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Recently designated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as an official Regional Site for the observance of Veterans Day, the Battleship Missouri Memorial will bring Veterans Day and Armistice Day observances around the world to a close with a sunset ceremony on the Mighty Mo in Pearl Harbor.

The Battleship Missouri Veterans Day Sunset Ceremony will be held on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m. under the Special Events Pavilion on the ship’s fantail. The event is free but reservations are required. For individuals without base access, complimentary roundtrip shuttle bus service from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center will be available beginning at 3:45 p.m. For more information or reservations, visit USSMissouri.org.

The annual ceremony serves as a tribute to all veterans, past and present. It is renowned for the striking a capella guest performances of The Sounds of Aloha Chorus, a 50-member barbershop chorus that provides powerful renditions of “Hawai‘i Pono‘i,” “God Bless America” and — a Veterans Day favorite — the “Armed Forces Medley,” among others. Additional ceremonial elements will include the parading of Colors, Echo Taps and a rifle volley salute in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Guest speakers will include Brooks W. Outland, a USS Missouri veteran who served on the ship from 1950 to 1952 during the Korean War era. Outland relocated to Oahu, Hawaii, with his wife, Cathy, to be near his old ship. Outland today volunteers at the Battleship Missouri Memorial, speaking to visitors and active-duty servicemen and women about his experiences aboard the Mighty Mo. He also serves in an advisory capacity in the restoration of a 40-mm quad auto cannon, now on extended loan to the memorial from the Patriots Point Naval and Martime Museum. The cannon is much like the one he operated while stationed aboard the USS Missouri.

Outland will be joined as a speaker by Iolani High School freshman Samantha Langcaon, granddaughter of Tobias “Toby” Langcaon (another USS Missouri veteran from the Korean War era), who will share how her grandfather has been an inspiration in her own life. Robert T. Guard, vice chairman and treasurer of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, will offer welcoming remarks.

Veterans Day is an annual U.S. Federal holiday honoring military veterans. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, but likewise is observed on Nov. 11, the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I. Major hostilities of WWI were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial, located a mere ship’s length from the USS Arizona Memorial, completes a historical visitor experience that begins with the “day of infamy” that saw the sinking of USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor and ends with Imperial Japan’s unconditional surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Following an astounding career that spans five decades and three wars, from World War II to the Korean conflict to the Liberation of Kuwait, the “Mighty Mo” was decommissioned and donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which operates the battleship as a historic attraction and memorial. The association oversees her care and preservation with the support of visitors, memberships, grants and the generosity of donors.

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