WILLIAMSVILLE — A Williamsville native and Leland & Gray Union High School graduate, Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Stover, is serving in the U.S. Navy as a member of the Navy Information Operations Command in historic Pearl Harbor during the 75th commemoration of the Battle of Midway.
Stover works as an NIOC Cryptologic Technician Networks specialist supporting real-world strategic intelligence missions primarily in support of U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command.
The work done at their operations center remains as important today is it did in turning the tide of war in the Pacific 75 years ago.
Following the Dec. 7 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the Navy and nation relied on the U.S. Navy “Station HYPO” code breakers in Hawaii, who deciphered the Japanese messages ahead of the Battle of Midway from June 4-7, 1942.
Armed with critical insight about Japanese battle plans, Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Chester Nimitz dispatched three American carriers to surprise the Japanese force at the atoll named for being “midway” in the Pacific. The U.S. Navy sank the four enemy carriers, while losing one of their own.
The victory turned the tide in the war, and is widely considered the most important victory in the U.S. Navy's history.
“Our job is to maintain superiority in the intelligence community and stay one step ahead of our adversaries,” Stover said.
“I am very proud of our nearly 2,000 officers, chiefs, sailors, and Department of the Navy civilians at Navy Information Operations Command Hawaii. The work they do is a testament to the legacy of the father of cryptology, Capt. Joseph J. Rochefort, and his team of cryptologists,” said Commander James W. Adkisson III, NIOC Hawaii's Executive Officer.
“From code breaking that informed the Battle of Midway 75 years ago, to the information age today, cryptologic and cyber warfare serve a key role, countering terrorism and aggression, and protecting the United States, our way of life, and our interests worldwide.”
“To be a part of the U.S. Navy today is to carry on the responsibility of protecting our country, making the world a greater place,” Stover said.