Coral Sea

On 4 May 1942, the Battle of the Coral Sea began, in the waters southwest of the Solomon Islands and eastward from New Guinea. This was the first Naval battle fought at sea where the opposing ships never saw each other. It was also the first battle fought between opposing aircraft carriers.

U.S. Naval forces lost an aircraft carrier USS Lexington, and the USS Yorktown was badly damaged. The U.S. also lost one destroyer, an oilier, 69 aircraft, and 656 American lives.

Tactically, the Japanese claimed victory, but operationally it set them up for failure later the next month at Midway, and also blocked their attempt at invading Port Moresby. Had Port Morseby in New Guinea fell, Australia could have been cut off from the Pacific campaign.

Two months later the Allied forces took advantage of Japan's vulnerability in the South Pacific and launched the Guadalcanal campaign along with the New Guinea campaign. This started our island hopping toward Japan itself, and the end of the Pacific war.

Today we sit and face the battle to save our Gulf of Mexico, from the onset of spreading crude oil. It is heart breaking to see and even harder to stop. My deepest prayers go out to all of you involved in the containment and clean up process. God speed.

Old Chief Sends,