Midway has many great stories. The AF thing has been portrayed in movies, such as In Harm’s Way. Lesser known but fascinating is the role played by the US submarine Nautilus.
Chicago’s airports, Midway and O’Hare, both got their names in the patriotic fervor that was smothered by the Vietnam war.
“Midway has many great stories.”
Yes, Japan sent out a batch of search planes (8 or 16) and the one that would have spotted the US fleet had mechanical troubles and had to turn back.
Japan was already running short of experienced carrier pilots at Midway. They had to pull some instructors for the battle.