Over its 47 year career, the aircraft carrier USS Midway became one of the most famous ships in the United States Navy. Commissioned just two weeks after the end of World War II, the USS Midway was the ‘tip of the spear’ for the United States, often placed at the center of the most important events of the late 20th century. Over the more than four decades the Midway was in service, the ship adapted to the times… literally changing its shape to accommodate advancements in jet technology. The Midway underwent several major ‘retrofits’ that greatly improved its performance. This is the story of these incredible changes, including its last transformation from active carrier to the interactive museum it is today. Located in San Diego, California the USS Midway Museum welcomes over a million visitors a year and works to preserve the historic USS Midway and the legacy of those who serve, inspire and educate future generations, and entertain museum guests.
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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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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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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In their own words, the story of four incredible military aviators, including one who flew from the deck...
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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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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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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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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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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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As workplaces go, the USS Midway was one of the more intense, and dangerous, of all time...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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He defied the odds to make sure that Navy aircrews could rely on their 75 planes during combat missions...
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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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