Month: June 2023

Source: United States Navy

Below is a transcript of the remarks as delivered:

Good morning. Ladies and gentlemen, proud veterans of Honor Flight from Kansas who are with us today, other veterans, distinguished guests, family, friends, shipmates.  Welcome, thank you, all of you, for joining us today and for being part of this very special ceremony to commemorate one of the most significant chapters in the history of our Navy … and of our nation.

I’d like to thank [Rear] Adm. Lacore for arranging this this morning. I’d like to thank Mr. [Frank] Thorpe and the Navy Memorial for hosting. For those of us in uniform, it is our duty to remember Midway. It is our duty to be here this morning, and quite fitting in this place across the street from the National Archives, where sits the constitution of the country to which we take a sacred oath.

In the Navy, every single one of us wearing a uniform, whether you’re a deck seaman, or whether you’re an admiral, every one of us lives by a creed – the Sailor’s Creed.  It’s a statement of our identity, our standards, and our values.  It articulates the very essence of who we are … and what we believe.

The third sentence of The Sailor’s Creed says this: “I represent the fighting spirit of the United States Navy and those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world.” 

This morning, as we commemorate the 81st anniversary of the Battle of Midway, I can think of no better occasion to reflect on the fighting spirit of all Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who went before us to defend freedom and democracy during those pivotal days in June of 1942.

The scale of that Battle is difficult to imagine.  All told, the United States Navy sent 360 airplanes, 16 submarines, 15 destroyers, 8 cruisers, and 3 aircraft carriers into combat.  And still, we were outnumbered.  We faced a numerically superior, and more technically advanced, and seemingly unstoppable adversary force.  So what was it that carried that day and allowed us to overcome the odds and achieve victory?  I submit to you – it was the fighting spirit of the Navy.

In one of those 360 airplanes was Ens. George Henry Gay, part of Torpedo Squadron Eight.  He flew courageously into harm’s way with no thought for his own life. He delivered an effective torpedo attack against an enemy carrier while flying directly into a barrage of anti-aircraft fire … and while knowing he didn’t have enough fuel to return to his own carrier.  His extraordinary heroism represents the fighting spirit of the United States Navy.

Onboard one of those carriers, the USS Yorktown, was 37-year-old Chief Water Tender Charles Kleinsmith.  After a deadly torpedo attack on Yorktown, he bravely led a six-man crew inside the carrier’s only undamaged boiler.  Despite the heat, the noxious flames, and the fumes, and the fear of imminent explosions, he and his team kept the boiler operating.  Their brave efforts enabled USS Yorktown to go from dead in the water to 20-plus knots. That was just fast enough to launch fighters that defended the ship, and save thousands of lives.  His fearlessness and his courage represent the fighting spirit of the United States Navy.

And back on Pearl Harbor, in a secret building, a determined team of code-breakers, linguists, and radio traffic analysts deciphered Imperial Japanese plans for their attack on Midway Island.  In discerning the enemy’s plans, they gave United States forces a decisive advantage, allowing Nimitz to gain, and regain, the initiative and turn the tide of the War in the Pacific.  Their tenacity, and their resolve, also represent our fighting spirit.

Their stories – and the stories of countless others – offer us many lessons if we are willing to listen and to learn from them. 

First, Midway teaches us about the significance of professional competency in everything we do. 

Whether it was flying or firefighting, marksmanship or maintenance, the mastery of everything from basic fundamentals, to high-end maneuvers, led U.S. Naval forces to victory.  Eighty-one later, professional competency remains the hallmark of successful performance.

Second, Midway also teaches us about the power of resilience.  It’s important to remember that the Battle of Midway – as the moderator mentioned – took place just six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  Following that Day of Infamy, our Navy did not crumble, and we did not capitulate.  We steeled our resolve, we gathered our strength, and we fought back.  Pearl Harbor posed the question – how would the United States respond?  Midway delivered the emphatic answer.   

And third, Midway reminds us of the exemplary commitment displayed by so many.  I think about this as I reflect upon the story, and share the dais this morning, with Chief Petty Officer Bill Norberg … who is here to my right.  Chief Norberg served onboard Enterprise and was involved in almost every major battle of the Pacific, including Midway.  He was the “Captain’s Yeoman,” his battle station was on the bridge, and from that perch he saw it all. From torpedo strikes to kamikaze attacks, battle after battle, Chief stood the watch. He never once asked to leave the ship that saw as much action as any ship in the War in the Pacific.  Chief, we are honored by your presence today, and by the example that you continue to provide for all of us. 

[Applause]

And I’ll just thank you for that applause. And I’ll just say this about Chief – as you would expect, he is as humble as the day is long.

Let us all think again about those words of The Sailor’s Creed:  “I represent the fighting spirit of the United States Navy, and those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world.” 

As we think about the stories of Midway, as we think about the warriors who served before us, let us be worthy of those words.  Let us rededicate ourselves to the ideals for which they lived and they died.  Let us carry on their fighting spirit … with honor, with courage, and commitment.

Thank you all so very much … and may God bless you.

Source: United States Navy

Cmdr. Applebaugh served as commanding officer since October 2022. Capt. Scott Rosetti will be temporarily assigned as commanding officer until permanent relief, Cmdr. Desmond Walker, takes command.

Cmdr. Applebaugh will be temporarily reassigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic. There is no impact to the command’s mission or schedule due to the relief.

The 5th Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, Stout is homeported in Norfolk and named after Rear Adm. Herald F. Stout.

For questions related to this release, contact Naval Surface Force Atlantic Public Affairs at 757-836-3330 (office) or david.j.carter9.mil@us.navy.mil.

Source: United States Navy

In accordance with international law, USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) and HMCS Montreal (FFH 336) conducted a routine south to north Taiwan Strait transit June 3 through waters where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply. During the transit, PLA(N) LUYANG III DDG 132 (PRC LY 132) executed maneuvers in an unsafe manner in the vicinity of Chung-Hoon. The PRC LY 132 overtook Chung-Hoon on their port side and crossed their bow at 150 yards. Chung-Hoon maintained course and slowed to 10 kts to avoid a collision. The PRC LY 132 crossed Chung-Hoon’s bow a second time starboard to port at 2,000 yards and remained off Chung-Hoon’s port bow. The LY 132’s closest point of approach was 150 yards and its actions violated the maritime ‘Rules of the Road’ of safe passage in international waters.