Photo By Jason Bortz | Service members, veterans and their families gather for a Battle of Midway Memorial...... read more read more
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Naval Aviation School Command (NASC) hosted a ceremony in honor of the 77th anniversary of the Battle of Midway June 4 at the National Naval Aviation Museum onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.
The Battle of Midway was one of the most decisive battles of World War II.
The keynote speaker for the event was retired Rear Adm. Donald P. Quinn.
Six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, a fleet engagement between the United States and Japan was inevitable. The Japanese Navy was looking to sink the American aircraft carriers that escaped destruction at Pearl Harbor and deliver another significant blow to the United States Pacific Fleet.
However, thanks to an intelligence breakthrough – the solving of the Japanese fleet codes – the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet commanded by Adm. Chester Nimitz was able to surprise the Japanese fleet near Midway Island.
On June 4, 1942, American scout planes located the Japanese force. During the next several days, the Sailors, Marines and Soldiers at sea and on Midway carried out attacks, forcing the Japanese to abandon the battle and retreat. The Japanese lost approximately 3,000 men, four carriers, one cruiser and hundreds of aircraft, while the United States lost approximately 360 men, one carrier, one destroyer and 144 aircraft.
NAS Pensacola, known as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” played a pivotal role in the Battle of Midway.
“It was here, at Naval Air Station Pensacola, where aviators were trained that pioneered the tactics and techniques that grew Naval Aviation from a fledgling force of sea planes to the mighty carrier strike forces of World War II,” Capt. Timothy Kinsella, commanding officer, NAS Pensacola said. “We continue to train the best aviators, aviation technicians and cryptologist technicians in the world at NAS Pensacola, who may someday have to answer a call similar to the Battle of Midway.”
The Battle of Midway stopped the growth of Japan in the Pacific and put the United States in a position to change the tide of the war.
“We must never forget the sacrifice and service shown by American service members at the Battle of Midway,” Kinsella said. “The world must never forget how many are free because of them. We are a very grateful Navy, which is why we take the time every year to remember this battle.”
One of the few surviving aircraft flown at the Battle of Midway is located at the National Naval Aviation Museum onboard NAS Pensacola. An SBD Dauntless dive bomber, piloted by Marine 1st Lt. Daniel Iverson, was hit by more than 200 bullets and lost part of the its landing gear. Too badly damaged to continue in the war, the plane was repaired and sent to Lake Michigan where it was used a training aircraft for naval aviators. Unfortunately, the plane crashed into Lake Michigan and sunk to the bottom where it remain until the National Naval Aviation Museum raised it from the bottom of the lake and restored it. The plane now sits in the museum as a reminder of the resiliency, toughness and bravery shown by the service members who fought at the Battle of Midway.
Quinn highlighted the history that led from the establishment of Pensacola as a training base for naval aviation to the traits and qualities that were instilled in the fliers, which led to victory at Midway.
“It is my sincere hope that this battle is celebrated every year of our nation’s existence, because we need to be reminded of who we are,” Quinn said. “Much has been written about this battle and the audacity, valor and good fortune that turned it into arguably the most important victory of the Pacific campaign.”
For more than a century, NAS Pensacola, referred to as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation,” has supported operational and training missions of tenant commands, currently including Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC), Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC), the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23 and is the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).
| Date Taken: | 06.06.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 06.06.2019 08:55 |
| Story ID: | 325698 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 173 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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