THE SEARCH FOR THE JAPANESE CARRIERS SUNK AT MIDWAY IS ON

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Nauticos, Seaworld and the International Midway Memorial Foundation (IMMF) will collaborate on a project that will explore the area where the Japanese carriers at Midway sunk during the Battle of Midway. In early 2016, barring any interruptions from weather, there will be communication between a NOAA vessel located in the Pacific and the Exploration Command Centers which are located in Rhode Island and Silver Spring, Maryland. Further details will follow in the Spring issue of the subsequent newsletters.

CEREMONIES FOR THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY PLANNED:

The International Midway Memorial Foundation is planning a ceremony on Midway and in Pearl Harbor for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway. I have contacted Dan Clark, Midway Wildlife Refuge Manager for permission to hold the ceremony on June 4, 2017. He stated that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with others is also giving consideration to a ceremony and will get back to me. The Foundation is in the early stages of outlining both the events on Midway and In Pearl Harbor and will keep you updated in subsequent newsletters.

MIDWAY STAMP UPDATE:

Congressman Dr. John Fleming’s office drafted a bill to create a 75th anniversary commemorative Battle of Midway stamp that has been presented to Senator Mazio K. Hirono for consideration for passage in the Senate. The bill is to be introduced first in the Senate on a voice vote. We are waiting on Senator Hirono’s response.

WAKE ISLAND MONUMENT AND CEREMONY:

The Wake Island monument design is being reviewed by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), which is very pleased with both the design and inscription of the Wake Island Monument. Their approval is nearing completion. The U.S. Air Force officials hope to soon have an answer to the Foundation’s request to hold a monument dedication ceremony in December 2016.

GAO UPDATE:

The Government Accounting Office (GAO) will have their report on U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s management of Midway Atoll completed in March 2016. Soon, thereafter, a bill will be drafted by the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands designed to effectively remove U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s total jurisdiction over Midway. We are waiting on the GAO report before the bill is introduced in the House.

USNA INSTITUTE PRESS:

The U.S. Naval Institute Press is still editing my manuscript: Pacific Rivalry: The Turning Point but expects that the editing will be completed in early 2016.