If ever so pressed, I suppose I would have to say that I have two all-time favorite war films. The first is 1962's The Longest Day, a star studded account of D-Day, the invasion of the Axis powers’ vaunted “Fortress Europe” by the Allies on June 6, 1944. John Wayne leads a stellar cast in depicting this most significant of days upon which the whole outcome of the war in Europe, and arguably of World War Two itself, hinged.
The second is the 1976 classic, Midway, with an equally impressive ensemble cast, this time led by Charlton Heston. Just as in The Longest Day, the stars appearing herein are almost too numerous to list. Still, one performance stands out above the rest – at least in my mind. Hal Holbrook portrays Navy Captain Joseph Rochefort, a mid-level intelligence officer, whose small intelligence unit in Hawaii provided the analysis that ultimately led to the U.S. Naval victory in the Battle of Midway - itself, clearly the turning point of the Pacific war.
Much like Holbrook, the historical man he depicted, Rochefort, played a genuinely vital role in the United States’ victory over Japan in World War II. And yet, for quite a long time, Captain Rochefort’s heroics went virtually unrecognized. Indeed, he died an unsung hero some thirty one years after the war back in 1976.
Still, his naval career was significant, to say the least.
Back in 1929, the Navy sent three young officers, one of which was Rochefort, to Japan in order for them to spend three years becoming fluent in both Japanese language and culture. Later, in 1941, Rochefort was sent to Station Hypo at Pearl Harbor to lead a team of would-be code-breakers.
By the late spring of 1942, Rochefort believed he had sufficient evidence from intercepted Japanese radio traffic to convince Admiral Chester Nimitz, who headed the U.S.A.’s Pacific Naval forces, that two Japanese fleets of carriers and battleships were at sea on their way to attack Midway Island, situated some 1000 miles east of Hawaii. Sadly, top Navy officers of the day failed to accept Rochefort’s conclusions.
Undaunted, Rochefort and his team came up with a ploy designed to persuade their superiors. The U.S. base at Midway Island would send out a message to Navy Supply Services that the Midway desalination system was failing, and that there was a dearth of drinking water on the island as a result.
The Japanese took the bait, and immediately provided desalination materials to their landing forces. Clearly, Rochefort was right in his assertions. Midway Island was indeed the target of an impending invasion, in order that Japan could use it and its airfield as a staging base to then attack the Hawaiian Islands proper. The upshot of all of this was that Rochefort and his hard working team of code-breakers were vindicated.
Rochefort served the rest of his career with honor, but without ever once being recognized or awarded by the Navy for his contribution. Thankfully, that was all corrected by President Ronald Reagan some forty four years after Midway in 1986, when Rochefort was posthumously given the Distinguished Service Medal - that which he should have rightfully received years earlier.
I share all of this today, on Memorial Day, 2024, because Joseph Rochefort seems to me to be symbolic of untold myriads of men and women who have served this country, who have contributed to her well-being, who have sacrificed above and beyond the call of duty, and yet, who have gone for way too long without receiving any proper recognition.
Given this, I trust you will have have joined me this day in finding some way to provide some small portion of that long overdue recognition – even if it was nothing more than taking a moment to reflect on their service, and then to thank the Lord for their sacrifice.
But even if few have undertaken to do this, one thing remains true. All those who have ever faithfully served will be remembered by the Lord Himself on that day when all men and women’s works are judged.
The Bible affirms this when it reminds us in the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes (chapter 12, verse 14) that God will one day bring every single deed to light, be that deed self-serving and evil, or that deed self-sacrificing and good!
When this happens, no doubt, all who have ever faithfully served and sacrificed on behalf of God and country in the military will finally be given their great reward by the One who not only sees all, but Who also rewards all who faithfully and quietly serve both Him and their fellow man in this world.
MOVIE SOURCES:
The Longest Day:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056197/;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Longest_Day_(film);
Midway:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074899/;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_(1976_film).
NOTE: Midway was remade in 2019. Cf.:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6924650/;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_(2019_film).
STORY SOURCE:
Fay Vincent, “A Hero of Midway Finally Got His Due,” The Wally Street Journal (02-09-2023).
Available online in various places.
Cf.:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-hero-of-midway-finally-got-his-due-world-war-ii-japan-code-breakers-joseph-rochefort-pacific-radio-traffic-bait-11675959644?mod=opinion_major_pos5;
As well as:
https://www.northeastshooters.com/xen/threads/a-hero-of-midway-finally-got-his-due.447820/.
SEE ALSO:
https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2007/june/putting-midway-miracle-perspective;
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-14.htm.
The second is the 1976 classic, Midway, with an equally impressive ensemble cast, this time led by Charlton Heston. Just as in The Longest Day, the stars appearing herein are almost too numerous to list. Still, one performance stands out above the rest – at least in my mind. Hal Holbrook portrays Navy Captain Joseph Rochefort, a mid-level intelligence officer, whose small intelligence unit in Hawaii provided the analysis that ultimately led to the U.S. Naval victory in the Battle of Midway - itself, clearly the turning point of the Pacific war.
Much like Holbrook, the historical man he depicted, Rochefort, played a genuinely vital role in the United States’ victory over Japan in World War II. And yet, for quite a long time, Captain Rochefort’s heroics went virtually unrecognized. Indeed, he died an unsung hero some thirty one years after the war back in 1976.
Still, his naval career was significant, to say the least.
Back in 1929, the Navy sent three young officers, one of which was Rochefort, to Japan in order for them to spend three years becoming fluent in both Japanese language and culture. Later, in 1941, Rochefort was sent to Station Hypo at Pearl Harbor to lead a team of would-be code-breakers.
By the late spring of 1942, Rochefort believed he had sufficient evidence from intercepted Japanese radio traffic to convince Admiral Chester Nimitz, who headed the U.S.A.’s Pacific Naval forces, that two Japanese fleets of carriers and battleships were at sea on their way to attack Midway Island, situated some 1000 miles east of Hawaii. Sadly, top Navy officers of the day failed to accept Rochefort’s conclusions.
Undaunted, Rochefort and his team came up with a ploy designed to persuade their superiors. The U.S. base at Midway Island would send out a message to Navy Supply Services that the Midway desalination system was failing, and that there was a dearth of drinking water on the island as a result.
The Japanese took the bait, and immediately provided desalination materials to their landing forces. Clearly, Rochefort was right in his assertions. Midway Island was indeed the target of an impending invasion, in order that Japan could use it and its airfield as a staging base to then attack the Hawaiian Islands proper. The upshot of all of this was that Rochefort and his hard working team of code-breakers were vindicated.
Rochefort served the rest of his career with honor, but without ever once being recognized or awarded by the Navy for his contribution. Thankfully, that was all corrected by President Ronald Reagan some forty four years after Midway in 1986, when Rochefort was posthumously given the Distinguished Service Medal - that which he should have rightfully received years earlier.
I share all of this today, on Memorial Day, 2024, because Joseph Rochefort seems to me to be symbolic of untold myriads of men and women who have served this country, who have contributed to her well-being, who have sacrificed above and beyond the call of duty, and yet, who have gone for way too long without receiving any proper recognition.
Given this, I trust you will have have joined me this day in finding some way to provide some small portion of that long overdue recognition – even if it was nothing more than taking a moment to reflect on their service, and then to thank the Lord for their sacrifice.
But even if few have undertaken to do this, one thing remains true. All those who have ever faithfully served will be remembered by the Lord Himself on that day when all men and women’s works are judged.
The Bible affirms this when it reminds us in the Old Testament Book of Ecclesiastes (chapter 12, verse 14) that God will one day bring every single deed to light, be that deed self-serving and evil, or that deed self-sacrificing and good!
When this happens, no doubt, all who have ever faithfully served and sacrificed on behalf of God and country in the military will finally be given their great reward by the One who not only sees all, but Who also rewards all who faithfully and quietly serve both Him and their fellow man in this world.
MOVIE SOURCES:
The Longest Day:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056197/;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Longest_Day_(film);
Midway:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074899/;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_(1976_film).
NOTE: Midway was remade in 2019. Cf.:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6924650/;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_(2019_film).
STORY SOURCE:
Fay Vincent, “A Hero of Midway Finally Got His Due,” The Wally Street Journal (02-09-2023).
Available online in various places.
Cf.:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-hero-of-midway-finally-got-his-due-world-war-ii-japan-code-breakers-joseph-rochefort-pacific-radio-traffic-bait-11675959644?mod=opinion_major_pos5;
As well as:
https://www.northeastshooters.com/xen/threads/a-hero-of-midway-finally-got-his-due.447820/.
SEE ALSO:
https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2007/june/putting-midway-miracle-perspective;
SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/ecclesiastes/12-14.htm.