who served aboard the Mighty Mo during the war. While they weren’t permitted to serve on the Mighty Mo while it was out at sea, through their passion and determination, they’re now the stewards who keep its legacy alive well into the future.
The Ladies of the Mighty Mo weren’t out there fending off attacks or launching offensives, but they helped keep the ship afloat with their shore-based work, like maintenance and administration. Today, they help preserve the ship, the artifacts it holds, and speak its stories so all can hear about this vessel that once sailed the seas. They deserve recognition and appreciation for what they did—and continue to do—to advance the role of women in the military and preserve this piece of naval history.
At Pearlharbortours.org, we provide Battleship Missouri memorial tours for anyone who wants to learn more about this historic and formidable ship and the brave men and women who served on her. Book your tour today and let us guide you through history!