PENSACOLA — The Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training will commemorate the Battle of Midway's 73rd anniversary at 10 a.m. June 4 in the Blue Angel Atrium at the National Naval Aviation Museum.
Col. Eric F. Buer, USMC, Commanding Officer, Marine Aviation Training Support Group-21, will be the guest speaker.
The battle is recognized as one of the most important and influential naval battles of World War II. In early June 1942, U.S. forces ashore and afloat repulsed a Japanese offensive aimed at capturing Midway Atoll, helping to turn the tide of the Pacific War, a victory Admiral Chester W. Nimitz called "a glorious page in our history."
The National Naval Aviation Museum features an exhibit about the battle, including the display of SBD-2 Dauntless (Bureau Number 2106), which is the only surviving aircraft to have participated in the landmark engagement. Patches covering battle damage incurred on June 4, 1942, are still visible on the airplane's fuselage.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Battle of Midway commemoration scheduled in Pensacola