Battle of Midway Remembered at 74th Anniversary Ceremony

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey Troutman | 160531-N-ON468-029 PEARL HARBOR (May 31, 2016) Rear Adm. John Fuller, commander, Navy Region Hawaii, and commander, Naval Surface Group, Middle Pacific, delivers remarks during a ceremony commemorating the 74th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. The Battle of Midway, which took place June 4-7, 1942, was a decisive victory for the U.S. Navy and is regarded as the turning point of the war in the Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeff Troutman/Released)  

PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, UNITED STATES

05.31.2016

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeffrey Troutman 

Navy Public Affairs Support Element Detachment Hawaii

The Battle of Midway was honored for its 74th anniversary with a wreath-dedication ceremony at the National Park Service Pearl Harbor Visitor’s Center, May 31.

The ceremony was well attended by military service members, guests and members of the Campbell High School Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps. The U.S. Pacific Fleet Band was also in attendance to provide musical numbers commemorating the anniversary.

The Battle of Midway, which took place June 4-7, 1942, was a decisive victory for the U.S. Navy and is regarded as the turning point of the war in the Pacific.

“It’s extremely important that we remember the courage, the tenacity, and the audacious and calculated risks that leadership took when planning and executing the mission here in the Pacific during the Battle of Midway 74 years ago,” said Rear Adm. John Fuller, commander, Navy Region Hawaii, and commander, Naval Surface Group, Middle Pacific. “Our brave men risked their lives in the Battle of Midway based on leadership’s calculated strategies and tactics, and it is exactly that risk that turned the tide of the war in the Pacific. We must emulate that example and those ethos in all that we do in our Navy today.”

Capt. Stanley Keeve, commander, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, also spoke at the ceremony and stressed the importance Pearl Harbor played in the historic battle.

“The Battle of Midway plays an important role in our Navy, and Pearl Harbor is a key and essential part of the Midway story,” said Keeve. “It was here the Imperial Japanese Navy’s attack of Pearl Harbor led to the U.S. entry into World War II. It was here in Pearl Harbor that ships were repaired after the battle of Coral Sea and quickly readied for the Midway battle. And it was here where the Japanese navy’s operational codes were broken, which was a key intelligence action that assisted in the Battle of Midway. So it is appropriate that we should be here today to honor the service members who contributed to the Midway victory.”

“Take a few moments to contemplate why the U.S. Navy takes care to remember the Battle of Midway,” Fuller said to the audience. “Think about how it defined the character and values we honor, and how we want to carry that banner forward for our future generations.”

The ceremony concluded with a wreath dedication and a flyover from authentic vintage aircraft commemorating the Navy’s victory during the Battle of Midway.

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Hawaii, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnrh/.

• Date Taken: 05.31.2016
• Date Posted: 05.31.2016 22:02
• Story ID: 199612
• Location: PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US