Retired Navy Chief Jim Cunningham describes his experiences from the Battle of Midway to an attendee during the Battle of Midway Commemoration Dinner June 6. Cunningham, the event's guest speaker, served aboard USS Hammann during salvage efforts for USS Yorktown immediately following the battle. He was at his position on the ship's fantail when the Hammann was sunk by a torpedo in the afternoon of June 6, 1942. Photo by JO2 Andrea Kane

Veterans and guests remember Midway

By JO1 Mike Jones
Assistant Editor

Last Friday, approximately 61 years to the day the Battle of Midway concluded, Navy veterans and guests gathered at the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel to celebrate the anniversary of the battle historians have called the turning point in the Pacific in World War II.

On June 4, 1942, the vastly outnumbered, and badly damaged U.S. Pacific Fleet intercepted Japanese warships heading for Midway Island.

U.S. Navy intelligence successfully broke Japanese code and discovered Midway Island would be used as a staging area for future assaults on Hawaii and eventually the U.S. mainland.

Armed with this knowledge, Adm. Chester Nimitz was able to place his surviving fleet comprised of three aircraft carriers, USS Hornet, USS Enterprise and USS Yorktown, and supporting ships and squadrons off Midway to stop the advance of the Japanese fleet.

USS Hammann (DD-412) sinks with stern high, after being torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-168 in the afternoon of June 6, 1942. Photographed from the starboard forecastle deck of USS Yorktown (CV-5), the USS Hammann pulled alongside Yorktown to assist with salvage efforts following the Battle of Midway. Angular structure in right foreground is the front of Yorktown's forward starboard five-inch gun gallery. Note knotted lines hanging down from the carrier's flight deck, remaining from her initial abandonment on June 4, 1942. Photo by PH2 William Roy

With the combined efforts of the U.S. carriers' bombing and torpedo squadrons, four Japanese carriers and 253 Japanese planes were destroyed, effectively ending the empire's dominance of the Pacific theater.

One hundred and fifty U.S planes were lost, as well as the Yorktown and USS Hammann which had pulled alongside Yorktown during recovery and salvage efforts.

The event's guest speaker, retired Navy Chief Jim Cunningham Jr., was able to vividly describe the final events of the battle to the assembled crowd. He served aboard the Hammann during salvage and recovery efforts for the crippled Yorktown.

Six decades later, Cunningham described an eerie experience from the afternoon of June 6, 1942.

''After I was relieved of my watch, I went down to the mess hall to get a drink of water,'' he recalled. ''On my way back from the mess hall I noticed a picture that I hadn't really noticed before. It was a picture of a torpedo with a devil riding on it and the word 'Hammann' was on the torpedo. I stopped to look at it, and as I was leaving, turned and looked again. Right then, the alarm was sounded for general quarters. As I took up my position on the fantail, I heard one of the other ships call to us, 'Hammann - torpedo headed your way.'''

Cunningham was at his position on the ship's fantail when the fatal torpedo fired from the Japanese submarine I-168 struck. The ship went down three minutes later.

''This night signifies remembrance for all my shipmates who died out there at Midway,'' Cunningham added. ''I'm glad this generation continues to honor all those who served during World War II.''

Also during the event, Commander, Navy Region Southeast Rear Adm. Annette E. Brown presented several plaques to various members and organizations for their support for the Battle of Midway Commemoration Dinner. The 20 Midway veterans in attendance each received a commemorative display consisting of a small vile of sand from Midway Island, a spent round fired during the battle and a glass Japanese fishing ball from the period. Event attendees were also treated to performances from Navy Band Southeast.

More information about the Battle of Midway can be found at the Navy Historical Center's website: http://www. history.navy.mil/midway.htm.