Recently, I had the honor of serving as the keynote speaker at the 2025 Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association (NCVA) reunion in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In preparing for the event, I spent time reflecting on what message I wanted to share. My thoughts kept returning to something personal — the feeling I get each morning as I pass through the gates of Corry Station on my way to work, training future Cryptologic Warfare Officers. I realized how special Corry Station is — not only for its mission today but also for its deep ties to two pivotal events in U.S. Navy and cryptologic history: the Battle of Midway (4–7 June 1942) and the attack on the USS Liberty (8 June 1967).

Corry Field, Early 1934

Originally named Corry Field, the base — now known as Corry Station — was established in 1934, seven years before the Battle of Midway. At that time, it served as a key component of Naval Air Station Pensacola’s pilot training pipeline. The average age of the aviators who fought at Midway was just 22, and many began their journey at Pensacola, with Corry Field as a primary outlying landing field. Today, if you walk through the parking lot at Corry Station, you can still see the original flight deck tie-down pads embedded in the pavement — a silent reminder of the aircraft once used to train those brave young pilots. Thousands pass by them every day, unaware of the history underfoot. The Battle of Midway would not have happened without the cryptologic work of  CAPT Josesph Rochford and Station HYPO in Hawaii.  Today Corry Station is known as the cradle of Naval Cryptology, training thousands of cryptologic technicians each year in support of the national security of the United States.

Battle of Midway

My second point of reflection during the keynote was how Corry Station is also tied to the USS Liberty. As someone who’s always paid close attention to significant dates in cryptologic history, I remember the spring of 2017 vividly. We were approaching the 50th anniversary of the Liberty attack, and the Commanding Officer of IWTC Corry Station at the time was CDR Chris Eng. I approached him and suggested that it would be fitting for the command to hold a memorial to honor the 31 Sailors killed in that tragic incident. He agreed, and planning for the service began.

USS Liberty Sailors Receiving Medial Treatment

A few weeks later, I escorted CDR Eng to Building 513, where he was scheduled to speak to the Cryptologic Warfare Officer Basic Course (CWOBC) class. On the walk over, he mentioned that he had been selected to deliver remarks as the keynote speaker for the memorial and asked if I had any suggestions. I paused outside the building and reminded him: Corry Station began training cryptologists in 1960, and the first class graduated in 1961 — just six years before the Liberty attack. Most of the cryptologists who died were young Sailors. Many of them trained in the very building we were about to enter.

He stopped, looked at the building, then turned to me and said, “I never thought about that. We’re about to walk on sacred ground.”

I responded, “Yes, we are.”

Mario Vulcano