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UNCLAS //N05060//
NAVADMIN 131/07
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/MAY//
SUBJ/65TH ANNIVERSARY BATTLE OF MIDWAY COMMEMORATION// 
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  FROM 4-8 JUNE 2007, AMERICA WILL OBSERVE THE 65TH 
ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY, A CRITICAL TURNING POINT IN THE 
WAR IN THE PACIFIC.  AS AMERICANS AND AS SAILORS, IT IS A BIG PART OF 
WHO WE ARE, A SHINING MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY, AND ONE OF THE MOST
PIVOTAL BATTLES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.  HISTORIAN JOHN KEEGAN 
RIGHTLY CALLED IT ONE OF THE GREATEST REVERSALS IN STRATEGIC FORTUNE 
THE NAVAL WORLD HAS EVER SEEN.
2.  I ENCOURAGE ALL COMMANDS THROUGHOUT OUR NAVY TO COMMEMORATE THIS 
GREAT VICTORY, TO RECOGNIZE NOT ONLY WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT THE HITTING 
POWER OF OUR NAVY, BUT ALSO WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT THE SAILORS WHO FOUGHT 
AND DIED TO WIN AT MIDWAY.  THE BATTLE WAS MUCH MORE THAN JUST A CLASH 
OF TITANS, IT WAS AND SHOULD ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AS A TRIBUTE TO THE 
COURAGE, SKILL, AND YES, EVEN THE LUCK OF OUR WORLD WAR II PREDECESSORS.  
IN REMEMBERING THE FIGHT, WE MUST ALSO REMEMBER THEM.
3.  WE WOULD ALSO DO WELL TO REMEMBER THE UNCERTAINTY OF THOSE TIMES.  
NO ONE IN 1942 KNEW WHERE THINGS WERE HEADED.  THE MARCH ACROSS THE 
PACIFIC HAD NOT BEGUN.  AT THE TIME, NO ONE KNEW THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 
WHAT HAPPENED AROUND THAT TINY ATOLL.  EVEN ADMIRAL NIMITZ DID NOT 
IMMEDIATELY GRASP THE IMPACT.  WITH MIDWAY, THINGS WERE JUST GETTING 
STARTED, HE RECALLED.  AFTER MIDWAY, THERE WAS NO FEELING THAT WE HAD 
WON THE WAR.  WE STILL HAD A TENACIOUS ENEMY TO DEAL WITH AND A 
DIFFICULT JOB TO DO.
4.  TODAY, WE TOO FACE A TOUGH, DETERMINED, AND, IN MANY WAYS, MORE
BARBARIC AND UNPRINCIPLED ENEMY.  AND WE, TOO, CANNOT YET SEE THE END 
OF THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM.  WE HAVE DEMANDING, DIFFICULT WORK TO 
DO, BUT WE CAN -- AND WE SHOULD -- LOOK BACK ON THE SAILORS OF MIDWAY 
AND TAKE HEART.  WE MUST TELL OURSELVES THAT THE SHIPMATES WE HAVE AND 
THE ONES WE HAVE LOST IN THIS WAR ARE JUST AS STRONG AND JUST AS BRAVE 
AS THOSE WHO WON WORLD WAR II.  WE MUST HONOR THEM ALL, PAST AND 
PRESENT, FOR THEIR COURAGE.
5.  I INVITE COMMANDS TO VISIT THE SPECIAL MIDWAY MATERIAL POSTED ON 
THE NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER S WEBSITE AT WWW.HISTORY.NAVY.MIL/ 
MIDWAY.HTM.  THERE YOU WILL FIND A CONCISE OVERVIEW OF THE BATTLE, ORAL 
HISTORIES, RELEVANT SPEECHES, AND EVEN A SAMPLE MIDWAY NIGHT AGENDA.  
MR. JON YOUNGDAHL OF NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY WASHINGTON ALSO MAINTAINS A 
DATABASE OF VETERANS OF THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY.  COMMANDS WISHING TO 
INCLUDE MIDWAY SURVIVORS IN THEIR CEREMONIES CAN CONTACT HIM AT 
COMMERCIAL (202) 433-2607/DSN 288-2607 OR VIA EMAIL:
JON.YOUNGDAHL@NAVY.MIL.
6.  THE NAVY S OFFICIAL WEBSITE LIKEWISE HOSTS A TERRIFIC MIDWAY 
COMMEMORATION PAGE ENTITLED THE COURSE TO MIDWAY, AVAILABLE AT 
WWW.NAVY.MIL/MIDWAY.  THERE YOU CAN FOLLOW THE DRAMATIC PACE OF EVENTS 
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC AS THEY PROPELLED BOTH SIDES TO MIDWAY.
YOU CAN ALSO VIEW BATTLE MAPS, WATCH INTERVIEWS WITH VETERANS, AND EVEN 
READ THE FIGHTING HISTORIES OF THE SHIPS INVOLVED.
7.  TAKE TIME OUT TO REMEMBER THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY AND THE BRAVE 
SAILORS WHO WON IT.  IT IS MORE THAN JUST A GREAT SEA STORY.  IT STANDS 
AS TESTAMENT TO THE CHARACTER OF OUR SAILORS AND WHAT THEY MEAN TO THIS 
MARITIME NATION OF OURS.
8.  RELEASED BY ADM MIKE MULLEN, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.// 


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