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Recognizing The Mighty Volunteers Who Donated Their Time To The Battleship Missouri Memorial in 2020

Highlighting Our Volunteers in April for National Volunteer Month

Pearl Harbor, HI – (April 20, 2021) In honor of National Volunteer Month, the Battleship Missouri Memorial would like to recognize its volunteers who donated their time to continue the preservation of the Mighty Mo. Despite a worldwide pandemic, the Battleship Missouri Memorial continued to receive an incredible amount of volunteer support. Over 5,000 volunteer hours from more than 2,100 selflessly dedicated individuals provided much-needed support in 2020. This equates to more than $161,925 in savings to the Mighty Mo over the past year.

“Without the endless support of our remarkable volunteers, the Battleship Missouri Memorial would not be what it is today,” said Michael Carr, President and CEO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association. “While this year we are celebrating differently, every year, we applaud the thousands of volunteers for their countless hours they have donated to helping us share and maintain the battleship’s place in history every day.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Battleship Missouri Memorial’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Day did not take place this year. In an effort to show gratitude for the tremendous support to its volunteers, the USS Missouri Memorial Association recognizes nine individuals and two organizations with a special handmade teak award.

The following is a complete list of awards and recipients recognized:

USS Missouri Memorial Award
Outstanding Volunteer of the Year 2020
Wayne Ohashi

USS Missouri Legacy Award 2020
Outstanding Military Support
Sergeant Dylan Jones

Truman Centennial Award
Outstanding Senior Volunteer 2020
Dennis Egge

Big Guns Award 2020
Volunteer Jack of All Trades
Earl Schuette

Outstanding Adopt-A-Space 2020
Information Warfare Training Site, Hawaii

Outstanding Military Support 2018-2020
IS2 Shalice Walker

Outstanding Military Support 2018-2021
IS2 Katelyn Gapuz

Outstanding Military Group Support 2020

US Navy Surgemain

Outstanding Volunteer 2020
Nicole Zitto

Special Award
“Ship’s Keys” John Bniniski

Outstanding Volunteer Teak Volunteer 2020
David Kinney


The Battleship Missouri Memorial’s Adopt-A-Space program is seeking volunteers to adopt the following areas of the ship, including the flag bridge, marine berthing, broadway and crew’s mess decks 1 & 2. No experience required, but if you are proficient in construction, painting and other skilled work, that’s a bonus! Due to the ongoing pandemic, we ask all volunteers to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Individuals and organizations interested in volunteering, please email Keven Williamson at kevenw@ussmissouri.org.

In addition, the Battleship Missouri Memorial is a participating organization of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s (HTA) Mālama (care for) Hawai‘i program. This statewide program is made up of an alliance of private industry partners including hotels, airlines and volunteer organizations to encourage mindful and regenerative tourism by giving travelers an opportunity to stay an extra day at no charge if they participate in a voluntourism activity. To view a list of participating hotels, visit https://www.gohawaii.com/malama. For more information on how you can get involved at the Battleship Missouri Memorial, visit https://ussmissouri.org/get-involved/volunteer.

Please credit images to the Battleship Missouri Memorial

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Caption: Surge Main crew moving equipment in on the mess decks.
Link: https://bit.ly/329eK69

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Caption: Two sailors repairing CWIZ barrels for the Battleship Missouri Memorial.
Link: https://bit.ly/3seEGYP

About the Battleship Missouri Memorial
Since opening in January 1999, the Battleship Missouri Memorial has attracted more than 9-million visitors from around the world with a fascinating tour experience showcasing the USS Missouri’s unique place in history. Located a mere ship’s length from the USS Arizona Memorial, the Mighty Mo completes a historical visitor experience that begins with the “day of infamy” and sinking of the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and ends with Japan’s formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

The USS Missouri had an astounding career over five decades and three wars – World War II, the Korean War, and Desert Storm – after which it was decommissioned and donated to the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Association operates the Battleship Missouri Memorial as a historic attraction and oversees her care and preservation with the support of visitors, memberships, grants, and donations.

Safety is our top priority. The Battleship Missouri Memorial is taking additional steps to assure guests will have a safe and healthy experience touring the Mighty Mo. We respectfully ask all visitors to abide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) safety guidelines while on site.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. General admission is $29.99 per adult and $13.99 per child (4-12). Military, kama‘āina (local resident) and school group pricing is available. For information or reservations, call (808) 455-1600 or visit USSMissouri.org.

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Media Contact:

Shere’e Quitevis  / (808) 741-1668

Sheree.Quitevis@AnthologyGroup.com

Jaclyn Hawse / (808) 455-1600 x246

JaclynH@ussmissouri.org