USS YORKTOWN CV-5 crew members attend reunion 73 years after historic naval battle
MOUNT PLEASANT, SC (April 21, 2016) – Four veterans who fought aboard the USS YORKTOWN CV-5 during the iconic World War II Battle of Midway will share their memories of the attack and the sinking of their ship during a free program hosted by the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum at 7 p.m. on April 28.
Commissioned in 1937, the USS YORKTOWN CV-5 was the fifth aircraft carrier constructed by the United States. In 1942, just months after the attack at Pearl Harbor, the carrier served as the central ship of Task Force 17 during the Battle of Midway, where it was struck and sunk by three Japanese bombs and four torpedoes. The four former crew members will discuss that attack and their rescue during the Patriots Point symposium titled Mayday at Midway. Several of the men spent hours floating in the ocean while covered in oil.
“The Battle of Midway was a major turning point in World War II for the U.S. Navy,” said Patriots Point executive director Mac Burdette. “When people think of iconic naval battles, they think of Midway. It’s extremely rare to meet and hear from the heroes who fought in it. Most of those men are gone now. We hope the community takes advantage of this unique opportunity to walk in the steps of real heroes.”
Mayday at Midway is part of Patriots Point’s “Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things” education series. The program will be held inside the climate-controlled Smokey Stover Theater aboard the USS YORKTOWN CV-10, which was named in honor of the USS YORKTOWN CV-5 not long after the ship sank. Admission and parking are both free.
About Patriots PointPatriots Point, on the Charleston Harbor in Mount Pleasant, S.C., is home of Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum and a fleet of National Historic Landmark ships, and the only Vietnam Support Base Camp in the U.S. Patriots Point is also headquarters to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the agency’s official Medal of Honor Museum. Visit www.patriotspoint.org for more details, or find us at @patriots_point on Twitter and Instagram, and Facebook at www.facebook.com/PatriotsPoint.org.Established in 2013, the USS Yorktown Foundation is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to raising funds that enhance the educational programs and museum plan of Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum. The Foundation’s mission is to cultivate a unique learning environment that connects generations by celebrating America’s history and its heroes, inspiring freedom, patriotism, leadership and service. For more information, visit www.USSYorktownFoundation.org.