I was at Barbers Point NAS, and got orders to go to Midway. Had no idea where that was. Anyhow, arrived there during a rainstorm, and the trees from the air sort of resembled cedar trees as we landed. Didn't realize at the time I would be stationed there for around 16 months. I had turned 20 years old in Sept. This was approx. 47 years ago. Near the time I was scheduled to leave to be discharged, the Cuban missle crisis occured, and some duty tours were extented for 6 months. I did not fall in that group and departed Midway in 1962. After being discharged at T.I., my friend John Digges and I bought a 54 Ford in San Francisco and made it back to the farm in KY. Surprised my parents,and my brother and uncle were hoeing the weeds out of the tobacco crop. My brother got out of hoeing tobacco for a few days, and then I took John back home to Ohio, bought his share of the car, gave it to my dad, and he traded it and his car in on a better car. Time flys by, and as Mrs. Johnson used to say, "That's the way it goes".
Andy, I thot the birds started to arrive around Dec. 1, had their babies and then left around the end of May or June..................
During my stay there we did not see any at first. It was about three weeks later they started showing up. Every morning when we got up there were more and more to be seen every where. As I recall it was in May we were in "High Gear" with Gooney Birds.
Andy, I thot the birds started to arrive around Dec. 1, had their babies and then left around the end of May or June..................
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Fran Kraus - Midway Island 1968 - 1970
The BATTLE for MIDWAY ISLAND isn't over yet! "Sometimes private groups can do more than the federal government" Gale Norton, Head of fws, Parade Magazine 9/30/02
Was just thinking that is was 25 years ago on this month of March I reported to Midway. I remember it being a Thursday and we landed just in time for lunch at the chow hall. After as I recall we got a little tour of the island before we settled in our barracks of 578. We pretty much had the rest of the day off so I went and found the MARS station. Now we were the advance party of our command to get to Midway first so I was able to make contact with one of our other operators back in California to let him know we arrived safe and sound. The rest caught up with us two weeks later. Also at this time no Gooney birds to be seen anywhere. It was in April they started to appear.