It was a cloudy day at the Naval Aviation Monument in Virginia Beach. Bronze statues depicting Sailors throughout naval aviation history stand tall on granite blocks. Behind them, the Atlantic Ocean roars with waves and reflects the gray sky above.

In the center of all the monuments stood a white tent; underneath it was a mix of Sailors, their families, and veterans. They were all gathered for the same reason: to remember the Battle of Midway.

The Battle of Midway started June 3 and ended June 7, 1942. It was only six months after the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. foiled Japan's planned ambush by breaking a code the Japanese had been using to communicate. Although each side suffered major losses, the United States ultimately crippled the Japanese navy in the Pacific. Midway became an important turning point in not only the Pacific region, but World War II all together.

Now, 75 years later, the U.S. Navy continues to remember this significant event. Sailors from several ships including the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) attended the event.

One of these Sailors was Religious Program Specialist 2nd Class Patrick Brutsche, George Washington's Command Religious Ministry Department leading petty officer.

"I like history and historical things," said Brutsche. "If you don't remember what happens in history, people tend to make the same mistakes over again."

Brutsche also said it is important to observe and remember historical events such as Midway because if people forget, then it is almost as if those Sailors gave their lives in vain.

"It was pretty cool to be a part of something so historical," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handling) Airman Gabriel Uribe, a crash crewman aboard George Washington. "It felt good to do my part to remember the people that gave their lives."

During the ceremony, the Navy Region Mid Atlantic Honor Guard rendered a 21-gun salute. The U.S. Fleet Forces band played taps as Sailors in dress whites saluted the American flag. The guest speaker for the ceremony, Dr. Timothy Orr, a professor at Old Dominion University, relayed the events of the battle. A man portraying a WWII-era radio broadcaster read the events of the battle to the audience. Another man dressed as a paperboy shouted headlines and handed out copies of newspapers from 1942 on the street. Near the end of the ceremony, a T-6 Texan vintage WWII airplane flew overhead and released a stream of smoke. An F/A-18 Hornet and an F/A-18 Super hornet followed in its path.

As the ceremony came to a close, the rain started to pour. The Sailors and their families left the ceremony, reminded of their shipmates before them who gave their lives for this country so long ago.

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