An early morning arrival at Henderson Airfield at Midway Island on June 4th, 2012. The 70th Anniversary Commemoration at Midway Island.
The Fish and Wildlife relegates aircraft arrival and departure to night time. We arrived at Hickam AFB for our flight at midnight and then arrived just prior to dawn at the island. And then when we departed we waited until dark to leave and arrived back at Hickam AFB around midnight. It was a 24 hour day unless you were able to catch some sleep on the flights, but most everyone on the plane was too excited to sleep.
This was my third and so the last trip that I’ve been able to make back to Midway since I left after duty in 1979. I’ve been blessed indeed but still hope for some sort of practical form of visitation to allow those of us who served, lived and were born at Midway Island to return again in the future.
Gary,
My wife Cynthia and I also had the great fortune to arrive on that flight and land that Morning. we were treated like honored guests the ENTIRE DAY and Will never forget shaking hands with the three Veterans of the battle (the real honored guests) as we passed the New monuments and laid a flower for My Father-in-law, Edwin Jones who served in the Pacific on an LST during WWII. He and his ship survived the Typhoon in the Sea Of Japan that caught our fleet and caused great loss of sailors. It was a pleasure to meet you and we want to return also. Paul Clasen ETC (Ret) Served on island 6/73 to 11/73 at NAVFAC.
Hi Paul. Great to hear from you. That was a great day, certainly one that I’ll never forget.
Hello Midway People!
I am trying to track down documentation of a claim my grandfather made to me about 40 years ago. He was Capt. Leslie J. Watson USN and was a civil engineer who worked on airbases and seaplane bases throughout the Pacific during WWII. When I last visited him at his home in Honolulu ca 1980 (a couple of years before he died), he took me to his home-office where, among other memorabila, was a photo of him next to a street sign he said was on Midway. The street was named “Watson Way”.
I have located a recent street map of the island, but could not find Watson Way identified, although several streets on the map are not identified. Do you have any documentation that would show a street on the island that at one time was named by my grandfather for himself?! If not, do you have any suggested possible sources for such information?
Thanks in advance for your consideration of this request.