Henderson Field (East Midway)

Military consolidation and technological obsolescence. After WWII, the U.S. Navy focused on developing the airfield on neighboring Sand Island, which had longer, paved runways capable of handling larger, heavier jet aircraft. The shorter runways on Eastern Island were deemed insufficient for the needs of the post-war military, leading to its abandonment in favor of the superior facility.

The site of the former Henderson Field is now part of the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The island is a critical habitat for millions of seabirds, including the world's largest colony of Laysan albatrosses. The original runways, aircraft revetments, and some building foundations are still visible but are in a state of decay and are being slowly reclaimed by nature. The area is a protected historical landmark, and access to Eastern Island is heavily restricted to protect both the fragile ecosystem and the historical artifacts.

Henderson Field on Eastern Island holds immense historical significance as the primary U.S. airfield during the pivotal Battle of Midway in June 1942. Constructed in 1941, it was named in honor of Major Lofton R. Henderson, a Marine Corps aviator killed during the battle. During the conflict, it was the base for U.S. Marine, Navy, and Army Air Forces squadrons flying fighters (F2A Buffalo, F4F Wildcat), dive bombers (SBD Dauntless), and torpedo bombers (TBD Devastator, B-26 Marauder). The airfield was heavily attacked by Japanese forces on June 4, 1942, but the aircraft that managed to launch from this field played a crucial role in defending the atoll and locating the Japanese fleet, contributing directly to the American victory that turned the tide of the war in the Pacific.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Henderson Field on Eastern Island. Its status as a core part of a protected National Wildlife Refuge, the immense environmental impact a reopening would cause, the derelict state of the infrastructure, and the existence of the operational Henderson Field (ICAO: PMDY) on nearby Sand Island make its reactivation for aviation purposes infeasible and unnecessary.