[jmacusa]

The Battle of The Coral Sea was a kind of skirmish before the main event. We lost the U.S.S Lexington but severely damaged the Japanese light carrier Shoho. It was the first time that two opposing naval forces fought each other with out being in sight of each other and was more or less the first aircraft to aircraft carrier engagement. Even so because we had cracked the Japanese Naval Code(JN25) we still got the jump on them at Midway.

[Salvavida]

I'm aware of the history. Admiral Fletcher eliminated two IJN carriers that could not participate in Midway. The Yorktown was able to answer the bell with her air component, and that was the difference. The IJN never recovers from Midway.

But we could have let Guadalcanal alone and let the Aussies man up and deal with the Jap army. Maybe they'd have something in their culture to point to that underscores the necessity of an armed citizenry. Their legacy is a poorly led and equipped national defense. So the US taxpayer shoulders the burden.