Originally dubbed simply the Chicago Municipal Airport when opened in 1927, the city renamed it Midway Airport in 1949 in honor of the Americans who fought and died during the Battle of Midway Island on June 4, 1942 -- the turning point in the war against the Japanese. Appropriately, the city unveiled a more dramatic memorial to the airport's namesake on June 4, 2001, to remind travelers of the sacrifices made by American airmen, sailors, and soldiers on that pivotal day in the Pacific.
