Eight WWII USS Missouri Crewmembers return to Pearl Harbor for the 80TH Anniversary of the End of World War II

Battleship Missouri Memorial to Debut Pathway to Peace Exhibit

Pearl Harbor, HI (August 26, 2025) — Eight decades after they stood witness to history, eight living crewmembers of the USS Missouri will reunite aboard the Mighty Mo for the 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II on September 2, 2025. These men, now in their late 90s and early 100s, served on the battleship during the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay, a moment that forever changed the course of history.

Traveling from across the United States, they represent the last living eyewitnesses to the surrender aboard the USS Missouri. Many have not set foot on the ship in decades. During their visit, they will participate in a series of commemoration events over the holiday weekend.

The 80th Commemoration is presented by the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation to honor the Greatest Generation.

Meet the Crewmembers 

AERM3c Doyle Boothroy
Born on March 28, 1926, Mr. Boothroy hails from Ocala, FL. He served aboard the USS Missouri in 1945 as an Aerographer's Mate Third Class (AERM3c), where he took weather observations every half hour as part of Admiral William F. Halsey’s 3rd Fleet Flag Staff. He was selected to join his staff after the admiral steered his fleet through a typhoon.

Like many young men at the time, Mr. Boothroy enlisted in the Navy to avoid being drafted into the Army. He completed boot camp in Meredith, ID and trained at military weather school in Lakehurst, NJ.

He witnessed the Surrender Ceremony from the Navigation Bridge, just outside of his Meteorology Office, and can be seen leaning out of one of the windows in certain photos.

He currently resides in Bristol, VA.

Y3c Lee Broussard
Born on December 6, 1925, in Loreauville, Louisiana, Mr. Broussard first learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941, while at school, as telephones and radios were scarce in his hometown. His two older brothers enlisted shortly after the war began, but Broussard had to wait until he turned 18 before he could join.

In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and began basic training at Camp Elliott in San Diego, California. He was initially assigned to the USS Midway (CV-41) to train with amphibious landing forces. However, because of his typing and shorthand skills, he was transferred to the Pacific Fleet School in Hawaii, where he graduated at the top of his class. He went on to serve as a Yeoman third class (Y3c) and joined
Admiral William F. Halsey’s 3rd Fleet Flag Staff. On September 2, 1945, Broussard stood aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay as he witnessed the formal Japanese surrender, a pivotal moment that marked the end of World War II.

After the war, Mr. Broussard returned home to Louisiana, where he now resides in Lake Providence.

GM2c Edgar “Ed” Buffman
Hailing from Newport, Rhode Island, Mr. Buffman served aboard the USS Missouri from 1944 to 1946 as a Gunner’s Mate Second Class (GM2c) in the Gunnery Department’s 8th Division. He is also a proud World War II plank owner.

On April 11, 1945, he witnessed the Kamikaze attack on the starboard side of the ship. "Being on the port side, we felt the ship shake, and we could see the smoke coming up... All hell was going on over there." He would later be present aboard the Missouri during the formal surrender on September 2, 1945.

Mr. Buffman was part of Malone’s Marauders, a contingent of USS Missouri and Third Fleet sailors selected to be the first Allied personnel in Tokyo as part of an advance occupation force prior to the formal surrender. He was tasked with destroying Japanese munitions at an artillery emplacement. Mr. Buffman now resides with his wife, Jolene, in Media, Pennsylvania, where he founded the Pennsylvania Veterans Museum.

S1c Judge Davis
Hailing from Rutherford, TN and born on January 17, 1928, Mr. Davis proudly served as a Seaman First Class (S1c) in F Division aboard the USS Missouri. He worked in Sky 1, one of Missouri’s Secondary Battery Gun Directors above the Navigation Bridge.

Mr. Davis witnessed the April 11, 1945 Kamikaze attack on the starboard side of the ship, just a few decks below his station. He later watched the formal surrender ceremony with binoculars from his watch station at a high point on the ship. Mr. Davis said, "It was a very solemn ceremony, and I found myself in the middle of it almost feeling sorry for the Japanese even though they were the enemy." He stayed aboard the Mighty Mo after the war was over. He also played Deck Tennis with Margaret Truman during their 1947 voyage back from Rio de Janeiro - and he said, “she was pretty good!”

Mr. Davis later returned to his home state and married his wife, Nancy, who unfortunately passed away in February 2016. He currently resides in Savannah, TN.

S1c John DeLeo

Hailing from Providence, RI, Mr. DeLeo was born on March 14, 1926 and served aboard the Missouri from 1944 to 1946 as a proud WWII plank owner. He held the rank of Seaman First Class (S1c). He served in the Gunnery Department’s FA Division, working in the Forward Plot Room on the Secondary Battery Fire Control computers.
During his service aboard the Mighty Mo, Mr. DeLeo experienced the battle of Iwo Jima and the kamikaze attacks at Okinawa, but he didn’t get to see anything because his watch station was three decks down inside the ship. Later, as the war came to a close, he witnessed the Surrender Ceremony from high up in the superstructure of the ship.

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. He currently still resides in RI.

EM2c Robert “Bob” Kennedy
Mr. Kennedy, born on October 15, 1925, was born in Viera, FL. He enlisted in the Navy in White Plains, NY, went to basic training in Sampson, NY, and then was assigned to the USS Missouri in Brooklyn, NY.

Mr. Kennedy served aboard the Missouri from 1944 to 1946 as an Electrician's Mate Second Class (EM2c) in the KE Division of the Operations Department. He too was an eyewitness to the Formal Surrender aboard the Missouri.

About his first impressions of the Missouri, Mr. Kennedy said, "I was awed... I thought, my God, I gotta get up there and crawl around. It wasn't too long before I knew one end of that ship from the other... It was quite an experience."

Mr. Kennedy currently resides in Saratoga Springs, NY.

S2c Thomas “Tom” Schoenecker
Mr. Schoenecker, born on June 9, 1927 in Albany, NY, served aboard the USS Missouri as a Seaman Second Class (S2c) in 3rd Division.

Like many of his friends and other young men across the U.S., he joined the Navy to avoid being drafted into the Army. Mr. Schoenecker worked in Main Battery Turret #3 passing powder bags in the magazines during General Quarters. Like Mr. DeLeo, he experienced the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, as well as the Kamikaze attack—but stationed deep below decks, he didn’t witness the action firsthand. He was also part of Malone’s Marauders and was tasked with guarding a captured Japanese navy facility. He was later transferred to the ship’s Personnel Office.

After the war ended, he stayed in Hawai‘i for a few months before returning to his home state of New
York. Reflecting on his service, Mr. Schoenecker said, "I just did my duty."

FC2c Robert “Bob” Somrak
Mr. Somrak was born on October 7, 1924 and hails from Cleveland, OH. He served aboard the USS Missouri from 1944 to 1946 as a Petty Officer Fire Control 2nd Class (FC2c) in the Gunnery Department, FM Division, stationed in the Main Battery Turret #3 (16” Guns, Aft).

Mr. Somrak is a proud Plank Owner of the USS Missouri BB-63, having served aboard from the ship’s Shakedown cruise in the Atlantic in 1944, through the Panama Canal, and into the Pacific theater of operations.

Mr. Somrak was present aboard the Missouri during the Surrender and was selected to serve as an Honor Guard during the surrender ceremony. He later recalled: "As we pulled into Tokyo Bay, it was an overwhelming feeling: the war's over... I witnessed when General MacArthur came aboard our ship. He came on the port side by the destroyer, and the minute his foot touched the deck of our ship, a beautiful blue Navy flag of Admiral Nimitz had to be lowered so that MacArthur's flag could rise to the topmast." Interview courtesy of @NMUSN.

Following the war, Mr. Somrak continued service aboard the Missouri as she sailed to the Mediterranean in 1946. During that voyage, the Missouri transported the body of a Turkish ambassador to his homeland, at which Mr. Somrak had the honor of serving as a pallbearer.

Mr. Somrak currently resides in Chagrin Falls, OH.

In conjunction with the anniversary, the Battleship Missouri Memorial will unveil its newest permanent exhibition, Pathway to Peace: USS Missouri’s World War II Experience, offering visitors an immersive look at the ship’s role in the Pacific and the lives of the Sailors who served aboard her.

“These eight men are living legacies,” said Michael Carr, President & CEO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association. “Eighty years ago, they stood on the deck of the USS Missouri as the guns fell silent and the world entered a new era of peace. Their stories are the heart of our commemoration and are brought to life in the Pathway to Peace exhibit, which will connect visitors to that pivotal moment in a powerful and personal way. It is our duty to carry their legacy forward, honoring their courage and the peace they helped secure for generations to come.”

For more information on the eight World War II veterans returning to commemorate this momentous anniversary, visit www.ussmissouri.org/endofwwii.

To download crewmember photos and bios, click here.

About Battleship Missouri Memorial
Since opening in January 1999, the Battleship Missouri Memorial has attracted more than 10-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.

The Battleship Missouri Memorial is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Military, kama‘āina (local resident) and school group pricing is available. For information or reservations, call (808) 455-1600 or visit USSMissouri.org

Mahalo to our Sponsors
A heartfelt mahalo to our Presenting Sponsor, The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation, for their unwavering dedicated to veterans and the legacy of service.

We also gratefully acknowledge the Hawaii Tourism Authority for their supporting grant, which helps us share this powerful commemoration with residents and visitors from around the world.

A special thanks to Hawaii Gas, Argo Infrastructure Partners, SSA Group, Hunt Companies Hawaii & Hunt Military Communities, Great Southern Wood Preserving, Inc., Hawaiian Dredging, Flatiron Dragados and iHeart Media.

Special thanks to the Gary Sinise Foundation for their contribution and continued efforts to honor veterans first responders and their families.

Together, these partners help ensure that the courage and sacrifice of the Greatest Generation are never forgotten.
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Media Contact:
Shere’e Quitevis    
(808) 741-1668   
Sheree.Quitevis@finnpartners.com   

Jaclyn Hawse  
 (808) 455-1600 x246  
JaclynH@ussmissouri.org