Obama visits Midway Atoll, a symbol of his climate, Asia legacy

By Roberta Rampton HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday was set to visit Midway Atoll, the remote coral reef that serves as a reminder of both modern global climate challenges and the dominance the United States has held in the Pacific since its World War Two victory there. The journey, timed as Obama leaves for his last visit to Asia to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other world leaders, will also serve as a reminder of the American victory against Japanese forces on the island during World War Two. "It's a signal, it's a message saying the United States is committed to staying in the Pacific, and not sort of backing away," said naval historian Tom Hone, who has studied the Battle of Midway.

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