Naval Order of the United States
Celebration of Victory in the Battle of Midway
Southwest Commandery (San Diego)
Captain Kenneth A. Johnson, USN (Ret.), Commander General, Naval Order of the United States, asked that I provide an input as to the Southwest Commandery's participation in commemorative events for the Battle of Midway. As in past year, the members support local Navy event which is held on the Midway Museum's. The event usually has a very distinguished speaker (two years ago, the CNO was the speaker, and last year the Chief of Naval Air Forces, Admiral Zortman honored a number of survivors that attended the ceremony. It is very widely attended by the local community and where could there be a more fitting venue than the former USS Midway, the carrier named after the decisive battle, and now a most successful museum right in the heart of downtown San Diego.
Monterey Commandery
The Monterey Bay Commandery of the Naval Order will once again hold it's annual Battle of Midway (black-tie) "Dining Out" at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA on 5 June, 2008. Over the years, this event has grown with the greater participation of our military and civilian organizations here on the Monterey Peninsula. Speakers and guests of honor have included Commander Bill Cullin, USN (Ret.), who, as an Ensign pilot in VP Squadron 44, participated in the aerial search for and finding of the Japanese Task Force. Bill later rescued Ensign George Gay - the only surviving member of Torpedo Eight as well the school's President and other noted professors. Attendance has grown over the years to a total of 170 active and retired Naval personnel and their spouses. This years committee is lead by the LT Kimberly (Kim) Freitas, President of the Student Council, Naval Postgraduate School. The guest of honor is Vice Admiral Daniel Oliver, USN (Ret.) (invited), President of the school.
San Francisco Commandery
San Francisco Commandery's Battle of Midway Celebration is scheduled for June 7, 2008 at the Marine's Memorial Club in San Francisco. Expect attendance will be over 200 including 15-20 Midway Veterans. Last year, the Commandery had 260 in attendance with 36 Veterans and the CNO as the guest speaker. The format of the event is a formal Dining Out complete with Parading of the Beef, Toasts and Fines. We honor the Veterans with a reception before the dinner and recognition during the dinner. The program includes bios of each of the Vets with a description of their involvement in the Battle. Many of the guests spend the night in the MMC Hotel after the event and join in breakfast the next morning. The event is truly memorable.
Texas Commandery (Houston)
The Texas Commandery has commemorated the Victory at Midway since receiving an ALLNAV from the CNO that all stations should recognize the significance of this battle that many consider the turning point in the Pacific during WW II The ceremony consists of a luncheon meeting in the Houston area with a guest speaker that provides insight on the events of 4 June 1942. Active duty and reserve units, recruiting stations and NROTC units in the Houston metro area are invited to the meeting to demonstrate the historical significance of this epic battle.
In 2007, STC Howard Snell , USN (Ret) spoke to the Commandery about serving on board the USS ENTERPRISE (CV6) during the battle and other experiences during the Pacific war such as the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Chief Snell is a Pearl Harbor Survivor and received the Navy Commendation Medal, several Presidential Unit Citations and 17 Battle Stars during his naval service.
In 2008 Captain Dusty Kleiss, a SBD pilot at the Battle of Midway will be our guest speaker. Point of contact for further information, EdSeiling at edseiling1@sbcglobal.net phone 281-440-3630.
First Coast Commandery (Jacksonville)
The First Coast Commandery of the Naval Order (with some 78 Companions) is located in Jacksonville, FL and commemorates the 4-7 June 1942 Battle of Midway every year as a participant in the large 480 person plus formal dinner held at a Jacksonville Hotel with the host Mayport Council of the Navy League and other local Navy League Councils. Over the past ten years the First Coast Commandery with many of it's Companions serving as dual members of the Mayport Council of the Navy League and with our Commander serving as a co-planner of the event for three of those years, bought table support for active duty attendees and Companions to support the overall event. Jacksonville has a very large and active Navy League at Mayport, with smaller numbers in the Jacksonville, and St. Augustine plus the King's Bay Georgia Sub Base area and the First Coast with its' dual members all combine to remember this famous naval battle in what has been called one of the largest Battle of Midway commemorations in the Nation. As an example of the significance of this event, is the CNO, Admiral Gary Roughead, is scheduled to be the guest speaker at the 2008 BOM Dinner on June 8th at the Jacksonville Hyatt. The First Coast Commandery is proud to celebrate the memory of those who participated in this most significant naval action of WWII.
Hampton Roads Commandery
Jeff Christman here from the Hampon Roads Commandery. In 2007 we bracketed Midway with (3) events. First event involved a "Field Trip" to the Fighter Factory, a newly opened, privately owned collection of flyable WWII aircraft maintained and displayed here in Virginia Beach. On display were a variety of Navy aircraft associated with WWII, if not the battle of Midway specifically. (PBY, Corsair, TBM, and several WWII era training aircraft) This was a well attended event by our standards, and drew about 40 companions and guests. Our Commandery has several WWII aviators, several of whom had experience in the aircraft on display. They helped interpret the displays. One even wore his WWII flight jacket.
We followed that up with an event held at one of our local High Schools (Floyd E. Kellam HS) for students who were studying WWII. This event featured restored WWII vehicles, displays of WWII uniforms and equipment, uniformed interpreters, and a USO show in the style of the Andrews Sisters. Several of our Companions participated as WWII era veterans and helped to interpret the event to more than 750 16 & 17 year old High School Students. This same event is scheduled again for 2008 and our intent is to get a greater number of our WWII era veterans to attend this great event.
The 3d event saw HR Commandery members represent our community at the City of Virginia Beach annual Memorial Day Parade. A wreath was presented by our Commandery at the Veterans Memorial.
National Capitol Commandery
The National Capitol Commandery of the Naval Order participates every year as a member of the Battle of Midway Commemoration planning committee. The committee receives its members and support from the Association of Naval Aviation, the Naval Historical Foundation, the Navy League, the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation, and the Naval Order of the U.S, the Surface Navy Association, and the Tailhook Association. This committee plans and organizes a Battle of Midway formal dinner and hosts Midway veterans and their spouses at the dinner. The committee also assists the Naval District Washington with their annual wreath laying ceremony at the Navy Memorial.
In 2008 in the nations capitol two events are planned to commemorate the Battle of Midway. Naval District Washington will host a wreath laying ceremony at 1100 June 4th at the Navy Memorial in Washington, DC. The CNO, ADM Gary Roughead, will be the principal speaker. For details go to http://www.lonesailor.org/events.php.
Secondly, a dinner will be held at 1830 on June 3rd at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. The co-author of “Shattered Sword,” John Parshall, will be the principal speaker. Go to htpp://www.midwaycommemoration.org for details and reservation information.
New York Commandery
The New York Commandery will commemorate the Battle of Midway during their June luncheon in New York.
The Arizona Commandery
The Arizona Commandery of the Naval Order of the U.S. began an annual tradition in 2007 to commemorate the Battle of Midway. The guest speaker was retired Naval Aviator LCDR Lee Marona. Lee was not an aviator at the battle of Midway. He served as the Plane Captain for Ensign George Gay, who was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on 04 June, 1942. Ensign Gay was the only aviator from Torpedo Squadron 8 who survived that day, and he spent the majority of the day floating under his seat pan after being shot out of the sky by enemy fighters.
Lee Marona’s first hand account of what it was like to launch those 15 aircraft off the pointy end, then wait and wait for them never to return was quite moving. Lee went on to serve at Guadalcanal and several other significant battles in the pacific. In 1946 Lee received his own wings of gold and went on to fly 16 different types of military aircraft.
The Arizona Commandery will hold its 2008 commemorative meeting on 27 May at Macayo’s Mexican restaurant in downtown Phoenix. Contact CAPT JJ Skip Lind, USN (Ret) for details. SKIPLIND@AOL.COM
of Fighter Squadron 51(VF-51). 
Tailhook Association Reunion Commemorative Shirts
