To Capt. Edward Gettins, commanding officer Training Support Center Hampton Roads (TSCHR), the Battle of Midway will always be a major milestone in maritime heritage.

Gettins commanded USS Steven W. Groves (FFG 29) from April 2009 to October 2010. Stephen W. Groves was named after Ensign Stephen W. Groves who, during the Battle of Midway, was one of six American fighter pilots who fought off a vastly superior Japanese force trying to finish off the damaged aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5) in 1942. The small group of U.S. fighters was credited with shooting down 14 Japanese planes and causing six others to retreat.

To commemorate the 74th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, Gettins made a few calls and arranged to have the commissioning ensign from Stephen W. Groves flown over TSCHR headquarters at the NAS Oceana Dam Neck Annex June 4th.

"Ensign Groves took off nine times from the carrier Hornet on the day he perished at the Battle of Midway, and I cannot think of a better way to commemorate that monumental battle than to fly the first flag flown on the ship commissioned in his name," said Gettins. "I want to thank Richard Groves, Stephen's brother, for lending me the flag and Brian Groves, his nephew, for meeting me in Delaware to give it to me in person."

Groves' Navy Cross citation reads: "He fearlessly plunged into aerial combat against large formations of enemy aircraft threatening the American carriers in the Battle of Midway. Contributing decisively to the disruption of the enemy, he continued determined counterattacks against desperate odds until, finally overcome by sheer aerial superiority, he was shot down from the skies. He gallantly gave his life to the fulfillment of a mission important to the great victory at Midway."

Groves was declared missing and presumed dead June 5, 1942 and was the first serviceman to be killed in World War II from his hometown of East Millinocket, Maine.

TSCHR provides student management, quota control, and professional development for nearly 80,000 Sailors, Marines, Soldiers and Airmen from the U.S. Armed Forces, and 23 allied nations each year.

Through the innovative use of manpower and resources, TSC Hampton Roads and its Learning Sites provide the fleet with highly trained Sailors, Marines and the operational support that empowers them to meet the ever-changing global demands of today's Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Coast Guard.

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