The Signature
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SIGONELLA HONORS WORL
Service members set the POW/MIA table. (U.S. Navy photo by GMSN Rashond Grant)
By Janine Scianna
NAS Sigonella Public Affairs
The world is now 75 years removed from World War II. As the decades go by, the first-hand accounts of wartime are waning, replaced with lessons learned in history books and generational storytelling. As time passes, our society must work harder to preserve and commemorate the important sacrifices of service members from “The Greatest Generation.” Naval Air Station Sigonella gathered to honor the veterans and campaigns of World War II. Service members from the U.S. Navy, Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force on June 4, 2019 to commemorate the anniversary of the critical Battle of Midway in 1952, one of the most decisive and
pivotal battles in naval history. The three-day Midway conflict changed the trajectory of the war in the Pacific. During the battle, seven ships sank and 3,364 men lost their lives in the service of their respective countries. But the U.S. casualties were an order of magnitude smaller than the Japanese, and the lopsided victory significantly stalled Japanese advancement in the Pacific. The victory has largely been credited to superior intelligence. Navy cryptologists were able to break Japanese code and know where and when the Imperial Navy was planning its next attack after victory in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Adm. Chester Nimitz was able to pool his resources for a surprise ambush, strategically positioning
three American aircraft carriers and staffing Midway Airfield with 105 land-based search and combat planes from across the services. Winning Midway meant that the U.S. Navy could switch from defensive to offensive mode in the Pacific, swinging the pendulum of momentum for the duration of the war. It also meant that Allied forces had more strategic options available to them in both theaters after the victory. During Sigonella’s ceremony, NAS Sigonella Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin Pickard was quick to note that the decisive victory at Midway required the efforts and coordination of everyone involved. “No man who fought goes unappreciated,” said Pickard. “Midway was an all hands effort,
