During the past week over 4,000 Training Support Center (TSC) staff and students attended a number of command 77th Anniversary Battle of Midway remembrance training in student barracks.

One of the events on June 6 aboard USS Missouri, Navy Military Training Instructor Damage Controlman 1st Class Roneshia Redmond and Navy Military Training Instructor Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Brandon Dedo chronicled the historical event to attendees.

“In the Navy we commemorate historical events to honor the sacrifices of those who came before us, and to pass on our Naval Heritage to future generations of sailors,” Navy Military Training Instructor Chief Fire Controlman Rosalie Sprouse, coordinator of the training event aboard USS Missouri. “It’s important that we teach Naval Heritage because learning about the history and longstanding traditions of the Navy builds an immense sense of pride.”

In early 1942, the Japanese were planning an additional operation that sought to eliminate the United States as a strategic power in the Pacific. They hoped that another demoralizing loss would force America to admit defeat in the Pacific War.

The Japanese Navy plan was to take the islands of Midway in an effort to extend their defensive perimeter around their homeland and lure the remaining U.S. aircraft carriers into a trap.

Japanese forces, widely dispersed for deception, consisted of four aircraft carriers, seven battleships and numerous escort ships, submarines and aircraft. All told, 185 ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy bore down on Midway.

“The Battle of Midway had a big impact on the course of the war in the Pacific, and on the morale of American Sailors and the American people back home,” Sprouse said. “The Japanese thought that Midway would be the decisive blow that would knock the US out of the war. They were overconfident, and they underestimated the U.S. Navy. The battle is a symbol of American ingenuity, cunning, tactics, grit and determination. The U.S. had broken the Japanese naval code, they had repaired USS Yorktown (CV-10) in 72 hours, after what the Japanese thought was a death sentence in the Battle of the Coral Sea, and they faced staggering odds against a stronger, healthier, more experienced enemy. Yet by the end of the battle the U.S. had sunk four of the six carriers that had attacked Pearl Harbor just six months earlier, destroyed all of the aircraft the Japanese carriers had brought, and killed over 3000 enemy forces. The Japanese Navy was not able to rebuild fast enough to keep pace with the American shipbuilding program. They had lost so many pilots and maintenance crewmen that their air power never recovered. The Japanese never launched another major offensive in the Pacific.”

Between the 4th and 7th of June, 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy was defeated and unsuccessful in their attack against Midway. The victory inflicted irreparable damage on the Japanese Fleet and turned the tide of the war.

"Against any adversary, at any place, and at any time, our Navy continues to live up to the legacy of naval power established at Midway," said TSC Commanding Officer, Capt. David Dwyer. "Our success during The Battle of Midway in June 1942 during World War II, was the first step as we pushed across the Pacific and towards victory in Japan. Today is a great way to show respect to the people that literally saved this country as many gave their lives in this decisive battle."

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