War against Imperial Japan started when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, thus the beginning of America's involvement in World War II. The U.S.S. Arizona was the most heavily damaged and suffered the most crew casualties (1,177 sailors died), of all the vessels in battleship row during the attack that Sunday morning. The formal Japanese surrender was signed on the deck of U.S.S. Missouri while she lay at anchor in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945 thus officially ending the war with Japan and and also bringing WW2 to a close. Presently, the U.S.S. Missouri (now a memorial) is moored in Pearl Harbor facing the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial structure. The structure spans across the mid-portion of the sunken battleship. The decision to have Missouri’s bow face the Arizona Memorial was intended to convey that Missouri now watches over the remains of the battleship Arizona so that those interred within Arizona’s hull may rest in peace. Click HERE for an aerial view photo of the sunken battleship. If you prefer, Click "Slideshow" on the upper righthand corner for convenient viewing.