John DeLeo

Hailing from Providence, RI, Mr. DeLeo served aboard the Missouri from 1944 to 1946 as a proud WWII plank owner. He held the rank of Seaman First Class (SN1C) in the first division of the gunnery department. 

During his service aboard the Mighty Mo, Mr. DeLeo experienced the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, survived a Kamikaze attack, and witnessed the formal surrender of Japan. 

After the war, he returned home to Rhode Island, where he built a loving life with his late wife Dorothy "Dottie" and their five children. 

Mr. DeLeo attended many of the Missouri reunions throughout the years. On September 2, 1998, he and Dottie traveled to Pearl Harbor to attend the 53rd Anniversary of the Surrender. He was 72 when he and many of his fellow plank owners donned Navy whites one more time to participate in the formal ceremony for their old ship. 

In November 2024, he was awarded five long overdue awards, presented by U.S. Senator Jack Reed. 

When Mr. DeLeo recently saw a model of the Mighty Mo at the International World War II Museum, he remarked, "Isn't she beautiful? I have to salute her... I'm excited about getting back to Pearl Harbor and seeing my ship."