"Beginning
June 4th 2000, the 58th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, we
will inaugurate activities commemorating one of the most decisive
sea battles in world history. Midway was won, not by superior numbers
or daunting technology, but by the courage and tenacity of sailors
who fought a vicious air and sea battle against overwhelming odds.
Their victory helped us win the world we have today, and it is appropriate
that we remember it and those who participated in it."
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Chief
of Naval Operations Admiral Johnson's stirring words were the inspiration
for the Navy's third Midway Day commemoration at the U.S. Naval
War College in Newport, Rhode Island. The June celebration was the
largest ever, with 850 people attending an evening that featured
an educational program, a historical remembrance and a dinner/dance.
Among those attending were a number of decorated WWII veterans,
four of which were acknowledged as veterans of the Battle of Midway.
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Nauticos
was pleased and honored to be a part of the event, as David Jourdan
was the keynote speaker. He described the search and discovery of
the wreckage conducted by Nauticos and the Naval Oceanographic Office
(NAVOCEANO) in 1999, the subject of a Discovery Channel Special aired
last December. Following Dave's talk was a special presentation to
faculty member, Professor Michael Handel, a noted historian, teacher
and author. A flag that had been flown from the USS Missouri, Midway
Island, and U.S. Naval War College was presented as a tribute to his
long career. |