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USS Midway (CVB/CVA/CV-41) was an aircraft carrier of the US Navy, the lead ship of her class, and the first to be commissioned in 1943 after the end of World War II. The Midway class aircraft carrier was one of the longest lived carrier designs in history. Active in the Vietnam War and in Operation Desert Storm, as of 2004 she is a museum ship in San Diego, California. She is the only remaining aircraft carrier of the World War II era

+_____Early operations and deployment with the 6th Fleet____+

On 28 June 1955. Midway pilots flew cover for the evacuation from the Tachen Islands of 15,000 Chinese nationalist troops and 20,000 Chinese civilians.

In the Far East 6 March 1965, her aircraft were prepared for combat operations, and from mid-April flew strikes against military and logistics installations in North and South Vietnam. She made notable "first" for aviators to down the first three MiGs. Midway continued Vietnam operations throughout the summer of 1972.

+______A return to Vietnam_____+

Midway, sailed to Vietnam on 10 April 1972. On 11 May, aircraft from Midway along with those from Coral Sea (CV-43), Kitty Hawk (CV-63), and Constellation (CV-64) continued laying minefields in ports of significance to the North Vietnamese—Thanh Hoa, Dong Hoi, Vinh, Hon Gai, Quang Khe and Cam Pha as well as other approaches to Haiphong. Ships that were in port in Haiphong had been advised that the mining would take place and that the mines would be armed 72 hours later. Midway continued Vietnam operations throughout the summer of 1972.


+_____Operation Desert Storm and the 1990s____+

On 15 November, she participated in Operation Imminent Thunder, an eight-day combined amphibious landing exercise in northeastern Saudi Arabia which involved about 1,000 U.S. Marines, 16 warships, and more than 1,100 aircraft. Meanwhile, the United Nations set an ultimatum deadline of 15 January 1991 for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait.

Operation Desert Storm began the next day, and the Navy launched 228 sorties from Midway and Ranger (CV-61) in the Persian Gulf, from Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) en route to the Gulf, and from John F. Kennedy, Saratoga, and America in the Red Sea.


+____A final cruise and then on to life as a museum____+

Midway then sailed to San Diego where she was decommissioned at Naval Air Station North Island on 11 April 1992 in a ceremony in which the main speaker was Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney
On 30 Sept 2003, Midway began her journey to San Diego, California in preparation for use as a museum and memorial. She was docked at the Charles P. Howard Terminal in Oakland, California, during the first week in October while the construction of her pier in San Diego was completed. Then, on 10 Jan 2004 the ship was moored at her final location at the Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego, where she was opened to the public on 7 June 2004.


Visitors may tour the ship's flight deck, hangar bay, mess hall, bridge, primary flight control area, enlisted and junior officer quarters, sickbay, and portions of the engine rooms. Additionally, over 25 restored WW2 and postwar naval aircraft are on display in the hangar and on the flight deck. Self-guided audio tours are provided with admission. Events and meetings are held on board as well. Five to six evening events are held aboard Midway every week. Midway now books events three years in advance.



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