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Home Town Essex County, VA
Last Address Burial: Smyrna Christian Church Cemetery Bruington, King and Queen County, VA
Story Number: NNS130609-03Release Date: 6/9/2013 10:02:00 PM
From USS Monterey Public Affairs
U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (NNS) -- Sailors aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) commemorated the Battle of Midway with a ceremony on the ship's mess decks on June 7.
The ceremony completed four days of commemorative events by members of the ship's First Class Petty Officer Association (FCPOA). From 4-7 June, various First Class Petty Officers took turns reading summaries of key events in the battle over the ship's 1MC on the day they happened in 1942.
"It was an honor for me to recite one of the main events of the Battle of Midway," said Yeoman 1st Class James Chaney, a member of the FCPOA. "We wanted to educate the crew on the importance of this battle to victory in the Pacific during World War II."
The commemoration ceremony started with an introduction and invocation then followed with an oral history from one of the participants. Chaney read "Recollections Of The Battle Of Midway" by Lt. Joseph P. Pollard, MC, USN, a medical officer on board USS Yorktown (CV 5).
"Reading Lt. Pollard's story was like going back in time," said Chaney. "I could feel the horror that our veterans had to face at that time. They were true heroes."
During his speech, Capt. Thomas Kiss, the ship's commanding officer, emphasized how people made the difference in the battle despite the disadvantages of fewer ships and less capable aircraft compared to the Imperial Japanese navy.
Lt. George Wesson, the ship's Air Defense Officer, also spoke during the ceremony and reminded the crew about their naval history.
"Don't forget where we were come from," said Wesson. "We came from a great line of naval heroes. Let's do our best to live up to the memories and example of Nimitz, Fletcher and Spruance."
The commemoration concluded with a benediction and cake cutting.
Monterey is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility promoting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
For more news from USS Nimitz (CVN 68), visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn68/.