A Wee Bit of History

Here is an aerial photo of Midway Atoll. Sand island is where we live.

In the early 1900's Sand Island was used as a relay station for the Pacific Cable Company. While the Cable company was on island, they reported Japanese collecting feathers and eggs of the Albatross. In 1903, President T. Roosevelt placed Midway Islands under the jurisdiction of the the Navy to stop the "wanton destruction of birds that breed on Midway".

Then, in the 1930's Pan American World Airways tried to create a resort here. It seemed to be successful until the onset of World War II.

What Midway is most famous for is it's part in World War II.

Sand Island is where the naval base was during the war up until 1992 . It housed up to 5,000 people. There are many buildings on the island, some dating as far back as the Cable days. Several of the buildings have been condemned and are just slowly disintegrating. In 1996, the Fish and Wildlife Service took control and it is now a National Wildlife Refuge.

Eastern island is where the original landing strip was for use by the Navy during the war. On Eastern there are several remnants from the war. We saw Turrets and bunkers. there is also a monument or two commemorating the lives lost here.