Sailors aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) commemorated the 74th anniversary of the Battle of Midway with a wreath-laying ceremony, June 4.

The Battle of Midway was a key, naval battle in the Pacific theater between the forces of the United States and the Empire of Japan during World War II that is considered the turning point of the war in the Pacific.

"I think it's very enriching for our Sailors ... to realize where we come from, who we are [and] the sacrifices of those who have come before us," said Intelligence Specialist Seaman Bryan Black.

The crew also displayed historical photos on the mess decks and held a cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate the momentous naval victory.

"It's a really great thing the ship is doing to honor this battle, its place in naval history and the fallen Sailors," said Capt. Kavon Hakimzadeh, John C. Stennis' executive officer.

Throughout the daylong commemoration, announcements were made over the ship's public address system recognizing the events that happened at the same time-of-day 74 years ago.

Sailors also updated John C. Stennis' Facebook page throughout the day, correlating with the historical milestones announced over the public address system.

Following the wreath-laying ceremony, Capt. Greg Huffman, John C. Stennis' commanding officer, addressed the crew's friends and family members with a Facebook post.

"This significant naval battle from World War II highlighted the importance of the Pacific theater to the security of the United States," said Huffman. "This fact is not lost on us as John C. Stennis operates today in the same region, carrying out missions of national importance."

Providing a ready force supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, John C. Stennis is operating as part of the Great Green Fleet on a regularly scheduled 7th Fleet deployment.

For more news on John C. Stennis visit http://navy.mil/local/cvn74/ or www.facebook.com/stennis74.


For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), visit www.navy.mil/.