The Navy took time Monday at Mayport Naval Station to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, which turned the tide of World War II and is now seen as the most important sea battle of the 20th century. The historic battle took place six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, which drug the United States into the war and left it in a defensive posture. The Japanese sent four aircraft carriers to Midway to destroy what remained of the U.S.