SURVIVING THE HANOI HILTON: A remarkable legacy of courage.

In their own words, the story of four incredible military aviators, including one who flew from the deck of the USS Midway, representing the 591 American prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. They fought bravely and endured captivity in defense of their nation.

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RINGSIDE SEAT: At the battle that named USS Midway (CV-41). RINGSIDE SEAT: At the battle that named USS Midway (CV-41).
RINGSIDE SEAT: At the battle that named USS Midway (CV-41).

Young Rudy Matz was in the thick of the action at the most decisive naval battle of World War II. His story frames...

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OPERATION FROSTBITE: The Cold War gets colder. OPERATION FROSTBITE: The Cold War gets colder.
OPERATION FROSTBITE: The Cold War gets colder.

The end of World War II saw the specter of global conflict loom. When America decided to test the nation’s...

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OPERATION SANDY: Sparking the space age on a flight deck. OPERATION SANDY: Sparking the space age on a flight deck.
OPERATION SANDY: Sparking the space age on a flight deck.

In 1947, a captured World War II German V-2 rocket was launched from the flight deck of the USS Midway...

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THE MONTH OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY: From ripcord to rescue. THE MONTH OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY: From ripcord to rescue.
THE MONTH OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY: From ripcord to rescue.

Navy fighter pilot Paul Ilg’s world went from ordinary to extraordinary when a Vietnam combat mission became a test of sheer...

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OPERATION FREQUENT WIND: With those who lived the legend. OPERATION FREQUENT WIND: With those who lived the legend.
OPERATION FREQUENT WIND: With those who lived the legend.

Midway played a leading role in the amazing rescue operation that saved thousands of people at the end of the Vietnam War...

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What It's Like When an Aircraft Carrier and a Supply Ship Do a Dance What It's Like When an Aircraft Carrier and a Supply Ship Do a Dance
What It's Like When an Aircraft Carrier and a Supply Ship Do a Dance

You need 120,000 gallons of aviation fuel and 120,000 gallons of diesel fuel, and you need it fast. Also, you’re thousands of miles away...

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People Thought We Were Crazy. That's Flight Ops. People Thought We Were Crazy. That's Flight Ops.
People Thought We Were Crazy. That's Flight Ops.

Keep your head on a swivel: wise words for those working in Flight Ops on the USS Midway. Here, young men worked on the edge...

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Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat: Life on a Floating City Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat: Life on a Floating City
Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat: Life on a Floating City

Cramming an entire city into an aircraft carrier is no small feat. Add the citizens, 4,000 19-year-olds from everywhere you can imagine, and things get really interesting.

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Propellers On the Right, Jet Intakes On the Left. In High Seas. Welcome to Work. Propellers On the Right, Jet Intakes On the Left. In High Seas. Welcome to Work.
Propellers On the Right, Jet Intakes On the Left. In High Seas. Welcome to Work.

As workplaces go, the USS Midway was one of the more intense, and dangerous, of all time...

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"You're Awake All the Time Because You've Got to be Watching." Let's talk Captains.

Just who is in charge of a floating city? What qualities should captains of a huge aircraft carrier possess? What kind of grace under pressure...

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The Many Shapes of Midway The Many Shapes of Midway
The Many Shapes of Midway

Over its 47 year career, the aircraft carrier USS Midway became one of the most famous ships in the United States Navy. Commissioned just...

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The Brink The Brink
The Brink

On August 23, 1958 the communist-led Chinese forces launched a massive artillery barrage of two small islands off the coast of Taiwan, where...

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Operation Frequent Wind Operation Frequent Wind
Operation Frequent Wind

Considered by many to be the 30 most dangerous hours on board the aircraft carrier USS Midway, Operation Frequent Wind was one of the largest...

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The Invisible War The Invisible War
The Invisible War

Over the 47 years serving in the United States Navy, the USS Midway was active for the entire length of the Cold War with the Soviet Union.

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Midway’s Final Fight Midway’s Final Fight
Midway’s Final Fight

While the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in an ‘Invisible War’ regional players took advantage of the vacuum this created. Enter Saddam Hussein.

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Mothballs to Magic Mothballs to Magic
Mothballs to Magic

After 47 years of legendary service in the United States Navy, it was time for the USS Midway to face its final challenge… retirement.

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Captain John C. Ensch Captain John C. Ensch
Captain John C. Ensch

The combat missions seemed endless. First, he and his co-pilot shot down two North Vietnamese fighter jets only minutes apart...

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Captain James D. Reily, Jr. Captain James D. Reily, Jr.
Captain James D. Reily, Jr.

He was responsible for all the supplies aboard a floating city of 4,500 voracious young men. From eggs to pens to equipment weighing tons...

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Stephanie Dinh Stephanie Dinh
Stephanie Dinh

As Saigon collapsed around her, she and her family ran to a rescue helicopter destined for the USS Midway. Stephanie experienced firsthand...

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Captain Herbert A. Zoehrer Captain Herbert A. Zoehrer
Captain Herbert A. Zoehrer

The shortest flight of his career was over in “10 or 15 seconds” — when a botched catapult launch dumped Herb Zoehrer's aircraft...

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Senior Chief Petty Officer Edward J. Murray Senior Chief Petty Officer Edward J. Murray
Senior Chief Petty Officer Edward J. Murray

He defied the odds to make sure that Navy aircrews could rely on their 75 planes during combat missions...

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Chief Warrant Officer Rudy Shappee Chief Warrant Officer Rudy Shappee
Chief Warrant Officer Rudy Shappee

The son of a fisherman, he was an enlisted man who “came up the hawsepipe” to become Chief Warrant Officer aboard Midway...

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