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As part of the Flags Across America initiative for America’s 250th anniversary, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is sharing stories from the places where our commemorative flags have traveled. From historic hatcheries to vibrant refuges, each stop celebrates conservation as an enduring American value. Join us as we highlight the lands, waters, and wildlife that connect our nation’s past, present, and future.
The Battle of Midway was one of the most decisive battles of World War II, so Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge makes a great and historic stop for the flags. Before 2025 ended, the flags arrived and were posted on the refuge.
From 1941 until 1993, Midway housed a military base. It became a full-fledged national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge in 1996, and in 2000 Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge was designated the Battle of Midway National Memorial.
Over three days, from June 4-7,1942, American forces laid their lives on the line against a Japanese attack at the Battle of Midway. They triumphed against seemingly impossible odds during the battle in which the Americans were outnumbered and outgunned.
Six months before that, in the wake of Pearl Harbor, Japan attacked Midway on Dec. 7, 1941. Heroism and sacrifice fended off the enemy. First Lieutenant George Cannon, who died from wounds suffered then, was the first Marine to earn the Congressional Medal of Honor in WWII.
Midway now rings with the sound of birds, not battle. Nearly 3 million birds nest on Midway Atoll throughout the year, including the world's largest population of albatrosses – Laysan, black-footed, and short-tailed – as well as many other seabird species. In fact, one Hawaiian name for Midway Atoll is Pihemanu, which means “the loud din of birds.”
One of those Laysan albatrosses is Wisdom, perhaps the world’s most famous bird and definitely its oldest known wild bird, at an approximate age of 75. She’s estimated to have produced 50-60 eggs and 30 chicks that fledged in her lifetime.
Marine Sgt. First Class Edgar R. Fox and Col. John F. Miniclier (seen at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge during the 75th anniversary of Battle of Midway commemoration in 2017) both fought in the battle and found the birds wonderful when they visited the refuge in 2012.
Referring to the abundance of birds, “Maybe it’s a symbol of an era of peace,” remarked Sgt. Fox then. In June 2022, he returned to Midway, as an honored guest at the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Midway ceremonies at the refuge and at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Sgt. Fox shared additional thoughts on Midway and his military service during an FWS interview before he passed away in 2024.
Col. Miniclier, who passed in 2025 and was the last survivor of the Battle of Midway, added, “I think what’s happened here is pretty spectacular.”
Midway Atoll's islands are attractive to birds because they provide a virtually predator-free haven for the nesting colonies. It wasn’t always so.
Rats, for instance, were major problems. Whether hitchhiking with the first Polynesian explorers, guano traders, or military vessels, rats found their way to the islands.
Once there, they ate whatever was available from bird eggs and insects to plants and seeds. With no native predators in Hawai‘i and the Pacific Islands, nesting seabirds have lost behavioral adaptations to defend themselves against predators, so the invader rats threatened Midway’s native species.
The U.S. Navy funded a rat eradication project in 1995, and we worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (APHIS-Wildlife Services) to eradicate rats. Midway was declared rat-free in 1996.
Staff at the refuge have also been dealing with invasive plants, removing non-native plants and stabilizing areas with native species. The endangered loulu palm and pōpolo have been reintroduced. Ironwood trees and golden crownbeard have been mostly removed, but many other invasives remain.
The work paid off for Sgt. Fox, who returned to the refuge numerous times to honor the heroism and sacrifice of those who fought in the battle.
“I really can’t think of a better use of the place,” he said. “The refuge is a great monument to the people who passed here.”
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial is currently closed to public visitation, so be sure to check out the virtual experiences.
Next up, we follow the flags to Guam National Wildlife Refuge, which conserves the endangered green sea turtle and Mariana fruit bat. Stay tuned for the next chapter on this historic tour!
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