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| HMA members touring the deck of the USS Missouri. |
After the annual Hawai‘i Museum Association Conference on Friday May 21, 2010, a group of conference attendees met at the USS Missouri for a sleep over arranged by Michael Weidenbach, curator of the USS Missouri Memorial Association. Somewhere in between picking up bed linens, choosing which “coffin bunk” to sleep in, and a tour of the cold water “head,” it became evident this was not going to bean average museum conference site visit. Our stay mirrored the overnight program offered to school groups on the ship. An excellently narrated tour of the decks and exhibit areas was followed by an equally satisfying meal in the crew mess hall. Our official tour ended after sunset, at which point Michael Weidenbach handed out flashlights to anyone willing to explore the bowels of the ship further on a special “curator’s tour.” This overnight adventure gave attendees a thorough appreciation for the historical significance of the USS Missouri, the enormous ongoing effort to care for and present it for the public… oh and also bragging rights, because, after all, how many civilian scan say they’ve slept in the spot where World War II ended?
