Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor remembers The Battle of Midway

(From left) Daniel Martinez, USS Arizona historian, greets retired U.S. Navy Adm. Mac Showers who was involved in the Japanese code breaking during the Battle of Midway in World War II. They were participants at Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor's Midway Symposium held June 2 and 3.

Hundreds of attendees at the Battle of Midway symposium June 2 and 3 at Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor heard presentations by experts in the fields of codebreaking, logistics, aerial maneuvers and reconnaissance.

Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the epic battle, the “turning point in the Pacific,” speeches by a panel of military, civilian, Japanese and American speakers made the day memorable.

Gen. Gary North, commander of the Pacific Air Forces, delivered the keynote address, stressing the importance of the commemoration “so that we never do this again,” he said.

Other speakers on day one of the event included Navy Capt. James Fanell, Navy Retired Capt. Stan Carpenter, museum curator Burl Burlingame, Retired Vice Adm. Yoji Koda, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Mike Jones and Russell Matthews.

Speakers on day two of the symposium included retired Navy Capt. Stan Carpenter, Daniel Martinez, John DiVergilio, Karl Lau and Battle of Midway survivor retired Marine Corps Sgt. Ed Fox.

Both days of the symposium also included a showing of the film “Battle of Midway.”

At the close of the symposium, the museum dedicated the “Battle of Midway” model exhibit, a gift from donor Fred L. Turner, former chairman and CEO of McDonald’s Corp.

For more information on the museum, call 441-1007 or visit the website www.PacificAviationMuseu m.org.