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PHILIPPINE SEA—Sailors commemorated the 82nd anniversary of the Battle of Midway with a ceremony in the hangar bay aboard the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), June 5.
The battle, which took place June 4-7, 1942, was a decisive victory for the United States, with the Imperial Japanese Navy losing all four of its fleet carriers present. During the ceremony, Capt. Daryle Cardone, commanding officer of Ronald Reagan, credited the work of U.S. intelligence in breaking Japanese naval code, and providing crucial information which set up the U.S. fleet for success.
“The result of Battle of Midway reveals that when we deeply know ourselves and those who serve with us, we can collectively operate at our best,” said Capt. Daryle Cardone, commanding officer of Ronald Reagan, during the ceremony. “That knowledge has the power to change the course of history.”
He shared the story of Capt. Joseph J. Rochefort with the crew, an intelligence officer who initially intended to be a pilot. Because his supervisors noticed his puzzle-solving ability and attention to detail, Rochefort was instead recruited into the Coding and Signals section of the Office of Naval Communications, where he and his team would break the code that helped win the battle.
“This incredible feat is a testament to the contributions of the men and women in the intelligence community that often go unnoticed because of the secretive nature of their work,” said Cardone.
The ceremony then paid homage to the 307 Americans who were killed or captured during the battle. Eight Sailors in summer dress whites lined up along the railing at the hangar bay door, facing the open ocean.
Next to them stood a table set for one and an empty chair, standing in for prisoners of war and those missing in action.
“The solitary table setting symbolizes the frailty of one person standing alone against their circumstances,” said Chief Mass Communication Specialist Ryan Litzenberger, as master-of-ceremonies. “Remember.”
One by one, each Sailor dropped collar devices into the water as the master-of-ceremonies called upon those in attendance to remember the sacrifices of the fallen. Collar devices are a type of insignia worn by Sailors on their collars, symbolizing not only the rate or rank of the wearer, but the responsibilities they hold.
Less than an hour before, the command frocked 104 petty officers to their new rank, each now holding more responsibility than they did before. For some, attending the Midway ceremony was their first act in their new rank.
“I just wanted people to take a moment in time to realize where they are, the impact of what their collar devices symbolize, the history behind them, and the people that lost their lives wearing those exact same collar devices,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Brittney Robinson, who had planned the ceremony.
Throughout the history of the Navy, jobs may have changed, but collar devices have stayed the same, said Robinson.
“Earlier, I ceremoniously relieved the watch for a [Radioman 3rd Class],” said Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Charles HernandezRodriguez, one of the eight Sailors who took part in the homage. “Radioman is the predecessor to [Information Systems Technician]. There was a personal connection right there, that my predecessor paid the ultimate sacrifice for future generations.”
Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with 35 maritime nations in persevering a free and open Indo Pacific region.
| Date Taken: | 06.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.06.2024 02:56 |
| Story ID: | 473203 |
| Location: | PHILIPPINE SEA |
| Web Views: | 112 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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