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May 16, 2004 Crewmembers share their stories in "Three Wars of
the Battleship Missouri"
PEARL HARBOR - The crew who first served aboard the USS
Missouri could have been the grandfathers of the men who served
on her last voyage. This is just one part of the story of America's
last battleship that captivated producer Lou Reda and fueled his desire
to record her esteemed career in a new hour-long documentary, "The
Three Wars of the Battleship Missouri," which will air nationwide
on May 20, 2005, on The
History Channel.
"You would have to go back to 'Old Ironsides,' the USS
Constitution, to find an icon warship as firmly rooted in the
American imagination as BB-63, the battleship Missouri," said Lou
Reda, president of Lou Reda Productions. "Her incredible 51-year career
put her into pitched battles for America from her first year to her
last."
Reda enlisted the help of the Missouri's crew to help tell her story,
including men who served during World War II, the Korean
War and Operation Desert Storm. The documentary features a wide
range of interviews, from sailors who witnessed Japan's unconditional
WWII surrender on the USS Missouri nearly 60 years ago, to an interview
with her last captain, retired Capt. Albert Lee Kaiss, who now lives
in California.
About the battleship he commanded, Capt. Kaiss said: "Beginning in the summer of 1944 and ending in the spring of 1992, the USS Missouri BB-63 stood for everything that is great in this wonderful nation today. Her crew came from all 50 states and represented every ethnic group in America, and they all had one common purpose - 'Freedom for all.' These men and their ship were always ready to fight to the end to preserve this freedom, and all of America needs to know and understand what this proud ship did to reach this objective and how she served our country.
"Having command of this fine ship and superb crew is one of my fondest memories. No one will ever have the opportunity to experience this thrill ever again. Missouri was the last of this proud group (of battleships), and I am proud to say I was the last battleship commanding officer."
Launched on Jan. 29, 1944, the Missouri was the last U.S. battleship
ever to be completed. She entered WWII
in time to join the Third Fleet in the desperate battles for the Pacific,
including those at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. On Sept. 2, 1945, the war
ended on the deck of the USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay, when
representatives of 10 nations assembled on her deck to participate
in Japan's formal surrender to Allied Powers.
Reda added: "That should have been the end of a warship whose mission to fight enemy battleships no longer existed, and whose offensive role now seemed assigned to aircraft carriers. But seven years later, the Missouri was savaging the enemy again in a desperate battle to check a communist invasion of South Korea. With air power sparse and night and weather a severe problem, the only battleship on station was relentlessly up and down the coasts denying the key shore highways, roads, airfields and railways to the North Koreans.
"By the time the war called 'Desert
Storm' arrived, Missouri's big guns were as ready and deadly as
ever. Massive upgrading had turned her into modern high-tech juggernaut.
She overflowed with sophisticated electronics, and her decks now housed
radar and infrared directed Harpoon and Tomahawk missiles. Her presence
was as decisive as her sting, with the enemy diverting forces to where
she was firing, unable to believe that such a weapon was delivering
a feint. The enemy forces she drew off saved lives."
Today, a plaque marks the exact location of the WWII surrender. Copies of the original documents are displayed on the ship's "Surrender Deck" for visitors from around the world to see when they visit the Battleship Missouri Memorial, located a mere ship-length away from the sunken USS Arizona Memorial on Battleship Row in Pearl Harbor. Together, the two U.S. battleships serve as symbolic "bookends" to America's role in WWII.
"The Three Wars of the Battleship Missouri" is produced by Lou Reda Productions for the History Channel. Lou Reda Productions is one of the highest-rated quality documentary filmmakers in the country, and regularly produces programs for the History Channel and A&E Television Networks. Under the guidance of Executive Producers Lou and Scott L. Reda, Lou Reda Productions has produced over 400 cable and network programs as well as numerous shorts and special presentations in the 25 years since its founding. The exceptional quality of work is evidenced by the numerous awards and recognitions Lou Reda Productions has been honored with over the years, including two EMMY nominations, three CINE Golden Eagle Awards, a TELLY Award, a People's Choice Award, and a Golden Apple Award, among others.
The USS Missouri Memorial Association is a private Hawaii-based 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization designated by the U.S. Navy as caretaker of the battleship Missouri. President George Herbert Walker Bush is the memorial's honorary chairman of the board. The memorial is supported by admissions, retail and concession sales, donations, grants, and the work of volunteers. It is not supported with government funding. The association was formed in 1994 and includes a cross-section of leaders from Hawaii's business, civic, political, and retired military communities.
The Battleship Missouri Memorial has launched a yearlong commemoration
of the end of World War II that culminates with the 60th anniversary
of Japan's surrender on Sept. 2, 2005. A public ceremony being held
in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense will mark the anniversary.
For additional information about the Battleship Missouri Memorial,
call (808) 423-2263 or visit www.ussmissouri.org.
About Lou Reda Productions
Three Wars of the Battleship Missouri is produced by Lou Reda Productions for the History Channel. Lou Reda Productions is one of the highest rated quality documentary filmmakers in the country, and regularly produces programs for the History Channel and A&E Television Networks. Under the guidance of Executive Producers Lou and Scott L. Reda, Lou Reda Productions has produced over four hundred cable and network programs as well as numerous shorts and special presentations in the twenty-five years since it's founding. The exceptional quality of work is evidenced by the numerous awards and recognitions Lou Reda Productions has been honored with over the years, which includes two EMMY nominations, four CINE Golden Eagle Awards, a TELLY Award, a People's Choice Award, and a Golden Apple Award, among others.
