Parker Students Visit USS Missouri
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On the last of the great battleships to be built by the U.S. Navy, Japan officially surrendered to the United States in 1945, ending the single deadliest conflict in human history: World War II.

Parker School eighth-graders visited this historic vessel, the USS Missouri, to learn what life was like aboard a warship of that era. The students explored the ship's decks, investigated its weapons systems, ate in its mess halls and slept overnight in crew bunks. They also saw a special preview of The War, a PBS documentary by Ken Burns about WWII.

"It gave me an insight into how difficult it was to be on the ship” Rachel Hinkle said of the visit to "Mighty Mo," now a museum ship in Pearl Harbor.

A weekend of special activities for outer-island and select Oahu students was organized by the USS Missouri Memorial Association and PBS Hawaii. The September event was designed, in part, to raise awareness and encourage discussions about WWII, America’s involvement, and the role of the people of Hawaii.

"The students were fascinated by the ship and the stories of its size, experiences, crew and actions," said history and English teacher Ruth Sturges, who accompanied the children to Oahu. The USS Missouri, which was decommissioned in 1992, also participated in the Korean and Persian Gulf wars.

"We learned a lot. One [big gun] turret was as heavy as the space shuttle,” said Josh Tobias.

Ms. Sturges already has arranged for Parker Students to return to the ship during interim break next year.

“It was really fun. We got to experience the life of the sailors in WWII and how they lived," said Devland Zakar. "I recommend it to others."