Honoring Our U.S. Protectorates: Midway Islands...

Midway Islands are made from a coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean that are part of an unincorporated territory of the U.S. The islands only make up an area of 2.4 square miles. On July 5th, 1859, Captain N.C. Brooks sighted the islands when cruising by on his ship. He reported it and then claimed it for the U.S. under the Guano Islands Act of 1856. It was first named Middlebrooks, and then it changed to Brooks. It wasn't until 1867 when the island was formally annexed by the U.S. that the name was changed to Midway. In 1903, President Roosevelt put the U.S. Navy in control of the islands.

In 1903, Midway Islands also became one of the links in the very first transpacific submarine cable between Hawaii and Guam. It was also made into a transpacific airport and landing site for Pan Am Clippers in 1935 as a stop between San Francisco and Manila. In 1940, an air and submarine base was opened by the U.S. Navy. When World War II began, Japan fought for the island in the "Battle of Midway" from June 3-6, 1942. They lost navel pilots and first-line aircraft carriers, and this became a turning point in the war because of it. In 1947, the Midway Islands were no longer used for commercial airliners. However, during the Korean, Vietnam, and Cold Wars, it remained an active naval facility. By 1993, all military operations were shut down there, and the islands finally became a National Wildlife Refuge in 1996. Today, it is an island for the conservation and restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant life and habitats. What once housed over 5,000 people, now only houses 40 refuge staff members, volunteers, and special contractors.