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ROUTINE

R 051433Z MAY 11

FM CNO WASHINGTON DC

TO AL NAVADMIN
NAVADMIN

INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC

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NAVADMIN 157/11

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/APR//

SUBJ/NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMEMORATION - BATTLE OF MIDWAY//

RMKS/1.  ON JUNE 3, WE WILL CELEBRATE ONE OF OUR NAVY'S AND HISTORY'S MOST 
SIGNIFICANT NAVAL VICTORIES.  THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE 
WAR IN THE PACIFIC AND ARGUABLY THE COURSE OF HISTORY.  THIS MESSAGE PROVIDES 
GUIDANCE ON CONDUCT OF THIS IMPORTANT CELEBRATION.

2.  ON 29 MAY 1942 IN THE DAYS JUST BEFORE THE EPIC BATTLE, ADMIRAL CHESTER W. 
NIMITZ, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, U.S. PACIFIC FLEET, WROTE TO ADMIRAL ERNEST J. 
KING, THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, U.S. FLEET AND CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, "WE 
ARE ACTIVELY PREPARING TO GREET OUR EXPECTED VISITORS WITH THE KIND OF 
RECEPTION THEY DESERVE." ADMIRAL NIMITZ' BATTLE PLAN TO COUNTER ADMIRAL 
YAMAMOTO'S STRATEGY TO ATTACK MIDWAY AND DESTROY THE U.S. CARRIER FLEET IS ONE 
OF OUR NATION'S GREAT WORLD WAR II STORIES.  HISTORY IS REPLETE WITH LESSONS 
FORGED IN COMBAT THAT ARE RELEVANT FOR TODAY'S NAVY.

3.  MIDWAY WAS AN IMPROBABLE VICTORY FOR OUR NAVY.  OUR FORCE WAS SMALL, NOT 
BATTLE HARDENED, AND IT FACED THE MIGHT OF THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL NAVY.  IT WAS 
THE DETERMINATION AND COURAGE OF OUR SAILORS THAT TURNED THE TIDE.  AS THAT 
"GREATEST GENERATION" DEPARTS US, THEY LEAVE BEHIND A PRICELESS ARCHIVE OF 
LESSONS LEARNED.  WE MUST HONOR THEIR LEGACY BY PASSING ALONG TO OUR SAILORS 
TODAY AND OUR FELLOW CITIZENS THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AND SACRIFICES TO THE NAVY 
AND THE NATION.  AS OUR ADMIRATION FOR THEIR DEEDS CONTINUES TO GROW, WE MUST 
NEVER FORGET THEIR HARD WON LESSONS AND THE LEGACY THEY PASSED ALONG TO US.  
BUILDING UPON LAST YEAR'S EFFORTS, THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS ARE DIRECTED:
A.  NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND (NHHC):
1) DEVELOP A BATTLE OF MIDWAY PUBLIC AFFAIRS PLAN AND PROMULGATE TO SHORE AND 
AFLOAT COMMANDS BY 10 MAY 2011.
2) COORDINATE PLAN WITH CHINFO, CNIC, AND USFF.  THIS PLAN   SHOULD
INCLUDE NAVY'S STRATEGIC MESSAGE AND TALKING POINTS FOR THIS EVENT, A 
COORDINATED WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AROUND THE WORLD ON 3 JUNE 2011, AND 
PLANNED COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES IN EACH FLEET CONCENTRATION AREA AVAILABLE FOR 
LOCAL COMMAND PARTICIPATION.
3) DEVELOP AND MAKE AVAILABLE TO COMMANDING OFFICERS A BODY OF LESSONS LEARNED 
AT THE TACTICAL, OPERATIONAL, AND STRATEGIC LEVELS FROM THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY, 
PLAN OF THE DAY HISTORICAL NOTES FOR EACH WARFARE COMMUNITY FOR THE WEEK 
LEADING UP TO THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY, AND THE TEMPLATE FOR THE 2011 NAVAL 
DISTRICT WASHINGTON (NDW) COMMEMORATION CEREMONY FOR USE BY COMMANDER, NAVY 
INSTALLATIONS COMMAND AND HIS REGIONAL COMMANDERS.  POST THESE DOCUMENTS AND 
ASSOCIATED POINTS OF CONTACT ON THE NHHC WEB SITE:  WWW.HISTORY.NAVY .MIL.
B.  NDW:
1) CONTINUE TRADITION OF SPONSORING A WREATH LAYING CEREMONY TO HONOR THE 
HEROES OF MIDWAY.
2) COORDINATE YOUR LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS CEREMONY WITH NHHC FOR OTHER NAVY 
REGIONS TO FOLLOW. NDW'S CEREMONY WILL SERVE AS THE MODEL FOR OTHERS TO 
FOLLOW, AND AS THE OFFICIAL CEREMONY OF THIS OFFICE.
C.  COMMANDING OFFICERS AND OFFICERS IN CHARGE:
1) USE NAVY HISTORY AND THE PRODUCTS FROM NHHC TO EDUCATE AND MOTIVATE OUR 
SAILORS.
2) EXECUTE BATTLE OF MIDWAY PUBLIC AFFAIRS PLAN AND PARTICIPATE IN PLANNED 
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AS OPERATIONALLY FEASIBLE.
D.  AS A FOCAL POINT FOR THE COMMANDS IN THEIR AREA AND THE COMMUNITY AT 
LARGE, EACH REGIONAL COMMANDER SHALL HOST A WREATH LAYING CEREMONY IN THEIR 
REGION.  REGIONAL COMMANDERS COORDINATE YOUR ACTIVITIES WITH CNIC TO SUPPORT 
THE REQUIREMENT FOR SIMULTANEOUS CEREMONIES, TIME ZONE PERMITTING.

4.  UNDERSTANDING OUR PAST IS IMPORTANT TO BUILDING OUR FUTURE.
KNOW NAVY'S HERITAGE, RESPECT IT, AND BUILD UPON OUR TRADITIONS WITH YOUR 
SERVICE TODAY.

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

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