Part IV - Remembering the Battle of Midway

In the final segment of Remembering the Battle of Midway, you will hear a first-hand account of the Battle of Midway from Rear Adm. Joseph M. Worthington, who was the commanding officer of the USS Benham during the battle. Worthington discussed his participation in Midway in an oral interview with the U.S. Naval Institute in the spring of 1972. Worthington recalls the hours leading up to Midway, the sinking of Yorktown, and finally to the end of the battle. The American victory at Midway was a combination of courage, skill, and luck. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Chester Nimitz' audacious big gamble paid off. And even with the loss of the U.S. aircraft carrier Yorktown, and the sinking of several Imperial Japanese Navy carriers over the course of the battle, Midway provided a vivid illustration of how crucial naval air power was becoming in warfare at sea. "Remember Midway" was on the lips of all Americans from late spring 1942 until the end of the war more than three years later. Courtesy of U.S. Naval Institute Oral History Program.