satellite view from PMNM
E komo mai; welcome! Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is surrounded by a lei of foam in the middle of the North Pacific; it's a beautiful, special place.

Not only are there albatross on Midway, but many other interesting kinds of wildlife, both on the land and in the sea. Please enjoy exploring FOAM, an educational blog actively done while on Midway from May through August 2010. Posts are added from off-Midway, as information becomes available. If you're interested in a particular topic, please use the search box or the alphabetical list of "labels" along the left side of the blog page.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

June 1942

American planes during the Battle of Midway; photo from US Navy archives
Sixty-eight years ago, in early June 1942, a terrible battle between the United States and Japan took place on Midway Atoll.

On December 7, 1941 the Japanese military conducted a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor on the Hawaiian island of O`ahu.  It was a terrible loss for the United States, and caused the country to enter World War II against Japan.  But 6 months later, June 4-7, the Americans won the Battle of Midway against the Japanese.  After 3 more years of fighting, the United States and her allies finally won the War.

Japan is now one of America's best friends.  Tomorrow all of us on Midway, including both Japanese and American World War II veterans, will commemorate the Battle of Midway...and will continue to work together for peace.

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