June 4, 1942  -  June 4, 2015

Let us now praise valiant men, particularly those still on patrol.

Salamis – 480

Lepanto – 1571

The Armada – 1588

Trafalgar – 1805

When a naval battle is over there is usually no trace of its ferocity and its carnage. The sea yawns, swallows the dead, and goes about its business. The thing about naval battles, big ones, is that flags change or, more importantly, don’t change.

In each of the above mentioned battles an outnumbered defender stopped a mighty power from imposing its will on those it was defending. 

The Battle of Midway is the greatest day in the History of the United States Navy. Roosevelt was “lucky” he sent Nimitz to Pearl Harbor with a simple set of instructions: Don’t come home until you have won. Nimitz was “lucky” his 2 Admirals – Spruance and Fletcher – though polar opposites in everything else, complemented each other perfectly that day. America was “lucky” to have had men who lived up to the words

“And how can man die better 

Than facing fearful odds

For the ashes of his father 

And the temple of his Gods”

Anchors Aweigh!

KS