June 4 - 6, 1942

[MichaelS]

Midway

All my life I have built models. Much of my inspiration has come from the living history I grew up in in the 1950’s and 60’s. My Father, my Uncles and all of our neighbors were the real “heroes” of WWII. Even the mothers who had worked in the factories and “kept the home fires burning”.

This era cannot imagine the fear and uncertainty of those first six months of WWII for the US. The Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor was ten times bigger than September 11th. The war in Europe was all but lost. The newspapers were filled with nothing but maps and stories of Japanese advances and German victories.

On April 18, 1942 Jimmy Doolittle and his “Raiders” gave this country its first victory and brought about the first of a long string of Japanese defeats. As Admiral Yamamoto looked out his window as B-25’s flew past he came to the conclusion that Japan had to expand its borders even more. He began planning the invasion of Midway.

Anyone who cares at all about their country will take the time to learn about those desperate times. Torpedo Eight. The Vindicators flying off Midway Island never to return. The SBD’s tipping over for that long dive into absolute hell.

These pictures are my attempt to capture and remember those days. All of these airplanes were pretty much obsolescent. BUT the men flying them had a “fire in their bellies” that made the inadequacy of their airplanes irrelevant.

Please look past the fact that these are just models. Realize that what I have tried to do is give the world some memories of what that time was. The men at Midway are important to all of us. Even those who don’t care.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/sdrVNthdab8AYM0q2

[Rubenandres77]

Nice models. Your skills in plastics were very good actually.
Good painting and detailing.

[MichaelS]

I really don't mean to chastise anyone here but this post is not about my models. It is about a very important time in the world's history. A time that we MUST NOT forget.

You here are all my brothers and I hope you understand what I am trying to say. Once again my apologies to Ruben if you thought I was criticizing you.

[PacificWind]

Thanks for starting this thread.


I think it's our obligation to remind about all these important, heroic events in the history...


Today we have a 76th anniversary of the Battle of Midway and I'd like to share with you my recolored TBD Devastator flown by Ens. G. Gay during this battle. Of course, it's available in our downloads section.


And here's my thread about this Devastator:

1/100 TBD Devastator - Battle of Midway, June 1942 (NOBI, PacificWind's Recolors)

[Thumb Dog]

Hi All,

And hi, MichaelS. Well said and well modeled, too. Even though I was born seven years after VJ Day, I grew up hearing about the war from my parents and their friends who both lived through and participated in it. I wish people younger than I would take more interest in the history of the war and its repercussions, as they continue to have so much meaning in our daily lives. But, it's hard to pass along these lessons to our glaze-eyed youth.

Again, well done, and here's to Ensign Gay and all his brothers and sisters who fought the good fight, and won.

Score and fold,

Thumb Dog

[MichaelS]

I have just realized that there are many friends here who live in Eastern Europe and have a dreadful history all their own. Please know that I and others are aware of what you and your families suffered through.

Someday this world will be just one giant happy nation. I know I will probably not live to see it but I am so glad that I lived to see the fall of that hideous Wall in Berlin.

MS.

[Vinalssergio155]

Hopefully one day this last thing you say can be achieved, although it is in our nature to kill us for whatever, and despite everything that happened in the history of humanity we never seem to learn that wars only bring destruction, suffering and misery, perhaps Someday we learn this. My respects to all those who have suffered and today suffer for this, wherever they may be, race, creed or religion. My most sincere respects.

[Don Boose]

Many thanks for this great tribute, Michael. I admired your craftsmanship, enjoyed seeing all these beautifully-built models of ships and aircraft that I grew up knowing about and loving, and took the opportunity to think about that historic and, for many, tragic week of history.

As it turns out, I will be spending the period of Midway week reading and evaluating essays on various aspects of the Pacific War by my U.S. Army War College students. None wrote directly on the Battle of Midway, but they are nonetheless interesting and important topics: The U.S. decision to divide the Pacific into two separate theaters, the U.S. and Japanese decisions that led to the Battle of the Coral Sea, the influence of Admiral Yamamoto on Japanese strategy, General MacArthur's decision to bypass Japanese forces at Hansa Bay and Wewak and land at Hollandia and Aitape in New Guinea, the U.S. decision to land at Leyte in October 1944, the U.S. decision to conduct a strategic air offensive against Japan, the XXI Bomber Command decision to begin low-level area firebombing of Japanese cities, and the decision by U.S. President Harry Truman to employ the atomic bomb. A lot to think about.

Don

[Rubenandres77]

Originally Posted by MichaelS

I really don't mean to chastise anyone here but this post is not about my models. It is about a very important time in the world's history. A time that we MUST NOT forget.

You here are all my brothers and I hope you understand what I am trying to say. Once again my apologies to Ruben if you thought I was criticizing you.

I never thought that, Michael. I understand what you intend.
Please understand that being born in another country which was not directly involved in a "global" event, and in another different time, my relationship with WWII (and any specific event of it) is seen from a quite different perspective, and hence valued very differently too. In that sense I can intellectually understand the value of a battle and its outcome, but may be emotionally detached from it, while at the same time consider the loss of lives on either side also under a different light that not usually coincides with that of people from the participating countries. Thing is I see those deaths as equally devastating for families in each country (and also a pity to humanity) since the fallen where usually just pawns of the games the powers that be played.

Now, I remember watching a documentary on Midway on History Channel (very long ago, when History Channel was still about history and not aliens and used nostalgic junk). What struck me the most was not the victory over the islands (which in a way was expected). What really was chilling to see was the testimony of one of the gunners of a US destroyer narrating how, in the middle of one of the fierce moments of those days, one of his young fellows manning a machine gun just lost his mind after several hours of heavy fight shooting enemy airplanes, suddenly went crazy, and just jumped overboard into the sea never to be seen again. That is painfully poignant. And I left wondering how many more undocumented cases of young men losing all hope in the different fronts in every side of the lines happened in similar ways. I've never found that documentary again, and have not found any reference to that specific anecdote again in any place on the web. But is one of those things that remain in the memory. And that madness is not exclusive to WWII: it happens everywhere everytime in each country's own internal fights. In that sense, countries may win many armed conflicts. But as long as the sanity and lives of the common people is not saved, the world will not have advanced much.

[MichaelS]

Thanks Ruben. Please reread this thread. I tried in my feeble way to make sure that I realize all that all the rest of the world struggled through those years and the many to follow as well.