The Midway Islands are actually an atoll with three islets, Sand, Eastern, and Spit, on the southern end of a lagoon. Famous for the World War II Battle of Midway, today only about fifty people live on the atoll, who are mostly staff and contract workers of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and its tourism program has been suspended.
The atoll is situated about halfway between North America and Asia, which is what made it an important base during World War II. Hawaii is about 1,500 miles to the east-southeast of the Midway Islands.
Midway Atoll is part of a chain of atolls and volcanic islands that runs from Hawaii to the tip of the Aleutian Islands. Although its total land area is only 2.4 square miles, the atoll has more than 85,000 acres of reef area. It consists of a ring-shaped barrier reef and several sand islets, only three of which are significant enough to have names. Midway was once a shield volcano, and it is thought that it was once the size of Lana'i, the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. The weight of the lava flows building the island depressed the crust, and the island slowly subsided to its current size, and a coral reef formed.
Sand Island is by far the largest of the three islets, with a land mass of about 1,200 acres. Today, Sand Island has about twenty miles of roads and nearly five miles of pipelines, one port, and an airfield. Henderson Field, on Sand Island, is a public airport that is used as an emergency diversion point, and to provide access to the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
With a land mass of 334 acres, Eastern Island is much smaller than Sand. Located to the east of Sand and Spit, Eastern is home to a disused airfield that was in use during the Battle of Midway and is now part of the National Wildlife Refuge.
Also part of the Wildlife Refuge, Spit Island lies between Sand and Eastern. The island is small, with a land mass of only six acres.
The islands were probably visited by Polynesian people prior to their discovery by Europeans, but there is no evidence that they were inhabited for any length of time. The atoll was first sighted by Captain N.C. Middlebrooks in 1859, and named the Middlebrook Islands, and sometimes listed as the Brook Islands. Brooks claimed the islands for the United States, but they were not formally taken possession of until 1867, at which time the name was changed to Midway. The atoll was the first Pacific island annexed by the United States.
In 1871, the Pacific Mail Steamship Company began dredging a ship canal through the Midway's reef system using funds appropriated by the US Congress. The project was a failure. In 1903, employees of the Commercial Pacific Cable Company built housing structures on the islands to use as a base for stringing a trans-Pacific telegraph cable. While there, the workers introduced several species that were not indigenous to the island, including canaries, cycads, Norfolk island pine, coconut trees, and several deciduous trees, along with such pests as ants, centipedes, cockroaches, and termites.
In response to reports of Japanese squatters and poachers, the US Navy opened a radio station at Midway, later stationing twenty-one Marines on the island to protect the cable station and to discourage another country from claiming it. In 1935, Pan American Airlines began operations there for its Martin M-130 flying boats, which island-hopped from San Francisco to China.
At the onset of World War II, the location of the Midway Atoll became important to US military strategies. Initially, it served as a fuel stop for trans-Pacific flights. Even prior to the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Midway was viewed as second only to Pearl Harbor in importance for the protection of the West Coast of the United States mainland. The channel was widened, and Naval Air Station Midway was opened. Soon, Midway also became a significant submarine base. A Japanese submarine bombarded Midway in February of 1942. Four months later, the Battle of Midway began, in which the Japanese Navy suffered a devastating defeat. The Sand Island airfield was not constructed until after the Battle of Midway. In order to accomplish this, landfill more than doubled the size of Sand Island.
Midway was designated a National Wildlife Refuge in 1988, and the public was allowed to visit the atoll from 1996 to 2002. Another visitor program began in 2008 but was suspended in 2013 due to budget cuts. Currently, the island is under the jurisdiction of the US Department of the Interior, while the US Forest and Wildlife Service manages the refuge. It has since been designated as a national monument.
Recommended Resources
AirNav: Henderson Field Airport
Located on Sandy Island on Midway Atoll, Henderson Field is a public airport owned by the US Department of Fish & Wildlife Service, but with no local tower or on-site communications, and limited services. Airport operations, runway information, and airport operational statistics are published to the site. An aerial photograph of the field is presented, and an airport distance calculator is available.
http://www.airnav.com/airport/PMDY
Filmed on Midway Island over a period of several years, the documentary offers a clear environmental agenda, telling a story of tens of thousands of albatross chicks found dead on the ground, their bodies filled with plastic. Not yet released as of this writing, the website presents a teaser trailer and a full trailer for the film, along with an overview of the film project, contacts, and an invitation to join a mailing list in order to receive updates on the release of the film.
http://www.albatrossthefilm.com/
Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
Created for the purpose of supporting the Refuge in its efforts to preserve, protect and restore the biological diversity and historic resources on the three islands of Midway Atoll. FOMA’s site offers an overview of its projects and volunteer opportunities, outreach programs, and educational activities. The history of the Refuge, an overview of life on the atoll, a gallery of photographs, and an online shopping area are included.
https://www.friendsofmidway.org/
Maintained by the United States Government Accountability Office, the site presents reports on the Department of the Interior's US Fish & Wildlife Service operations funding for the Midway Islands, and specifically the Midway Atoll. The government's maintenance of facilities on the islands are discussed, along with challenges relating to personnel, infrastructure, supplies and access to the region, including recommendations.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-382
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial
Maintained by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System, the site offers information about the wildlife and habitat of the Midway Atoll and other islands, including the various seasons of wildlife on the islands, and general information about the refuge. Fee schedules, agency partners, and contractors are identified, and contacts are posted to the site.
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/midway_atoll/
Midway Atoll with Elston and Jackline Hill
Elston and Jackline Hill were on Midway Atoll from March 22 to April 1, 2010, and this site documents their time on the islands and offers several photographs. Included are photos and comments about the Laysan Albatross, the Black-Footed Albatross, White Terns, Pacific Golden Plovers, and several other tropical birds that were on the island, as well as Monk Seals, Green Turtles, and Spinner Dolphins.
http://www.elstonhill.com/Midway.html
The site offers thousands of photos of the islands of Midway Atoll, including aerial photography, pictures of boats and ships, events, and various locations on the islands, as well as historic photos. A historical account is included, along with various reports, orders, documents and media quotes, editorials, and quotes from former residents, visitors, servicemen, and others who have spent time on the islands.
http://www.midway-island.com/
Hosted by Active Board, the online discussion forum is focused on Midway Islands. Topics include the ground rules for participation in discussions, an area for a friendly chat between friends of Midway, or of any subjects relating to the atoll. Those who served on Midway Island while doing service in the US Navy can find old shipmates or post photos of the islands. Registration is required for participation.
http://midwayisland.activeboard.com/
My Midway Island Tour: 1965-1966
Created by a Maryland resident who spent a year on Midway Atoll while in the United States Navy. His site features maps and photographs depicting the islands or scenes on the islands, such as the Navy compound there, and of some of the birds and other wildlife that can be found on the atoll. He also discusses the role that the island played in World War II and its current role as a National Wildlife Refuge.
http://midway.daveylee.net/
Written by Pete Leary, who served with the US Fish & Wildlife Service at Midway Atoll for one year, and then for another few years at another time, that time as the Wildlife Biologist. Writing not as an employee, he writes about his days there and includes several photographs of the three islands on the atoll, including a generous amount of personal feelings and recollections. A profile of the author is included.
http://peteatmidway.blogspot.com/
World Facebook: Midway Islands
The Midway Islands are shown on a map that includes the location of its airfields and other features. Created and maintained by the United States Central Intelligence Agency, the resource includes an introduction and brief history of the islands, its geographical features, past inhabitation, current governance, and transportation options, along with a discussion of international issues and security.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mq.html
