Naval Air Facility Midway, also known as Naval Air Station Midway Island, served as a crucial U.S. Naval Air Station within the Midway Atoll, located at the northernmost point of the Hawaiian archipelago. Operating from 1941 until its closure on October 1, 1993, this facility played a significant role in trans-Pacific aviation and military operations throughout its existence. Its strategic location, roughly halfway between the United States and Japan,
made it an indispensable asset, particularly during periods of heightened international tension and conflict.
Early Development and World War II Significance
The Midway Atoll, comprising two small islets, Sand Island and Eastern Island, surrounded by a coral reef, was first discovered in 1859. Its military importance began to solidify when President Theodore Roosevelt placed it under Navy control in 1903. By the mid-1930s, the islands gained further prominence as a seaplane stop for Pan American Airways Clipper planes, leading to a growing Navy presence. Naval Air Station Midway Islands was officially established on Eastern Island in August 1941, just months before the United States entered World War II.
The base's critical role was immediately evident. On December 7, 1941, as part of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Midway base was bombarded by Japanese surface ships. This attack underscored the atoll's vulnerability and its strategic value, prompting a major buildup of U.S. Navy, Marine, and Army Air Corps squadrons. These forces were tasked with detecting and countering units of the Japanese fleet. The most pivotal moment in the facility's history came in mid-1942 when the Japanese attempted to invade the islands and destroy nearby U.S. carrier task forces. The ensuing Battle of Midway, fought from June 4-7, resulted in significant damage to most of the base. However, U.S. Navy carrier aircraft achieved a decisive victory, sinking four Japanese aircraft carriers and one cruiser, a turning point in the Pacific theater of the war.
Post-War Evolution and Cold War Operations
Following the Battle of Midway, efforts were made to expand the base's capabilities. A second airfield was developed on Sand Island, a project that involved extensive land reclamation techniques, more than doubling the island's size. This new airfield became a vital stopover for planes en route to the war zone and served as the origin for long-range strikes, such as the one on Wake Island by PB2Y Coronados. It also supported submarine war patrols that significantly impacted Japanese shipping.
Activity at Midway diminished after the war, leading to the abandonment of Eastern Island in 1945. The base was placed in caretaker status, and the Naval Air Station was disestablished on August 1, 1950. However, its strategic importance resurfaced during the Cold War. It was reestablished as Naval Air Facility Midway in July 1958, serving as a deployment site for land-based Navy WV-2 Warning Star (later redesignated EC-121K) aircraft, which performed airborne early warning barrier combat air patrol (BARCAP) missions. In the mid-1960s, NAF Midway became a crucial stop for transport aircraft supporting operations in Vietnam, leading to its redesignation as a Naval Air Station once more.
Secret Missions and Final Closure
In 1968, a significant, albeit secret, addition to the facility was made: a shore terminal for the Undersea Surveillance System (SOSUS). This terminal processed and displayed output from an array at sea using a Low Frequency Analyzer and Recorder (LOFAR). The mission of NAVFAC Midway's SOSUS operations remained classified until its decommissioning. Data from its arrays was eventually remoted, first to Naval Facility Barbers Point, Hawaii, in 1981, and then directly to the Naval Ocean Processing Facility (NOPF) Ford Island, Hawaii.
By 1970, Eastern Island was again vacated, this time designated as a wildlife sanctuary. After the Vietnam War, NAS Midway primarily functioned as a refueling stop and a base for occasional Navy patrol planes. In October 1978, its status was downgraded again to a naval air facility, and military dependents were sent back to Hawaii, with military personnel rotating through on unaccompanied remote or short-duration assignments. As the Cold War drew to a close, operations further dwindled. Naval Air Facility Midway was finally disestablished on October 1, 1993, pursuant to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Following its closure as a naval installation, the airfield on Sand Island reopened as a civilian airport under the name Henderson Field, with its site eventually transferred to the Department of the Interior and owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
