The Waterline May 3, 2012
Vol. XXIX No. 18
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NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION
They Had No Right to Win – But They Did By Benjamin Christensen Waterline staff writer
There isn't any good reason why they won, except their ingenuity, dedication, will, and perhaps a bit of serendipity. Walter Lord, who penned the book Incredible Victory about the Battle of Midway, used the phrase: "They had no right to win… but they did, and in doing so they changed the course of a war", a quote which now adorns the Midway dedication stone at theWorldWar II memorial in Washington, D.C. Perhaps if you ask one of the veterans from Midway, they would look at it a little differently. When asked what he would like people to remember about the battle, retired U.S. Marine Corps Major Albert Grasselli, a former Marine pilot, said simply the following. "We won," he said. The Battle of Midway is being commemorated this year for its 70th anniversary. The battle, which took place from June 4-8 1942, was a turning point in the Pacific War and arguably set the stage for the United States to help win the Second World War. A ceremony will be taking place at the Navy Memorial located in downtown Washington on June 4. The battle is noted as being the first real turning point in the war, and the first decisive victory by the United States in the war with Japan. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) had
already made broad strokes in the Pacific, beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the invasion of the Philippines, Malaya and Singapore, the Battle ofWake Island and recently a tactical victory at Coral Sea. However, as retired Capt. John Crawford, a Midway veteran, notes, American forces had a trick up their sleeves moving in to the days before Midway: they had cracked the codes. “It was miraculous; our intelligence predicted the time of the planned attack, the distance and location of the Japanese” said Crawford. "Our intelligence had solved the problem. I was happy as a clam." The IJN had planned to draw the U.S. fleet out of the newly reinforced Pearl Harbor in what they believed to be a required defense of Midway Atoll, but since American cryptologists had recently deciphered JN-25 (the American code name for the Japanese cipher), Adm. Chester Nimitz was able to set a plan into motion that would turn the U.S. forces from the hunted to the hunter. By positioning his carriers to the northeast of Midway, Nimitz was able to keep them out of sight until the last possible moment. Still, considering all these advantages, circumstances could have still played out in the IJN's favor: their forces could have been consolidated, or American bombers who had been pursuing the IJN forces at an incorrect bearing could have not found the Japanese ships. But even considering the bit of luck they
U.S. Navy photo courtesy National Archives and Records Administration
USS Hornet (CV 8) Enters Pearl Harbor, 26 May 1942. She left two days later to take part in the Battle of Midway. Photographed from Ford Island Naval Air Station, with two aircraft towing tractors parked in the center foreground. had, it ended up in the hands of the Sailors at Midway to deliver the first real blow to the Japanese fleet. Their commitment certainly translated into a right to win.
Washington Navy Yard Gate Hours Back to Normal On May 2nd all gate hours returned to normal. Outside the Washington Navy Yard the 11th St. Bridge and DC Clean Water project will continue construction on M St. and 11th St. throughout the summer. We will continue to actively engage the project managers and pass information to help employees plan their commutes if any further changes occur. Thank you for your patience and cooperation in helping us manage this issue.
Normal gate operating hours are:
-6th Street gate: 24 hour inbound and outbound -9th Street gate: 5:30a.m.-6p.m. inbound and outbound traffic -N Street gate: 5:30a.m.-9a.m. inbound only, 2p.m.-6p.m. outbound only -O Street gate: 5:30a.m.-2p.m. inbound only, 2p.m.-6p.m. inbound and outbound
“The Navy has core values and the people who fought at Midway personify them," said Robert Crawford, a historian with the Naval History and Heritage Command.
Asians,Pacific Islanders key pieces for global good By Benjamin Christensen, Waterline staff writer Asians and Pacific Islanders have a proud tradition in the U.S. Navy, and in the armed forces as a whole. Their influence has been felt far and wide in the Navy and have ultimately provided a strong effort in a global force for good. Asians and Pacific Islanders are in a variety of different rates and rankings in the Navy, and have a particularly strong showing in various command roles. Rear Adm. Ming Erh Chang is one such individual. He start-
See Pacific, Page 4
Inside Link directly to the NDW Facebook page on your smart phone
Around the Yard, Page 2
AFPAK, Page 6