The battleship Pennsylvania (BB.38), was built over three years beginning in 1913, and served with the Atlantic Fleet as the flagship of Admiral Henry T. Mayo. She did not cross the ocean in 1917 due to an acute shortage of oil, only coal-burning ships made it to Europe for World War I.
On December 7th, 1941, she was sitting in dry dock at Pearl Harbor. Although not badly hit, she was damaged and immobilized by the explosion of the two destroyers moored ahead of her.
The ship was recommissioned after repairs in August of 1942, and returned to the Pacific. The ship took part in various bombardments through the course of the war, but the climax of her career took place on October 24th, 1944. On that day the Pennsylvania, along with several older battleships, engaged and sank the Japanese battleship Yamashiro during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.
She was badly hit by a torpedo while at anchor off Okinawa in 1945, and repairs were cut short by the end of World War II. Her last voyage was to Bikini Atoll where she was obliterated during the nuclear tests of 1946.
Over the course of 30 years the ship won eight battle stars for the actions of her captain and crew.