Virginia Beach, Va. – Rear Admiral J.R. Haley, Commander, Naval Air Force, Atlantic will lead a wreath-laying ceremony commemorating the 73rd anniversary of the Battle of Midway Thursday, June 4 at the Naval Aviation Monument Park at 25th and Atlantic Streets, officials tell NewsChannel 3.
The ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the public is invited to attend.
Also participating will be Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, Captain Lou Schager, NAS Oceana Commanding Officer along with Sailors from NAS Oceana, and members of the Hampton Roads Squadron, Association of Naval Aviation.
Sailors from Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Fort Story (JEBLCFS) also will present a wreath followed by the playing of Taps, the Navy says.
The Battle of Midway Island was fought June 4 – 7, 1942 and was a pivotal point in World War Two. Three U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, USS Enterprise, USS Hornet, and USS Yorktown, all built by Newport News Shipbuilding, launched their aircraft and destroyed many of the Japanese Navy’s ships, helping to insure the U.S. victory.
Vintage war birds from the Military Aviation Museum at Virginia Beach will participate in a fly-over in honor of the ships and aircraft that flew at Midway. An F4F “Wildcat”, TBM “Avenger” bomber, and A-1 “Skyraider”, will perform the legacy fly-by.
