U. S. And japanese navies. Leading off is a review of the war in pacific prior to june 1942 then new information about the japanese at the battle. This is live coverage on cspan3. We are pleased and very very proud to be hosting it. I would like to thank our partners that helped put this together. The Hampton RoadsNaval Historical Foundation and world war i and world war ii come mem ri commemoration. We couldnt have done it without you. [ cheers and applause ] now, before we get going i do have housekeeping items to pass along. First of all, turn off or silence your cell phones. Keep your programs. We have something of a limited supply of those and please wear your fwbadges throughout the da. Keep in mind we are on cspan so during the q and a use the microphone deployed here on the square. At this time i would like to bring forward my counter part john pentanjelo who will make some remarks, john. [ applause ] thanks, chris. Good morning and welcome. The Hampton Roads naval hue see yum is proud to sfon sore this in come mem rigs of the battle of midway. In a matter of minutes those involved american pilots burned and sank three out of four Japanese Carriers late their day the fourth carrier involved in the attack was also foundering. Joining those heavy capital ships at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean were 248 japanese aircraft and over 3,000 souls. On the morning of june 4th 1942 japan was winning the war in the pacific. They would never recover from their loss for would they recover from the staggering loss of accumulated knowledge and skill and tactics and Flight Operations as the title of this claims the tide indeed turned. As chris said, the battle of midway is and over french and Spanish Naval forces tauf coast of spain and enshrined in every navy officer and sailor as it is etched in the hearts and minds of the british people. It is also for its decisiveness. It has not however traditionally enjoyed the same status. Be encouraged the United States navy have also turned the tide in the quest to commemorate this crucial battle. In 1999 the chief of operations established the annual commemoration of the battle of midw midway to build in all hands a renewed awareness of our tradition and history. Johnsons orders continued and i quote one of the most decisive battles was won not by superior numbers but by the courage and ten nas si of the sailors who fought a battle over overwhelming odds. It is appropriate that we remember it and those who participated in it. This year we present this with some of the finest minds to have studied the battle. The speakers are part of an active group helping to restore the battle. Historian famously wrote they had no right to win yet they did. In so doing they changed the course of the war. So was it fate . Was it sheer luck . How did it effect the Decision Making of the battle . How did intelligence and planning and leadership and bravery factor into the victory . Those that fought in the battle is simply to always remember them. Thats what we do today. Thank you. Thank you very much. At this time i would like to welcome john to come up to make a few remarks on behalf of the commemoration commission. Jack cap aped a distinguished career and as many of you probably know he is a true champion of military heritage. Its a great pleasure and an honor for me to represent delegate curt cox who is the chairman of our commission. Kirk will be joining us later today. This commission was created by our virginia General Assembly a little over a year ago. We look forward of americas entry into and 100th anniversary it was determined that we had to remember. So the goals of our commission are twofold. First to honor our veterans. And by remembering them we not only pay tribute to their service but we truly feel that we are supporting todays men and women in service to america to assure them we wont forget them. Well remember them as well. The second goal and i think every bit as important, is to make it possible for the people here to explore personal connections that highlight the multiple perspectives of virgin virginians problems and to make it easier for visitors to connect with many museums, Historic Sites, memorials we have here in virginia. The commission pursues those goals. Granlts to localities which need Financial Assistance to do so. We venlts mark key anniversaries like this one. Plus, teacher institutes that will take place this summer, june and july across the state to provide interactive and useful seminars for teachers throughout the public and private School Systems in virginia. Theres also, as already mentioned, our profiles of honor tour, which is parked outside here today. Thats a mobile museum. It travels the state. They have a tremendous schedule. Interactive exhibits, right there for museums, schools, libraries to visit. Profiles are to bring to life stories the states of a role in both of the major conflicts. It highlights 40 who served in those conflicts. These are the profiles of ordinary people who were caught up to extraordinary times. We are very very happy. It has already been mentioned p. Certainly the city of norfolk, im delighted to be here. Well be glad we are here today. Thank you. [ applause ] thanks, jack. At this time i would like to invite all families of world war ii veterans to stand and be recognized. Thank you. We have family directly connected to midway abdomen as world war ii family members here we have a proclamation to present. I would like to present jack beal to the stage accompanied by john pentangelo. John is holding in his hand a proclamati proclamati proclamation. It occurred between the u. S. And Navy Pacific Fleet and where as many ships and sailors with ties play add role in the bot bath l which that has been called one of the greatest and where as the battle turned on naval aviators from york town enterprise and hornet and one passed away at age 100 as the last surviving dive bomber pilot from midway and where as the Common Wealth of virginia having its event as a symposium honoring the 75th anniversary with testimonies to the brave men who fought extraordinary days in june, 1942 and where as dusty who earned the navy cross will be one of the stories told in the presence of his family. Now therefore i kenneth keecoop wa alexander do recognize and call upon all citizens of norfolk to honor and remember veterans of this great and significant battle given under my hand signed kenneth cooper, major of norfolk. At this time john will present is proclamation. [ applause ] quick photo op. All right. Thanks, guys. Our first speaker today is walter. He is the author of numerous books. His biography as well as other biographies arent in there. I will say she the numerous of books and arls including General Macarthur. He is working on a book about u. S. Schlt macarthur. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you, chris. You know its a pleasure to be here. When i was invited today speak about the battle of midway asaid im not really an expert. They said its okay. What we want you to do is set the table. Thats what im going to do, set the table of how we got to midway. We are also going to talk about based on my book the admirals some of the American Leadership that appears at midway and finally do a quick overview of what goes on between pearl harbor and june 2nd, 3rd and 4th of 1942. So lets start by talking about i may have clicked one too far. Lets start about talking about the relationship between japan and United States. Note they about the same par rels of latitude. The difference is it moved westward across the continent. Japan as it faces industrialization also moved westward. It put it on a collision fwors china. You might remember they saent great fleet. What happened . Devine wind. Ja a pan and chinas history are much different and china continues to interact with the west. Japan really doesnt. It sort of closes its ports. It remains that way until Matthew Perry opened in 1891853. I would suggest to you that it really embraces the Industrial Revolution more so than japan. Theres a huge change. Japan models it, builds a new jersey and steps to ward onto the worlds stage. The first sign of jep these war. Everyone says ja pab. Japan cant take on china but it wins. It is part of the island of formosa. Theres my clicker. The island of formosa is in fact japanese territory after that treaty with china going ahead and ending that conflict. After the first japanese war what happens . Korea is sort of a state of japan at that point and it puts japan on a collision course with russia. We all know about the russo jap japanese war. Sends doe stroiers in there with torped torpedos. Its very much a surprise attack and the results of the war is wiped out. Japan takes another step in can he remembers of going ahad japan is even a Japanese Naval squadron thats at work convoying allied ships in the mediterranean. But what does world war i do in terms of the big story, particularly in terms of midway . After the treaty of versailles goes ahead and concludes the first world war, japan is the beneficiary of all of these islands that have been german territory. So the mare yawnas, except for gu guam. The carolines and marshals become japanese territory. Look at this line between hawaii and the philippines. The United States has figured we can go ahead and develop the philippines, well send a fleet out here and counter any kind of aggressor or harm to the philippines. But now suddenly post world war i, japan controls a large stretch of the Central Pacific. Well, the other thing that happens right after world war i is the Washington Naval conference, 1921. Everyone thinks most people think in the aftermath of world war i, we have the league of nations, japan joins the league of nations, the United States does not. Okay, theres going to be a new era of peace. Were going to pass these naval treaties that basically limit capital Ship Construction. If we limit tonages and capital Ship Construction somehow, someway theres going to be peace. That certainly doesnt happen. Let he suggest to you as we do these landmarks as japan goes to a world power. The fact that the Washington Naval conference in 1921 includes the United States, Great Britain, and japan, even though the United States and Great Britain have five, five to a ratio of three naval superiority with japan, the very fact that japan is on the world stage with those other two powers, pretty significant. Well, in the meantime, whats been happening in china . By 1927 i suggest to you in one word, chinas really in chaos. By 1927 they have solidified an emerging government in china. There is conumentest efforts. They bring under the chinese overall government that puts china on even more of a collision course with japan. And along about that time, 1931, another marker. Theres something called the manchurian incident and its a minor thing. Theres an explosion on a railway, it doesnt disrupt the railway but japan says oh, my gosh chinas been the aggressor weve got to move into manchuria and seize manchuria. Thats what happens. They send troops to occupy parts of shanghai. China, good member of the league of nations it is says oh, wait were going to appeal to the league. Japan, who is also a member of the league of nations says, i think well just withdraw from the league. So that doesnt do much in terms of going ahead and solving that crisis. Interesting footnote to that. In sort of a bait and switch, the International Community and the world is really focused on whats happening in shanghai. And japan goes back and forth maybe well withdraw, maybe we wont withdraw. In the meantime theyre using all of their powers to solidify their control over manchuria. In the end they withdraw from shanghai but in the meantime while the whole world order has been watching whats happening in shanghai they solidify control over manchuria. 1937, sometimes we think of world war ii beginning in 39 in europe or 41 at pearl harbor. But world war ii in the pacific really does begin in 1937 when japan full out decides to invade china. Again, theres an incident sort of one of those who fired first, but japan uses it to go ahead and really aggressively move from manchuria into the rest of North Eastern china. At the same time, china says im going to oppose this. Theres a major war that goes on between china and japan beginning in 1937 until the next four years when things break out with the United States in 41. The United States, kind of gets involved in the middle of this with an incident called the penai incident. Its on the Yangtze River. One quiet sunday morning why do these things happen on sunday mornings . In the Yangtze River port there at nanking. Japanese planes strike, kill americans, kill journalists who are involved. And William Leahy who is the chief of Naval Operations basically advises Franklin Roosevelt weve got to do something about this. Weve got to take some action. Send a fleet out, work with Great Britain to put up a kwo quarantine and everything. Well, that advice i wouldnt say it falls on deaf ears, roosevelt is responsive to that but hes fighting the depression. And Great Britain, 1937, is occupied with things that are going on in europe. So theres just not the support. 70 in a poll in january 1938 of the American Public say we dont have any business at all being in the far east. And america really turns a Cold Shoulder to what japan is doing. Even though china is sort of a nominal ally of the United States at that particular point, there is no American Interest in terms of doing anything major there. Well, moving on very quickly, the war starts in europe. The french fall in may of 1940, the government that still controls French Indo China says japan you want to set up base and stuff . Fine. Even as late as december of 1942, one of the things that Franklin Roosevelt is asking the japanese is well, now, wait a minute you had this agreement with the folks in French Indo China. Why are you moving more and more troops there. Please tell us about that. And, of course, japan doesnt respond to that. So what has happened in july of 1941, is that roosevelt imposes an oil embargo. Both with Great Britain and the netherlands. A three way embargo of japanese oil and Raw Materials that are coming from the Dutch East Indies and that part of indo china. In addition to that, roosevelt freezes japanese assets in the United States, recalls douglas m mac arthur and gears up. And while that embargo was really posed as a way to sort of curtail and hamstring japans operations, in some respects, it made them even more determined to work on a fairly short time schedule to move into Southeast Asia and come up with some level of those Natural Resources that they needed historically. All right. Lets do a quick overview of the players. Im going to leave characterizations of admiralss yamamoto. Earnest j. Ki ernest j. King is commander of the u. S. Fleet. I would suggest to you that admiral king is the overlooked strategist of world ii. The man who says to the joint chiefs, all right, we have come up with an allied plan and a u. S. Plan of germany first. But admiral king very much to his credit, is also focused on the pacific. Hes also focused on winning a two ocean war and pouring resources into the pacific. And quite frankly, sitting in this building, i would suggest to you that Douglas Macarthur is one of the beneficiaries of that. Because if king had not convinced the joint chiefs, and the joint chiefs convinced roosevelt to put resources into the pacific, well, again, we would not maybe have been meeting the japanese at midway as we ended up doing. King has two things he really develops over his career. He graduates from annapolis in 1901. Hes been born on the banks of lake erie in 1878. As he goes through his career, he focused on submarines and aircraft. Hes very much a brown shoe admiral coming out of that Aviation Wing of the American Navy. He had a really fiery temper. And i think like some other folks we could mention, theres really no middle ground with admiral king. He either had supporters or detractors. He had five daughters and a son. One of his daughters famously said, daddy, hes the most even tempered person i know. Hes always in a rage. And i think that that probably was admiral king. Chester nimits leads by example. More apt to put his arm around you and say hey lets get this thing done together. He grows up i