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R 200240Z MAY 08

FM OU=CNO WASHINGTON DC(UC),L=WASHINGTON,L=DISTRICT OF 
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TO CN=AL NAVADMIN(UC),OU=ADDRESS LISTS(UC),OU=NAVY,OU=DOD,O=U.S. 
GOVERNMENT,C=US OU=NAVADMIN,OU=N,OU=AUTODIN PLAS,OU=DOD,O=U.S. 
GOVERNMENT,C=US

INFO OU=CNO WASHINGTON DC(UC),L=WASHINGTON,L=DISTRICT OF 
COLUMBIA,OU=ORGANIZATIONS(UC),OU=NAVY,OU=DOD,O=U.S. GOVERNMENT,C=US

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NAVADMIN 138/08

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SUBJ/66TH ANNIVERSARY BATTLE OF MIDWAY COMMEMORATION// 
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY, ON 4 JUNE 1942, WAS ONE OF 
THE GREATEST NAVAL VICTORIES IN NAVAL AND OUR NATION'S HISTORY.  THE 
LESSONS OF MIDWAY STILL HOLD SIGNIFICANCE FOR ALL OF US WHO SERVE TODAY.

2.  AFTER PEARL HARBOR, THE PACIFIC FLEET HAD LESS THAN SEVEN MONTHS TO 
PREPARE A FIGHTING FORCE TO FACE THE FORMIDABLE JAPANESE FLEET.  WITH 
STRONG LEADERSHIP AND RESOURCEFULNESS, ADMIRAL CHESTER NIMITZ TOOK THE 
MEN HE HAD, TRAINED THEM AS MUCH AS TIME ALLOWED, AND PUT THEM UP 
AGAINST A FIGHTING FORCE THAT WAS MORE SEASONED AND BETTER EQUIPPED.  
JAPAN SHOULD HAVE WON THE BATTLE - IT HAD MORE RESOURCES AND PEOPLE.  
MIDWAY'S ASTOUNDING VICTORY WAS DUE TO THE COURAGE AND INDOMITABLE 
FIGHTING SPIRIT OF THE SAILORS AND MARINES THAT HALTED THE ADVANCE OF 
THE JAPANESE FORCE.  YOUNG MEN, LIKE OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF TODAY, 
WERE THE REASON ADMIRAL NIMITZ WAS ABLE TO COMMAND A VICTORY IN THE 
PACIFIC.  THE COURAGE, COMMITMENT, STRENGTH, AND SACRIFICES OF THOSE 
WHO FOUGHT AT MIDWAY SECURED THE VICTORY FOR THE UNITED STATES AND LEFT 
A LEGACY THAT WE PROUDLY FOLLOW TODAY.  WE SEE THAT SAME COURAGE IN THE 
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO GO ACROSS THE GLOBE TO DEFEND THE VERY IDEALS 
AND FREEDOMS THAT THE VETERANS OF MIDWAY DEFENDED IN THAT PIVOTAL 
BATTLE 66 YEARS AGO.

3.  FROM 2-8 JUNE 2008, THE UNITED STATES NAVY WILL OBSERVE THE 66TH 
ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY.  I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT THE 
SPECIAL MIDWAY MATERIAL ON THE NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER WEBSITE, 
WWW.HISTORY.NAVY.MIL/MIDWAY.HTM.  THE SITE HOLDS A VAST AMOUNT OF 
INFORMATION INCLUDING THE ORAL HISTORIES, RELEVANT SPEECHES, 
PHOTOGRAPHS, AND EVEN A SAMPLE MIDWAY NIGHT AGENDA.  MR. JON YOUNGDAHL 
OF NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY WASHINGTON ALSO MAINTAINS A DATABASE OF 
MIDWAY VETERANS.  COMMANDS WISHING TO INCLUDE MIDWAY SURVIVORS IN THEIR 
CEREMONIES CAN CONTACT HIM AT COMMERCIAL (202) 433-2607/DSN 288-2607, 
OR EMAIL AT jon.youngdahl@navy.mil.  THE NAVY'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE 
ALSO HAS A HIGHLY EDUCATIONAL COMMEMORATION PAGE ENTITLED THE COURSE OF 
MIDWAY AVAILABLE AT WWW.NAVY.MIL/MIDWAY.

4.  WE ARE THE STRONGEST AND MOST CAPABLE NAVY IN THE WORLD.  MIDWAY 
TAUGHT US THAT IT TAKES MORE THAN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND EXCELLENT 
TRAINING TO WIN A WAR.  THOSE ARE VITAL, BUT WITHOUT OUR PEOPLE:  THEIR 
PASSION, THEIR DRIVE, AND THEIR WILL TO WIN; WE CANNOT ACHIEVE SUCCESS.  
PEOPLE MAKE US A GREAT NAVY, AND MIDWAY IS A REMINDER TO NEVER FORGET 
IT.

5.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.//

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