CNJ+ April 2025

EXPLORING MIDWAY ATOLL The Center of Everything; Miles from Anything Midway Atoll Na

commanding officer at Midway and was even the site of secret Cold War meetings between President Nixon and President Thieu of the Republic of Vietnam. During the military buildup leading to World War II and again during the Cold War, hundreds of buildings were constructed on two of the atoll’s is lands – Eastern and Sand. Unfortunate ly, the buildings were not built to last, and lead-based paint was used extensively. To day high levels of lead based paint are still found on some of the buildings and, more problematically, in soil surrounding them. This poses a danger to the refuge’s Laysan al batross colony, with as many as 10,000 chicks, or up to 3 percent of the hatchlings, dying

tional Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial is a unique treasure in an ocean of blue. Named for its position mid way across the Pacific Ocean, Midway sits perched at the inter section of history, na ture, and culture. Over the years, many different communi ties have lived and left their mark on Midway Atoll. Native Hawai ian wayfinders learned and practiced their craft in the Northern Hawaiian Island chain near Midway. Feath er hunters and cable companies built some of the first structures on the atoll in the ear ly 20th century and for a generation, the U. S. Military relied on this tiny island in middle of the Pacific as a bulwark through two global

Men, back from the Battle of Midway, carry all that was worth saving from their bullet-riddled Martin B-26 torpedo bomber. The plane landed at Midway with more than 500 holes in it. L to R: Sgt Frank Melo, Lt. C.O. Villines, Lt. T. N. Weems, Jr., Lt. P. L. Moore, Lt. W. W. Moore, and Lt. Russel Johnson. Photo courtesy of the National Archives

conflicts. Nearly three million birds nest for much of the year on Pihemanu (Hawaiian place name for Midway meaning loud din of birds) including the world’s largest population of albatrosses, Bonin petrels and endangered Laysan ducks. Midway is also a critical pupping ground for the United States’ most en dangered marine mammal, the Hawaiian monk seal, and it is one of only two places one of the world’s most endangered birds, the short-tailed alba tross, breeds. From June 4-7, 1942, the Battle of Midway was fought in the seas and skies around Midway Atoll. The American victory at Midway marked the turning point of the war in the Pacific and is considered one of the most important naval battles in U.S. History. Today Midway is a unique mix of time capsule and pristine seabird habitat and military memorials that pay tribute to the heroism and sacrifice of the veterans of Midway, explore the legacy left be hind by over a century of strategic and military use. The Officer-in-Charge House - also known as the Midway House - was de signed by the architect Albert Kahn and constructed in 1941 before the Bat tle of Midway during World War II. Over the years it has been home to the

from lead poisoning each year. The Service is working to clean-up the lead based paint in the buildings and soil that surrounds the buildings to create safer habitat for albatross. Seaplanes played a crucial and dangerous role as an observation and scout aircraft during WWII. As the Imperial Navy approached Midway, the U.S seaplane group sent out twice as many scout aircraft as compared to the Jap anese fleet. This allowed U.S. forces locate and preparing for the impending attack. The building was bombed during both the December 7, 1941, and June 4, 1942, attacks on Midway and housed the seaplanes that spotted the Japanese attack during the Battle of Midway. Today, the seaplane hangar remains a visible landmark of WWII. The Battle of Midway National Memorial designates Midway as a place of quiet reflection and honor to those who once served on and off its shores. The traces of lives, buildings and cultures are woven into fabric of Midway’s landscape. Nature and wildlife have reclaimed much of the island but the memories and sacrifices of those who served during one of our nation’s most challenging moments in history will never be forgotten.

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