Robert 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 to help suppress Communism unrest in Greece. During that voyage, the Missouri also transported the body of the 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.