re: Japanese ask for USMC to fly F-35 jets from deck of the Kaga. Same name as CV we sunk

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Americans are oblivious to the degree of enthusiasm the average Japanese person on the street has for America . They are more pro- American than America is. Of course they don’t have Democrats.

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The Japanese people I worked with loved it here. They hated being transferred back to Japan.

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The 4 Pearl Harbor Carriers were the Kaga, Akagi, Soryu and Hiryu.

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Were they really? I ask because it is a fact that the 4 Japanese Carriers sunk at the battle of Midway were the Hiryu, Soryu, Kaga and Akagi.

Battle of Midway is frankly the most fascinating battle in WWII and maybe all of history.

How it all unfolded was basically a miracle for the US.

We routed them despite every dive bomber we sent initially to their Carriers was shot down.

We had the element of surprise with information about their plans but still were outmatched.

The battle was less than 7-9 months away from Pearl Harbor where most of our fleet was destroyed.

Japanese at that time had the greatest Navy in the world.

We had pilots who had never seen action and just graduated from flight school.

“The most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare”
— John Keegan, Miltary Historian

“They had no right to win. Yet they did, and in doing
so they changed the course of a war. More than that, they
added a new name – Midway – to that small list that inspires
men by example, like Marathon, the Armada, the Marne.
Even against the greatest odds, there is something in the
human spirit – a magic blend of skill, faith and valor – that
can lift men from certain defeat to incredible victory.”
— Walter Lord

We destroyed the Japanese Navy barely into the war with a makeshift Navy ourselves and green pilots.

VS-6 at Midway

First Division
6-B-1
Lt. R.H. Best
MURRAY, J.F., ACRM(PA)
6-B-2
Lt(jg) E.J. Kroeger
HALTERMAN, G.W.,RM3c
6-B-3
Ensign F.T. Weber
HILBERT, E.L.,AOM3c

6-B-5
Lt(jg) W.E. Roberts
STEINMAN, W.B.,AMM1c
6-B-6
Ensign D.W. Halsey
JENKINS, J.W.,RM3c

Second Division
6-B-7
Lt. J.R. Penland
HEARD, H.F.,ARM2c
6-B-8
Ensign T.F. Schneider
HOLDEN, G.L.,ARM2c
6-B-9
Ensign E.A. Greene
MUNTEAN, S.A.,RM3c

6-B-11
Ensign T.W. Ramsay
DUNCAN, S.L., ARM2c
6-B-12
Ensign L.A. Hopkins
ANDERSON, E.R., RM3c

Third Division
6-B-13
Lt(jg) J.J. Van Buren
NELSON, H.W.,JR., ARM1c
6-B-14
Ensign N.F. Vandivier
KEANEY, L.E.J., Sea1c
6-B-15
Ensign G.H. Goldsmith
PATTERSON, J.W.,JR., ARM3c

6-B-16
Lt(jg) E.L. Anderson
MASON, S.J.,JR., ARM2c
6-B-18
Ensign B.S. Varian, jr.
YOUNG C.R., ARM3c

Only
6-b-1
6-b-2
6-b-3
6-b-12
6-b-16

Returned to the Enterprise

Summarizing, five planes out of fifteen returned; the personnel of four other planes were rescued; the personnel of six planes are unaccounted for. One of the five planes which returned, 6-B-16, was so badly damaged by shrapnel and machine gun fire that it could not be flown on subsequent attacks.


VB-6 report is hard to find.

Best sinks the Akagi with his 1000 pound Bomb.

I have Commander Best autograph in my collection and a written report by him on the first attack at Midway.

In the early 1990's there was a huge push for him to be awarded the CMOH for his actions that day, and this is righty so; if he does not hit the Akagi the Japanese could have turned the tide of the battle in their favor.

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Japanese at the time had the greatest Navy in the world.

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I didn't realize how bad we broke Japan until I saw the 2016 movie "Shin Godzilla".

While Godzilla is destroying a city and its people are dying, Japanese government leaders are downright refusing to defend themselves (at first) with military action because it would technically be considered "an act of war" which they haven't engaged in since WW2. When the leaders reluctantly give in to bombing Godzilla, they are portrayed as grieving over the decision to fight back.

They are truly broken.

Yes Vietnam is one of China’s oldest enemies. Right after we left, the Vietnamese fought a war against the chicoms.

It’s considered a tragedy over there that the Vietnam war even happened. They have asked us in the last 20 years to make a US naval base near Hanoi, several times.

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They have asked us in the last 20 years to make a US naval base near Hanoi, several times.

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Cam Rahn Bay

More like a wonderful alliance that was forged in fire, and the rebirth of the IJN. China should fear this.