Remembering men who made history ... and looking towards history to come

There's a bunch of PLAN (People's Liberation Army Navy) sub skippers and H-6 pilots with pictures of US carriers under their beds.

As this is Memorial Day weekend I thought to recall the massive contributions of some Naval Aviators and aircrews who died in the Battle of Midway.  That single battle turned history in the Pacific around and Japan never recovered their initiative thru VJ day.

80 years ago next year.  And yet, as I met some who flew the planes during that era, including aces Boyington and McCampbell, and, in truth, some of the planes still flown when I was a midshipman weren't visibly far removed from the TBMs of the day (the A-1E and S-2E particularly) it wasn't so remote at the time.  My first CO was a blimp pilot, my first Admiral an F-4U Corsair pilot.

Perhaps unsurprisingly I am not alone in my interest in the Battle of Midway.  

https://nationalinterest.org/print/feature/what-china-learned-americas-biggest-world-war-two-naval-16452 

The author, an academic at the Navy War College, points out Chinese analysis focused on, among other things: the decisive role of U.S. codebreakers (today that's called 'information warfare'),  military leadership culture, and the ineffective employment of the Japanese submarine force.

Probably the key aspects I would focus on as well.  

Which makes one wonder ...

Can we assume our codes are secure from ChiCom code breakers and spys?  We'd be damm fools if we didn't presume our traffic is read real time in Bejing and PLAN Fleet HQs.  Military Research Lab directors, when briefed by CIA in the '90s on PLA research lab activity concluded their penetration of our most secret labs was, I quote, "total".  So they have our codes and their agents probably helped design the crypto and comms gear.

Is our leadership culture ready to lead trained killers into battle and to combat success?  Hell no.  SECDEF Austin is a wrecking ball conducting a Stalinesque purge of patriots and serious warriors which will leave us as prepared to fight China at sea as Stalin's fresh, PC leaders were to meet Guderian.

As for how the PLAN intends to incorporate it's submarine forces into an anti-carrier battlegroup engagement, I've already described their close study and adoption, with improvements, of the Soviet Navy's integrated anti-carrier strategy.  A strategy that evidently includes nuclear armed anti-ship ballistic missiles in lieu of the Soviet's nuclear AS-4 missile armed Backfire bombers.

So.  Xi's Admirals and ship and submarine COs are studying the battle of Midway.

What is our, oh so PC Navy studying? from https://www.dodreads.com/product/purchase-the-navy-reading-list/

1. EGO IS THE ENEMY: By Ryan Holiday
2. HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST: By Ibram X. Kendi
3. THE DICHOTOMY OF LEADERSHIP: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win By Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
4. TINY HABITS: The Small Changes That Change Everything By BJ Fogg
5. WE CAN’T TALK ABOUT THAT AT WORK!: How to Talk about Race, Religion, Politics, and Other Polarizing Topics By Mary-Frances Winters
6. A TACTICAL ETHIC: Moral Conduct in the Insurgent Battlespace By Dick Couch
7. FED UP: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward By Gemma Hartley
8. MILITARY ETHICS: What Everyone Needs to Know By George Lucas
9. SEXUAL MINORITIES AND POLITICS: By Jason Pierceson

All of which is total marxist crap.  

God bless our honored dead.