Rick Oas and his family stood yesterday on the deck of the USS Missouri. Oas was the 2-millionth visitor aboard the historic battleship and was presented with various souvenirs and a special tour. Standing with Rick were his wife, Buffy, daughter, Natalie, 11, and son, Nicholas, 9.
Mighty Mo gets
2-millionth visitorLeis and gifts greet a surprised
California man and his family
Rick Oas and his family got more than their money's worth when they stepped onto the deck of the Battleship Missouri yesterday morning.
The family of four was surprised with leis and gifts simply for being in the right place at the right time.
Popular attraction
The Battleship Missouri Memorial sees about 400,000 visitors a year. A number of new attractions have been added recently, and more are scheduled to open this year.
New Attractions
>> The Explorer's Tour: Visitors don special equipment and go on a 90-minute hands-on guided tour into the depths of the Mighty Mo. For safety reasons, children under 5 are not allowed to take the tour. Admission: $49 adults, $39 children.
>> The Flight Simulator: Visitors experience a simulation of a Seahawk flight, a WW2 era aircraft. Admission: $6.
>> Youth Encampment Program: Youth groups are allowed to spend a night on the ship. Admission: $49 per child.
Coming Attractions
>> Engine Room No. 4: Before being opened to the public, the room had to pass environmental testing.
>> Gun turrets: One of the ship's signature 16-inch gun turrets, which can fire a 2,700-pound shell 23 miles in 50 seconds, will be opened for viewing for the first time.Both attractions will be included in the general admission ($16 for adults and $8 for children under 12) and are scheduled to open this year.
On a two-day stopover in Honolulu en route to Maui, Oas, of Solvang, Calif., was welcomed as the 2-millionth visitor to the Battleship Missouri since it opened as a tourist attraction on Jan. 29, 1999.
He, along with his wife and two children, were treated to a surprise ceremony on the Surrender Deck, where the Japanese signed the document ending World War II on Sept. 2, 1945.
Don Hess, president and chief operating officer of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, welcomed the family and thanked them for visiting the memorial.
"While Rick is the 2-millionth visitor, really it's Rick and his family. They represent so much of what we're all about: education and helping remember those things that make this country great."
Oas was presented with an admiral's cap, a book on the history of the battleship, a teak plank from the ship's Surrender Deck and the American flag that was flown that morning on the ship commemorating the big day.
The family was also given free passes to Sea Life Park, the Polynesian Cultural Center, the USS Bowfin and Atlantis Submarines.
"I thought that this can't really be happening to me," Oas said. After he got over the initial shock, he said he felt honored and privileged to be there.
Oas said he and his family had only intended to visit the Arizona Memorial, but they had some extra time and decided to go aboard the Battleship Missouri to "walk on a piece of history."
Instead of the short tour that most visitors get, they were taken on a private, complimentary two-hour tour of the battleship and were allowed to visit parts of the ship that are normally closed to daily visitors, like the engine room and the radio room.
