Little Mo donated to
By Lori Tighe
USS Missouri Association
Star-BulletinIt's called "Little Mo" -- a spitting image of the USS Missouri but 96 times smaller.
And soon it will be close to its namesake.
The 9-foot model of the World War II ship was donated to the USS Missouri Association by the man who constructed it, Fred Cook of West Point, Ga.
Cook, 65, built the model over a 15-month period starting in 1994 to honor the 50th anniversary of World War II's end.
It was on the decks of the USS Missouri that Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the allied forces accepted Japan's unconditional surrender on Sept. 2, 1945.
"At the time, it seemed like so few people remembered what these veterans accomplished for our country," said Cook, a retired textile executive and an Air Force navigator bombardier from 1956-58.
"I wanted this model to help change that."
The model is scheduled to be shipped from Cook's home Dec. 30 and reach Pearl Harbor in time for the Battleship Missouri Memorial's grand opening on Jan. 29.
Cook has never seen the Mighty Mo in person, but is making plans to attend the opening.
Cook started from scratch, armed with plans of the USS Missouri and materials like balsa wood, plywood, fiberglass and brass. He cut and shaped pieces and recreated the battleship with painstaking precision and lifelike details.
The model appears exactly as the battleship did in 1945. Cook made virtually all of it by hand.
"Little Mo" measures 109 inches from bow to stern, 26 inches from keel to mast, and 13.5 inches at the beam. It weighs 120 pounds. A shop model expert estimated its value at $23,000.
"Little Mo" also performs. Powered by two motorcycle batteries, its big guns, for instance, fire black smoke, rotate and elevate. Anchors drop and rise.
Most importantly to Cook, the model sliced through a fishpond in West Point just like Big Mo.
"And it didn't leak," he said.
"Little Mo" has been displayed in west Georgia on several occasions, but Cook knew it needed a permanent home.
The creation of the Battleship Missouri Memorial was the answer.
"It's where the model belongs," he said. "It's where I want it to be."
The USS Missouri Memorial Association is on the lookout for any original Missouri and World War II artifacts that people would like to donate. Donations
The association is looking for items like old photographs, postcards and uniform insignia.Of particular interest are memorabilia from the September 1945 surrender ceremony, including the special one-time only commemoration cards issued to the servicemen in attendance. Call 423-2263.
