UNCLASSIFIED//

ATTENTION INVITED TO  

ROUTINE

R 141530Z MAY 12 PSN 085371K24

FM CNO WASHINGTON DC

SUBJ: 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY UNCLASSIFIED/ PLEASE PASS TO
ALL OFFICE CODES:
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
UNCLASS//N05758//
NAVADMIN 159/12

MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N00/MAY//

SUBJ/70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY//

RMKS/1.  AS WE MARK THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY, WE SHOULD
NEVER FORGET THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS CONFLICT TO OUR LEGACY.
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF JUNE 1942 AND ONLY SIX MONTHS AFTER THE DEVASTATING
ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR, OUR NAVY SHAPED A DEFINING MOMENT IN HISTORY AND
FORGED A PROUD CHAPTER IN OUR NAVAL HERITAGE.
WITH COUNTLESS SELF-SACRIFICING EFFORTS, SKILL, AND THE FIGHTING SPIRIT OF OUR
SAILORS, OUR U.S. NAVY WON THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY (4-6 JUNE) DESPITE BEING AT A
NUMERICAL DISADVANTAGE TO A FORMIDABLE OPPONENT.  THIS STUNNING AND DECISIVE
VICTORY ENABLED THE START OF A U.S. NAVY OFFENSIVE IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS THAT
SET THE UNITED STATES AND ITS ALLIES ON THE ROAD TO VICTORY IN THE PACIFIC.

2.  THIS HISTORIC VICTORY AT MIDWAY CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO TRAITS THAT CONTINUE
IN OUR NAVY TODAY:  BOLD, CONFIDENT, AND PROFICIENT SAILORS WILLING TO GO INTO
HARM'S WAY WITH WELL-BUILT, RESILIENT SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT.  OUR SAILORS AND
MARINES DEMONSTRATE THIS SAME WARFIGHTING ETHOS TODAY AS THEY FACE UNIQUE AND
DEMANDING CHALLENGES, ON LAND AND AT SEA, OPERATING FORWARD, FULLY READY
AROUND THE GLOBE.  THIS LEGACY IS BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION OF VETERANS, LIKE
THOSE AT MIDWAY, WHO HAVE BLAZED THE TRAIL BEFORE US.

3.  LET US NEVER FORGET THESE BRAVE VETERANS AND THEIR LEGACY.  THEY SHAPED
WORLD EVENTS FOR MANY YEARS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, FOR IT IS IN OUR
DNA.  AS NAVY PROFESSIONALS, IT IS UP TO US TO PRESERVE AND CELEBRATE OUR RICH
HISTORY, KNOWING THAT UNDERSTANDING OUR PAST WILL EMPOWER US TO OVERCOME
FUTURE CHALLENGES.

4.  NEXT MONTH COMMANDER, U.S. FLEET FORCES COMMAND, COMMANDER, U.S.
PACIFIC FLEET (COMPACFLT), COMMANDER, NAVAL INSTALLATIONS COMMAND, AND MANY
OTHERS WILL EXECUTE MIDWAY COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS AROUND OUR NAVY.  IN THE
PACIFIC, SIGNIFICANT EVENTS INCLUDE AN 11-STAR COMMEMORATION AND WREATH LAYING
ABOARD USS MIDWAY MUSEUM IN SAN DIEGO AND A COMPACFLT COMMEMORATION CEREMONY
THAT WILL INCLUDE REMARKS BY RADM (RET) MAC SHOWERS, THE SOLE SURVIVING MEMBER
OF ADM NIMITZ' INTEL STAFF.  ADDITIONALLY, COMPACFLT WILL CONDUCT A WREATH
LAYING CEREMONY AND COMMEMORATION EVENT AT MIDWAY, RECOGNIZING THE HISTORIC
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS EPIC BATTLE AND TO HONOR SHIPMATES WHO FOUGHT,
SACRIFICED, AND TURNED THE TIDE IN THE PACIFIC.  WITHIN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
REGION, I WILL HOST A WREATH LAYING CEREMONY 4 JUNE AT THE NAVY MEMORIAL.  BY
COMMITTING OUR TIME AND EFFORTS TO COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS SUCH AS THESE, WE
ACKNOWLEDGE AND HONOR OUR OBLIGATION TO PRESERVE OUR INHERITANCE OF A RICH
NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE.

5.  RELEASED BY ADMIRAL JONATHAN W. GREENERT, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS.