Marine, who enlisted at 17, experienced the Battleship Missouri Memorial, which takes visitors from the Day of Infamy through Japan’s surrender.
Pearl Harbor — The Battleship Missouri Memorial welcomed Iwo Jima survivor Benedict Bellefeuille on March 15. A retired Marine Corps private, Bellefeuile enlisted at 17 and served from 1943-1946 in the 5th Marine Division.
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 a 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) nonprofit 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. The Battleship Missouri Memorial is one of Hawaii’s top 10 attractions according to Pacific Business News and starred in Universal Studios’ Battleship.
- Honor & Remembrance