First commissioned of the Navy's modern battleships, North Carolina received so much attention during her fitting out and trials that she won the enduring nickname "Showboat". North Carolina completed her shakedown in the Caribbean prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, and after intensive war exercises, entered the Pacific 10 June 1942. North Carolina received 15 battle stars for World War II service, more than any other U.S. battleship during the war and currently is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, at the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial.
