The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a national wildlife refuge. From 1996 to 2001 the refuge was open to the public; it is now temporarily closed.
Midway Island visit
As a member of the 3rd MAW I was the squadron Corpsman for a Transpac to Guam to ferry and air refuel F-4's back from Viet Nam. We were there only for 3 hours or so and we landed to get some fuel and something to eat. One of the three C-130's hit a bird on landing and took off the antennae, but it could have been worse. I took several pictures of the Gooney birds on their nests on the rocks. It seemed like there was no one on the island but we did not know how big the island was. I wish I…
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Just wanted to share a photo with all you Midway sailors