Dear Naval Historical Foundation Family,

Welcome back to Thursday Tidings.

The Battle of Midway, fought near the Central Pacific island of Midway, is considered the decisive battle of the war in the Pacific. Before this battle the Japanese were on the offensive, capturing territory throughout Asia and the Pacific. By their attack, the Japanese had planned to capture Midway to use as an advance base, as well as to entrap and destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Because of communication intelligence successes, the U.S. Pacific Fleet surprised the Japanese forces, sinking the four Japanese carriers, that had attacked Pearl Harbor only six months before, while only losing of one carrier. After Midway, the Americans and their Allies took the offensive in the Pacific.

The Naval Historical Foundation has always had a vested interest in the history and heritage of Midway. NHF has long partnered with the Battle of Midway Commemoration, held every year at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, VA. In case you haven’t attended these events, we have included all previous write-ups and recaps from previous years. This year’s 80th Commemoration will be held tomorrow, 3 June, with Admiral Frank Caldwell, USN, Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, as the featured guest speaker. 

We have also included other segments, stories, and social media campaigns from previous years to highlight for this week's edition of Thursday Tidings. Of note is the special five-part oral history interview of USS Yorktown veteran of Midway, Captain Jack Crawford, USN (Ret.). All previous book reviews on Midway are also included for your reading pleasure! 

We will be releasing our Thursday Tidings early next week with a special edition on the Annual Meeting to include documents and read-ahead materials before the meeting and Leighton Lecture on the 11th. 

This week, Charles Kolb reviews Parker Hitt: The Father of American Military Cryptology. We have once again included some helpful links on the U.S. Navy's role in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

As always, fair winds and following seas shipmates. This email is best viewed as a webpage for your reading convenience and best quality.

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 Our Next Second Saturday:

2022 NHF Annual Meeting and the Cdr. David T. Leighton Lecture

11 June 2022

Streaming Live on NHF YouTube From the National Museum of the United States Navy

11 am

96^th Annual Meeting of Naval Historical Foundation 

12 pm

The Cdr. David T. Leighton Lecture

Featuring PATRICK K. O’DONNELL, author

The Indispensibles: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and rowed Washington Across the Delaware

Our next Second Saturday will coincide with our annual meeting and the Cdr. David T. Leighton Lecture, featuring Patrick K. O’Donnell, who will discuss his book The Indispensibles: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and rowed Washington Across the Delaware, highlighting the critical role mariners played as America struggled for its independence. 

The 11 June presentation will include prominent naval historians of the American Revolution to offer critique and commentary. 

This will be streamed live via our NHF YouTube channel. Attendees will receive a link before the event. We hope to see you there virtually!

Midshipman Peter Passaro Receives

Captain Edward L. Beach, Jr.

2022 Naval History Award

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (May 25, 2022) U.S. Naval Academy Humanities and Social Sciences holds their annual award ceremony in Memorial Hall during commissioning week. As the undergraduate college of our country’s naval service, the Naval Academy prepares young men and women to become professional officers of competence, character, and compassion in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. (U.S. Navy photo by Kenneth D. Aston Jr.)

Peter Passaro is from Chapel Hill, NC, and has service selected Navy EOD. He is heading down to Florida for the next two years. 

Bravo Zulu, Midshipman Passaro. Best of luck in your future career with the U.S. Navy! 

Congratulations to Midshipman Peter Passaro, the recipient of the 2022 Captain Edward L. Beach, Jr. Award for Naval History. In the 2022 Voices of Maritime History Competition, Midshipman Passaro previously received third place for the Superintendent's Annual Vision and Leadership. 

USNA Class of 1957 Vice President Captain Bill Peerenboom, USN (Ret.) gifted Midshipman Passaro with a 5-year membership to the Naval Historical Foundation as a reward for his scholarship and contribution to the History Department at the United States Naval Academy. 

Watch Our Latest Video --

 Second Saturday:

Getting Our Ships Back in the Game: The Story of Shipyard and Ship Repair Excellence From World War II to Today

Dr. Craig Symonds offers an excellent overview of the shipyard workers who hurriedly scrambled to put USS Yorktown (CV-5) back online for the Battle of Midway. Today's panelists are CAPT Richard Hepburn, USN (Ret.), and RADM Bill Cobb, USN (Ret.).

New Oral History Available:

LCDR John F. Floberg, USN

(During an inspection of the El Centro Naval Air Station, John F. Floberg (right) meets with (left to right): Captain Robert N. Hunter, USN; Lieutenant Commander John A. Morrison, USN; Captain John S. Thach, USN, and Lieutenant Commander B.L. Tacker, USNR)

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 28, 1915, Mr. Floberg received his education from Loyola Academy and Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Arts from the latter in 1936.

In November 1941 Mr. Floberg moved to Washington, DC, to serve as a civilian in the Contracts Section of the Shipbuilding Division, Bureau of Ships, Navy Department. He volunteered for service in the US Naval Reserve, and, appointed Ensign, reported for active duty on December 27, 1941, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He subsequently was promoted to Lieutenant (jg) on March 1, 1943; to Lieutenant on April 1, 1944; and to Lieutenant Commander, to date from October 19, 1945.

After accepting a commission in the Naval Reserve, Mr. Floberg continued duty in the Bureau of Ships, Navy Department, until detached in July 1942 for two months indoctrination at the Midshipmen’s School, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. In September of the same year he reported to the Submarine Chaser Training Center, Miami, Florida, and following instruction there proceeded in December to the Seabrook Yacht Corporation, of Seabrook, Texas, where he assisted in fitting out the USS SC-770. He went aboard that submarine chaser upon her commissioning on January 1, 1943, and was in command from March 27, 1943, until December 1943.Under his command, the SC-770 participated in the Tunisian operations, Sicilian occupation, and Salerno landings.

He returned to the Submarine Chaser Training Center at Miami in January 1944, and after brief duty reported for three months instruction at the Ordnance and Gunnery School, Naval Gun Factory, Navy Yard, Washington, DC. In June 1944 he was transferred to the Naval Training Station, Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Virginia, in connection with Assembly and Training Program for Destroyer Escorts; and thence to the Navy Yard, New York, New York, for duty connected with fitting out the USS Goss (DE-444). He served aboard that destroyer escort from her commissioning in August 1944, until August 1945, during which period she participated in the Lingayen Gulf and other Lingayen landings, the assault and occupation of Iwo Jima and Okinawa; and the Third Fleet operations against Japan.

In August 1945, he was designated Executive Officer of the USS Bivin (DE 536), and in October assumed command of that vessel, being simultaneously promoted to Lieutenant Commander. He continued in command of the Bivin until March 1946, and after terminal leave was released from active duty on June 11, 1946.

Appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air by President Truman on November 23, 1949, and confirmed by the Senate January 19, 1950, John F. Floberg succeeded to the vacancy created when Mr. Dan A. Kimball was elevated to the post of Under Secretary of the Navy. He died on August 29, 2011. 

Previous Battle of Midway Commemoration Dinner Writeups

Featured on the NHF Website 

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert (center of photo) leads a toast to the Navy at the Battle of Midway dinner (U.S. Navy photo 120603-N-WL435-199 by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter D. Lawlor/Released)

2012: CNO and Symonds Talks Highlight 2012 Midway Commemoration Dinner Event

Guest Speaker(s): Historian Craig Symonds and CNO Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert

At the dinner, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert and noted naval historian Dr. Craig Symonds linked the 70^th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Midway with the 200^th anniversary commemoration of the War of 1812. Both noted the significance of these struggles in American and world history, with many scholars arguing that the War of 1812 was the second war for American independence and that World War II propelled the United States into the world leadership role it fulfills today.

Read the Full Article

2013: NHF Co-Sponsors Successful Battle of Midway Dinner

Guest Speaker(s): Former Under Secretary of the Navy Robert O. Work

Over 230 guests assembled to celebrate the anniversary of this pivotal naval victory, including active duty officer and enlisted Sailors, and many retired veterans of the Cold War and more recent conflicts. A particular guest of honor was Commander Everett Alvarez, Jr. who during the Vietnam War, endured one of the longest periods as a prisoner of war in American history, having spent over eight years in captivity in North Vietnam. 2013 marks the 40^th anniversary of the return with honor of Commander Alvarez and 661 other POWS.

Read the Full Article

Seven Midway veterans pose with a former Under Secretary of the Navy. (L to R): Lieutenant Commander Joseph Miller, Chief Steward Andrew Mills, Lieutenant Commander Bill Roy, The Honorable Robert Work, Captain Jack Crawford, Chief Howard Snell, Chief Gunner’s Mate Henry Kudzik. Seated: Major Albert Grasselli.

“Midway would not be fought by the fleet we needed. It would be fought by the fleet we had.” – Admiral John Harvey, USN (Ret.)

2014: "The People Who Fought and Won:" Admiral Harvey Captivates Crowd at 72nd Battle of Midway Celebration Dinner

Guest Speaker(s): Former Fleet Forces Commander Admiral John Harvey, USN (Ret.)

Admiral Harvey dedicated his speech to the memory of a Pearl Harbor and Midway veteran, Chief Petty Officer Howard Snell. A longtime friend of Harvey’s, Snell recently passed away in January of this year. “He was the prototypical sailor,” Harvey mused at the beginning of his talk. He went on to discuss Snell’s own personal experience in the Navy from enlistment to Midway and beyond. After surviving the attack at Pearl Harbor, Snell was assigned to USS Enterprise and had a ringside seat on the bridge to one of history’s greatest battles. “What he remembered most on 4 June was Spruance’s coolness under fire.” That same coolness became a trademark of Spruance throughout the war. Snell went on to survive several harrowing conflicts in the Pacific Theater, retiring in 1976 after a life-long career and association with the Navy.

Read the Full Article 

2015: A Game of inches: Naval Inteligence Highlighted at 73rd Battle of Midway Dinner

Guest Speaker(s): CNO Admiral John Richardson, USN, and Elliot Carlson

The Chief of Naval Operations tradition of supporting the Battle of Midway Celebration dinner continued this year. Naval Reactors Director Admiral John Richardson, USN, attended the dinner on behalf of CNO Admiral Jonathan Greenert. Richardson, himself a career submariner, opened his brief introduction to the evening’s speaker with a brief historical retrospective of Nautilus’s (SS 168) engagement with the Japanese fleet at Midway. Admiral Richardson compared the engagement between Nautilus and the battleship Kirishima as a “knife fight between two ships.” It was a refreshing reminder to many that submarine and surface forces also played a pivotal role in the battle. “It boils down to one submarine doing what they’re paid to do.”

Read the Full article

Admiral John Richardson, USN addresses crowd at Midway Dinner (NHF Photo)

Midway veteran William Fentress entertains active duty naval officers at this year’s Midway dinner (NHF Photo)

2016: More Than Luck: Submarine Nautilus Plays Critical Role at 74th Midway Celebration Dinner

Guest Speaker(s): Author David Jourdan

Jourdan used his expertise as an engineer and physicist to show the audience a different perspective of the battle – the silent war that raged beneath the water. Jourdan masterfully set the stage for the conflict, explaining why Nautilus’s participation, albeit overshadowed by the heroic actions of the carrier fleet, was nonetheless critical to the overall success of the battle. These submarines, crammed with nearly 100 men working in a space “no larger than a four-bedroom house,” had the will and determination to detect and engage the Japanese fleet which outgunned and outnumbered the American Navy.  Nautilus takes precedence here, due in large part to her then-commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander William H. Brockman, Jr. He operated the submarine aggressively over the course of the battle, including counterattacking the Japanese destroyer Arashi, which, as she sped back to rejoin the main Japanese attack force, led the still-searching American aviators (led by USS Enterprise VB-6 Air Group Commander Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky) straight to the heart of the Japanese fleet:

Read the Full Article

Destination Midway

A Five-Part Oral History Video Series

(NHF, 2017)

Captain John “Jack” W. Crawford, Jr., USN (Ret.) was born in New Hampshire. In 1938, he accepted a commission at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Graduating just twelve days after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, Crawford headed to Pearl Harbor where he snatched up the opportunity to serve on Yorktown’s next mission. Little did he know it would be one of the most significant naval battles in United States History…Midway.

The following oral history interviews were conducted by Dr. David Winkler in March 2017 at the home of Captain Crawford in Bethesda, MD. Captain Crawford passed away in February 2022. 

PART I: The Academy



Captain John W. Crawford, Jr., a native of New Hampshire, entered the  U.S. Naval Academy in the class of 1938. In this introductory video, Captain Crawford discusses his roundabout journey to the Naval Academy and the experience of graduating less than two weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the declaration of War.

PART II: Orders at Pearl

Although originally ordered to USS Oklahoma, Crawford is assigned as an assistant to a Lieutenant at Pearl Harbor. He seized the opportunity to join Yorktown as she limped back into Pearl following the Battle of the Coral Sea, despite the misgivings of a reluctant Captain who gave him his orders.

PART III: The Right Dope

Aboard Yorktown, Crawford is assigned as an officer of the deck for watches. As Yorktown inches closer to Midway, he describes the astonishing calm displayed by the aviators on the night before the fateful first attack.

PART IV: First Strike

Standing watch at 4 a.m. the morning of 4 June, Crawford was one of the first sailors to hear the incoming message, “Many planes headed Midway.” Off duty, he stood on the hangar deck as he watched several waves of Japanese planes inflict crippling damage to the structure of Yorktown, causing many casualties.

PART V: Abandon Ship

Crawford recalls the “huge tremor” that rocked the ship after the second wave of attacks left Yorktown dead in the water, forcing the crew to abandon ship. After he was rescued by the destroyer USS Russell, Crawford returned safely back to Pearl Harbor.

Dusty Kleiss Midway Pilot Tribute

The Hampton Roads Naval Museum

(NHF YouTube, 2016)

Related: Dusty Kleiss: A Hero of Midway Remembered

NHF Book Reviews on the Battle of Midway

(In Order of Appearance on the Website)

Joe Rochefort’s War: The Odyssey of the Codebreaker Who Outwitted Yamamoto at Midway, by Elliot Carlson (Reviewed by Capt. John A. Rodgaard, USN (Ret.), 9 October 2012)

Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan, The Japanese Navy’s Story, by Mitsuo Fuchida and Mistake Okumiya (Reviewed by Jason McHale, 11 December 2012)

The Battle of Midway, by Craig Symonds (Reviewed by Rear Admiral William J. Holland, Jr., USN (Ret.), 22 February 2013)

The Battle of Midway: The Naval Institute Guide to the U.S. Navy’s Greatest Victory, by Thomas C. Hone (Reviewed by John T. Kuehn, 9 October 2013)

Victory at Midway: The Battle That Changed the Course of World War II, by James M. D’Angelo (Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart, 15 June 2018)

The Silver Waterfall: A Novel of the Battle of Midway, by Kevin Miller (Reviewed by David F. Winkler, 18 August 2020)

Stanley Johnston’s Blunder: The Reporter Who Spilled the Secret Behind the U.S. Navy’s Victory at Midway, by Elliot Carlson (Reviewed by Paul W. Murphey, 8 October 2020)

Vengeance Strikes the Blow: A Novel of the Battle of Midway, by G. Alvin Simons (Reviewed by Tyler Robinson, 3 June 2021)

The Nugget, by P.T. Deutermann (Reviewed by Capt. C. Herbert Gilliland, Jr., USN (Ret.), 18 May 2022)

The Battle of Midway

Additional Links

• Battle of Midway Overview (NHHC)
• Images From the Battle of Midway (NHHC)
• Battle of Midway Art (NHHC)
• Battle of Midway Artifacts (NHHC)
• The Complete Intelligence Story (War on the Rocks) 

Parker Hitt: The Father of American Cryptology

By Betsy Rohaly Smoot

Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb. Ph.D.

Mrs. Smoot is an intelligence historian who is especially interested in 20th-century cryptology and communication and has published in Cryptologia, Federal History Journal, and Intelligence and National Security; she retired from the Center for Cryptologic History (CCH) of the National Security Agency in 2017. She is also the author of the forthcoming CCH monograph From the Ground Up: American Cryptology during World WarI, and a frequent lecturer at the Cryptologic History Symposia, including the May 12, 2022, meeting where she presented “The Case for Parker Hitt as the Father of American Military Cryptology.” 

Betsy Rohaly Smoot has honored the memory of the Hitt family and Parker Hitt’s service to the infantry and innovative work on U.S. military communications and more recent intelligence services in her lovingly detailed book. It is well worth reading.

Continue Reading the Full Review Here

If you are interested in World War II history, please consider reviewing Short Sunderland: The “Flying Porcupines” in the Second World War, by Andrew Hendrie.

Guidelines for getting involved in the NHF Book Review program can be found here,

and a list of titles available for review can be found here.

History in the Making: The U.S. Navy and the Ukrainian Crisis -- Select Links and Topics of Interest

We are currently witnessing history in the making with the situation involving the Russian invasion of Ukraine beginning last week. How does the U.S. Navy fit in? How are strategists, theorists, and journalists gauging the role of the U.S. Navy in any impending conflict? Here are several articles of note that seek to answer these questions as the situation progresses. Article opinions reflect those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect any stance by the Naval Historical Foundation.

• Ukrainian Grain Still Trapped By Russian Naval Blockade, Pentagon Says (USNI)
• U.S. Navy To Order Harpoon Coastal Defense Missiles From Boeing (Naval News)
• U.S. Navy Admiral Was Not Captured in Ukraine (AP News)
• Russia’s Nuclear Threat Inflation: Misguided and Dangerous (Just Security)
• With Food Crisis Looming, Milley Says Using Military to End Russian Blockade Would Be ‘High Risk’ (Defense News)
• Russia Trying to Win Out Ukraine Culture, Identity, Biden Tells Naval Academy Grads (UPI)

Appeal For Assistance

Captain John Hebert Dent Memorial Fund

By Fred M. Apgar

Gravesite at Bethel Cemetery in Jacksonboro, SC

We recently received an email from an individual asking for assistance in sprucing up the neglected gravesite of Captain John Hebert Dent, a naval officer that served during the Quasi-War, First Barbary War, and the War of 1812. He was the acting captain of USS Constitution during the attacks on Tripoli in 1804. Captain Dent is buried in a neglected plot in Jacksonboro, South Carolina, in Bethel Cemetery. His goal is to raise funds to better serve the memory of Captain Dent and his service to the United States. 

He writes: "Since your organization’s mission is to promote the rich history and heritage of the United States Navy, I thought you would like to join us in honoring Captain Dent. He was one of the Navy’s outstanding and respected officers, one who contributed so much to the legacy of the fledgling United States Navy and our emerging nation. I invite the Naval Historical Foundation to join us in honoring the memory of Captain John Hebert Dent."

You can read the full text of the appeal HERE. 

Lock and Lanyard from Dahlgren Rifled Boat Howitzer No. 300

By John L. Morris

A collector in Boston, MA, owns the firing lock for Dahlgren Boat Howitzer, rifled, registry number 300, made at the Washington Navy Yard in 1863. Firing locks made specifically for rifled Dahlgren boat howitzers are rare. The outstanding feature of this example is the presence of an original lanyard incorporating a very sophisticated, sailor-made spring knot. 

Why did the gunner go to so much trouble customizing a cannon lanyard? This remained a mystery to the author for many years until he encountered an undated, printed petition sent by Navy gunners to the Secretary of the Navy, John Y. Mason, ca. 1848.* It presented eighteen numbered improvements they deemed necessary, including No. 11 regarding locks: “11th. The percursion (sic) locks which have been introduced of late years require a heavy steady strong pull and seamen almost always give them a jerk the consequence is that they frequently miss fire the seamen should be well drilled to the use of there (sic) locks or they (the locks) should be discarded a percursion (sic) lock furnished with a strong spring (if practicable) would be much preferable.” Apparently the Dahlgren Boat Howitzers, developed by famed naval ordnance pioneer John A. Dahlgren beginning about 1848, shared some of the same difficulties with these earlier percussion firing locks. Therefore, an ingenious gunner produced the lanyard tied into a spring-knot so the pull that actually reached the lock would be similar to the desired pull described in the petition.

The lock pictured was originally part of a Dahlgren 3.4 inch rifled Boat Howitzer built at the Washington Navy Yard in 1863. Of 423 rifled boat howitzers made or purchased by the Navy during the Civil War, only 12 had steel vice the usual bronze barrels, and No. 300 was one of those. Registry No. 300 does not survive as far as we know, but an identical steel rifle, No. 298, is displayed at Portsmouth, VA Naval Shipyard. The few steel rifles were probably made as an experiment aimed at extending the life of the rifling. In the all-bronze guns, the 12-groove rifling had a very short life, perhaps allowing the firing of a few dozen rounds before the worn rifling would no longer spin the projectiles as required. The twist of the rifling was one full turn in only five feet, about twice as “fast” as comparable weapons, and this led to rapid loss of bronze inside the bore. The worn 3.4-inch bronze rifles were “bored up” to 4.62-inch smoothbore at the Washington Navy Yard, the standard caliber for the large number of Dahlgren 12-pounder “medium” boat howitzers then in service, and reissued.

* John A. Dahlgren papers, Box 21, Library of Congress

D-Day Tribute Ceremony To Be Held at Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center

6 June 2022 | 10:00 am

NHF Executive Director Will Be Featured Speaker

The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation, in partnership with the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, will host a special tribute ceremony at the Museum on the campus of Montclair State University. 

Moderated by Dean Karayanis, host of the "History Author Show," the program will feature a panel of military leaders and best-selling authors to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the D-Day allied invasion of Europe. Speakers will explore the human and emotional aspects of D-Day and roles played by Bob Feller and Yogi Berra while serving in the Navy. 

• Ray Mabus, 75th Secretary of the Navy
• Edward "Sonny” Masso, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
• Luke Epplin, Author of Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball
• Larry Berra, Son of Yogi Berra

Museum seating will be limited for the in-person event in Little Falls, New Jersey, but the program will be simulcast to an audience of active-duty military personnel, baseball followers, and Universities following the event. 

 Attendance is free but registration is required by visiting HERE. 

The Heroes of Midway

(American Veterans Center/YouTube)

Battle of Midway: "A Glorious Page in Our History"

(NHHC/YouTube)

Battle of Midway Video - 2018

(NHHC/YouTube)

This Day in Naval History - 2 June

(Produced by NHHC)