_steaming_off_the_Firth_of_Clyde_in_September_1952.jpg) USSMidway steaming off theFirth of Clyde in September 1952. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Midway |
| Namesake | Battle of Midway |
| Ordered | 1 August 1942 |
| Builder | Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Laid down | 27 October 1943 |
| Launched | 20 March 1945 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. Bradford William Ripley, Jr |
| Christened | 20 March 1945 |
| Acquired | 1 September 1945 |
| Commissioned | 10 September 1945 |
| Decommissioned | 11 April 1992 |
| Reclassified |
|
| Stricken | 17 March 1997 |
| Nickname(s) | Midway Magic |
| Status | Museum ship at theUSSMidway Museum inSan Diego, California |
| Notes | Only carrier museum in the United States from WWII-era that is not of theEssex class |
| Badge | _seal.png) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Midway-classaircraft carrier |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 1,001 ft (305 m)[1] |
| Beam |
|
| Draft | 34.5 ft (10.5 m) |
| Propulsion | 12 boilers, fourWestinghouse gearedSteam turbines[2] |
| Speed | 33 kn (61 km/h; 38 mph) |
| Complement | 4,104 officers and men |
| Armament |
|
| Armor |
|
| Aircraft carried | 137 theoretical, 100 (1940s–50s), 70 (Vietnam–retirement) |
USSMidway (CVB/CVA/CV-41) is anaircraft carrier, formerly of theUnited States Navy, thelead ship ofher class. Commissioned eight days after the end of World War II,Midway was the largest aircraft carrier in the world until 1955, as well as the first U.S. aircraft carriertoo big to transit thePanama Canal. She operated for 47 years, during which time she saw action in theVietnam War and served as the Persian Gulf flagship in 1991'sOperation Desert Storm. Decommissioned in 1992, she is now amuseum ship at theUSSMidway Museum inSan Diego, California.
USS Midway is the only retired aircraft carrier that is not anEssex-class aircraft carrier, as the rest have been scrapped.
_after_commissioning.jpg)
Midway waslaid down 27 October 1943 in Shipway 11 atNewport News Shipbuilding Co.,Newport News, Virginia;launched 20 March 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Bradford William Ripley Jr.; andcommissioned on 10 September 1945 (eight days after thesurrender of Japan) with Captain Joseph F. Bolger in command.
Aftershakedown in the Caribbean,Midway joined theU.S. Atlantic Fleet training schedule, withNorfolk as her homeport. From 20 February 1946, she was theflagship forCarrier Division 1. In March, she participated in Operation Frostbite testing theRyan FR Fireball and helicopter rescue techniques for cold-weather operations in theLabrador Sea. In September 1947, a captured GermanV-2 rocket was test-fired from theflight deck inOperation Sandy, the first large-rocket launch from a moving platform, and the only moving-platform launch for a V-2. While the rocket lifted off, it then tilted and broke up at 15,000 feet (4,600 m).[3]
On 29 October 1947,Midway sailed for the first of her annual deployments with the6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Between deployments,Midway trained and received alterations to accommodate heavier aircraft as they were developed.
In June 1951,Midway operated in the Atlantic off theVirginia Capes during carrier suitability tests of theF9F-5 Panther. On 23 June, as Cdr.George Chamberlain Duncan attempted a landing in BuNo125228, a downdraft just aft of the stern caused Duncan tocrash. His plane's forwardfuselage broke away and rolled down the deck, and he suffered burns. Footage of the crash has been used in several films, includingMen of the Fighting Lady,Midway, andThe Hunt for Red October.[citation needed]
In 1952, the ship participated inOperation Mainbrace,North Sea maneuvers withNATO forces.Midway had an angled runway painted on the flight deck in May fortouch-and-go landings following early trials of the technique aboardHMS Triumph. Successful demonstration of the possibilities caused widespread adoption of theangled flight deck in future aircraft carrier construction and modifications of existing carriers.[3] On 1 October, the ship was redesignatedCVA-41.
Midway left Norfolk 27 December 1954 for a world cruise, sailing via theCape of Good Hope forTaiwan, where she became the first large carrier in the7th Fleet for operations in the Western Pacific until 28 June 1955.[3] During these operations,Midway pilots flew cover for the evacuation from the Tachen Islands during theQuemoy-Matsu crisis[4] of 15,000 Chinese nationalist troops and 20,000 Chinese civilians, along with their livestock.
_after_SCB-110_modernization_in_1958.jpg)
Controversy arose during the cruise whenMidway around January 1955 docked inCape Town,South Africa.Democratic senatorHerbert Lehman sent a telegram toSecretary of the Navy Charles Thomas when he learned of a supposed United States Navy plan to segregate 400 non-white members of the crew ofMidway while it was in Cape Town. Fellow Democratic senatorHubert Humphrey soon joined Lehman, additionally sending a letter to theSecretary of StateJohn Foster Dulles, asking that "immediate steps be taken to see that equal treatment is given to American service personnel allowed shore leave in South Africa, or eliminate Cape Town as aport of call", and saying that "To me this is a shocking act of discrimination that should not be tolerated by our Government. Every American soldier or sailor is an American regardless of race, color or creed, and is entitled to be respected and treated as such anywhere in the world."[5]
An anonymous Navy official stated that the Department of the Navy did not know of the arrangements that were to be made between the officers ofMidway and South African authorities, and thatAfrican-American members of the crew would not be segregated while still aboardMidway.[5]
Clarence Mitchell Jr. also urged Thomas not to allowMidway to dock at Cape Town.James H. Smith Jr., Acting Secretary of the Navy at the time, replied that the stop at Cape Town was merely to "satisfy an operational logistic requirement" and that it was customary to observe local laws and regulations while visiting foreign ports.[5]
Captain Reynold Delos Hogle ofMidway stated that while in port,Midway would be United States territory and federalUnited States laws would apply. In the end, the crew ofMidway were not made to abide byapartheid, Captain Hogle stating that "AtHartleyvale (Stadium) this afternoon and at the concert to-night, European and non-European members of the crew have been asked to attend. There will be no segregation whatsoever".[5]
_deck_plans_1945%2c_1957_and_1970.png)
On 28 June 1955, the ship sailed forPuget Sound Naval Shipyard, whereMidway underwent an extensive modernization program (SCB-110, similar toSCB-125 for theEssex-class carriers).Midway received an enclosedhurricane bow, an aft deck-edge elevator, anangled flight deck, and steam catapults, before returning to service on 30 September 1957.[3]
Home ported atAlameda, California,Midway began annual deployments bringingMcDonnell F3H Demons,North American FJ-4 Furys,Vought F-8 Crusaders,Douglas A-1 Skyraiders, andDouglas A-3 Skywarriors to the 7th Fleet in 1958, and into theSouth China Sea during the Laotian Crisis of spring 1961. During the 1962 deployment,Midway recorded her 100,000th arrested landing[3] as the ship's aircraft tested the air defense systems of Japan,Korea,Okinawa, the Philippines, and Taiwan.Midway again sailed for theFar East 6 March 1965, and from mid-April flew strikes against military and logistics installations inNorth andSouth Vietnam, including the first combat use ofAGM-12 Bullpup air-to-surface missiles. On 17 June 1965 two VF-21McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom IIs flying fromMidway were credited with the first confirmed MiG kills of the Vietnam conflict, usingAIM-7 Sparrow missiles to down twoMiG-17Fs. Three days later, four ofMidway's A-1 Skyraiders used the World War II vintageThach Weave tactic to down an attacking MiG-17F.[3]Midway lost an F-4 Phantom and two A-4 Skyhawks to North VietnameseS-75 Dvina surface-to-air missiles.
Midway returned to Alameda on 23 November to enterSan Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard on 11 February 1966 for a massive modernization (SCB-101.66), which proved expensive and controversial. The flight deck was enlarged from 2.8 to 4 acres (11,000 to 16,000 m2; 120,000 to 170,000 sq ft), and the angle of the flight deck landing area was increased to 13.5 degrees. The elevators were enlarged, moved, and given almost double the weight capacity.Midway also received new steam catapults, arresting gear, and a centralized air conditioning plant. Cost overruns raised the price of this program from $88 million to US$202 million, and precluded a similar modernization planned forFranklin D. Roosevelt. AfterMidway was finally recommissioned on 31 January 1970, it was found that the modifications had worsened the ship's seakeeping capabilities and ability to conduct air operations in rough seas, which made further modifications necessary to correct the problem.[3]
_underway_in_the_Pacific_Ocean_on_19_April_1971_(NNAM.1996.488.116.040).jpg)
Midway returned to Vietnam and on 18 May 1971, after relievingHancock atYankee Station, began single carrier operations.Midway departed Yankee Station on 5 June, completing the vessel's final line period on 31 October 1971, and returned to the ship's homeport on 6 November 1971.
Midway, with embarkedCarrier Air Wing 5 (CVW 5), again departed Alameda for operations off Vietnam on 10 April 1972. On 11 May, aircraft fromMidway, along with those fromCoral Sea,Kitty Hawk, andConstellation, began layingnaval mines off North Vietnamese ports, includingThanh Hóa,Đồng Hới,Vinh,Hon Gai,Quang Khe, andCam Pha, as well as other approaches toHaiphong. Ships that were in port in Haiphong had been warned that the mining would take place and that the mines would be armed 72 hours later.
_overhead_view_in_April_1972.jpg)
Midway continued Vietnam operations duringOperation Linebacker throughout the summer of 1972. On 7 August 1972, anHC-7 Det 110 helicopter, flying fromMidway, and aided by planes from the carrier and fromSaratoga,searched for the pilot of anA-7 Corsair II aircraft fromSaratoga who had been downed the previous day by asurface-to-air missile about 20 mi (32 km) inland, northwest of Vinh. Flying over mountains, the HC-7 helicopter spotted the downed aviator with her searchlight and, under heavy ground fire, retrieved him before returning to anLPD off the coast. This was the deepest penetration by a rescue helicopter into North Vietnam since 1968. By the end of 1972, HC-7 Det 110 had rescued a total of 48 pilots, 35 in combat conditions.
On 5 October 1973,Midway, with CVW 5, put intoYokosuka, Japan, marking the first forward-deployment of a complete carrier task group in a Japanese port, the result of an accord arrived at on 31 August 1972 between the U.S. and Japan. The move allowed sailors to live with their families when in port; more strategically, it allowed three carriers to stay in East Asia even as the economic situation demanded the reduction of carriers in the fleet. CVW 5 became based at the nearbyNaval Air Facility Atsugi.[3]
For service in Vietnam from 30 April 1972, to 9 February 1973,Midway and CVW 5 received thePresidential Unit Citation fromRichard Nixon. It read:
For extraordinary heroism and outstanding performance of duty in action against enemy forces in Southeast Asia from 30 April 1972 to 9 February 1973. During this crucial period of the Vietnam conflict, USS MIDWAY and embarked Attack Carrier Air Wing FIVE carried out devastating aerial attacks against enemy installations, transportation, and lines of communications in the face of extremely heavy opposition including multi-calibre antiaircraft artillery fire and surface-to-air missiles. Displaying superb airmanship and unwavering courage, MIDWAY/CVW-5 pilots played a significant role in lifting the prolonged sieges at An Lộc, Kon Tum, and Quảng Trị and in carrying out the concentrated aerial strikes against the enemy's industrial heartland which eventually resulted in a cease-fire. By their excellent teamwork, dedication, and sustained superior performance, the officers and men of MIDWAY and Attack Carrier Air Wing FIVE reflected great credit upon themselves and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."[6]
Aircraft from Midway made both the first MIG kills in theVietnam War, and the last air-to-air victory of the war. On 17 June 1965, aviators ofMidway's Attack Carrier Wing 2,VF-21, had downed the first twoMiGs credited to US forces in Southeast Asia.[7] On 12 January 1973 a combat aircraft fromMidway made the last air-to-air victory of the Vietnam War.[7]
On 19 April 1975, after North Vietnam had overrun two-thirds of South Vietnam,Midway, along withCoral Sea,Hancock,Enterprise andOkinawa, were sent to the waters off South Vietnam. Ten days later, U.S. 7th Fleet forces carried outOperation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon. For this,Midway, which had offloaded half of the ship's regular combat air wing atNS Subic Bay, Philippines, steamed to Thailand and took aboard eight U.S. Air ForceCH-53 from21st Special Operations Squadron and twoHH-53 helicopters from40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron.[8] AsSaigon fell to North Vietnamese forces, these helicopters transported hundreds of U.S. personnel and Vietnamese people toMidway and other U.S. ships in the South China Sea.
On 29 April 1975,Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) Major Lý Bửng (also spelled Buang-Ly or Buang Lee) loaded his wife and five children into a two-seatCessna O-1 Bird Dog and took off fromCon Son Island. After evading enemy ground fire, Buang headed out to the South China Sea, foundMidway, and began to circle overhead with his landing lights turned on.Midway's crew unsuccessfully attempted to contact the aircraft on emergency frequencies. When a spotter reported that there were at least four people in the two-seater aircraft, all thoughts of forcing the pilot to ditch alongside were abandoned. After three tries, Major Buang managed to drop a note from a low pass over the deck: "Can you move the helicopter to the other side, I can land on your runway, I can fly for one hour more, we have enough time to move. Please rescue me! Major Buang, wife and 5 child." CaptainLarry Chambers, the ship's commanding officer, ordered that the arresting wires be removed and that any helicopters that could not be safely and quickly moved should be pushed over the side. He called for volunteers, and soon every available seaman was on deck to help. An estimatedUS$10 million worth ofUH-1 Huey helicopters were pushed overboard. With a 500-foot (150 m) ceiling, 5-mile (8.0 km) visibility, light rain, and 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) of surface wind, Chambers ordered the ship to sail at 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) into the wind. Warnings about the dangerous downdrafts created behind a steaming carrier were transmitted blind in both Vietnamese and English. To make matters worse, five more UH-1s landed and cluttered up the deck. Without hesitation, Chambers ordered them jettisoned as well. Captain Chambers recalled that
[Buang's] aircraft cleared the ramp and touched down on center line at the normal touchdown point. Had he been equipped with a tailhook he could have bagged a number 3 wire. He bounced once and came to a stop abeam of the island, amid a wildly cheering, arms-waving flight deck crew.[9]
Buang was escorted to thebridge where Chambers congratulated him on his outstanding airmanship, and his bravery in risking everything on a gamble beyond the point of no return without knowing for certain a carrier would be where he needed it. The crew ofMidway was so impressed that they established a fund to help him and his family get settled in the United States.[10] The O-1 that Major Buang landed is now on display at theNaval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.[11] Major Buang became the first Vietnamese pilot ever to land a fixed-wing aircraft on an aircraft carrier deck.
_in_the_Pacific_Ocean_on_30_November_1974_(NH_97633).jpg)
Upon completion of ferrying people to other ships,Midway returned to Thailand and disembarked the Air Force helicopters atU-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield. The CH-53s then airlifted over 50 RVNAF aircraft to the ship.[12] With almost 100 helicopters and aircraft of the former RVNAF aboard, the ship steamed toGuam where the aircraft and helicopters were offloaded in twenty-four hours. While transiting back to the Philippines to pick up the ship's air wing,Midway was rerouted to act as a floating airfield in support of special operation forces rescuing theSSMayagüez.Midway picked up the ship's regular air wing again a month later when the aircraft carrier returnedNAS Cubi Point, Philippines.
On 30 June 1975,Midway was redesignated from "CVA-41" to "CV-41".[13]
On 21 August 1976, a Navy task force headed byMidway made a show of force off the coast of Korea in reaction to an attack on two U.S. Army officers who were killed by North Korean soldiers on 18 August when they attempted to cut down a tree. The U.S. response to this incident was given the nameOperation Paul Bunyan.Midway's participation was part of a U.S. demonstration of military concern vis-à-visNorth Korea.
Midway relievedConstellation as theIndian Ocean contingency carrier on 16 April 1979. This unscheduled deployment was due toUSS Ranger colliding with thetankerLiberian Fortune near the Straits of Malacca, withMidway taking overRanger's mission while she went in for repairs.Midway and her escorts continued a significant American naval presence in the oil-producing region of theArabian Sea andPersian Gulf. On 18 November, the aircraft carrier steamed to the North Arabian Sea in connection with the continuinghostage crisis in Iran. Militant followers of theAyatollah Khomeini, who had come to power following the overthrow of theShah, seized the U.S. embassy inTehran on 4 November and held 63 US citizens hostage. On 21 NovemberKitty Hawk arrived, and both carriers, along with their escort ships, were joined byNimitz and her escorts on 22 January 1980.Midway was relieved byCoral Sea on 5 February.[3]
%2c_circa_in_1982.jpg)
Following a period in Yokosuka,Midway relievedCoral Sea 30 May 1980 on standby south ofJeju-Do Island in theSea of Japan following the potential of civil unrest in theRepublic of Korea.
While transiting the passage betweenPalawan Island of the Philippines and the coast of NorthernBorneo on 29 July, the Panamanian merchant shipCactus collided withMidway.Cactus was 450 nautical miles (830 km) southwest ofSubic Bay and heading toSingapore when she struck near the carrier'sliquid oxygen plant; two sailors working in the plant were killed and three were injured.Midway sustained light damage and threeF-4 Phantom aircraft parked on the flight deck also were damaged.[7]
On 17 August,Midway relievedConstellation to begin another Indian Ocean deployment and to complement theDwight D. Eisenhower task group still on contingency duty in the Arabian Sea.Midway spent a total of 118 consecutive days in the Indian Ocean during 1980.
_refuels_USS_Midway_(CV-41)_and_USS_England_(CG-22)_on_7_December_1983_(6483143).jpg)
On 16 March 1981, anA-6E Intruder from VA-115 aboardMidway sighted a downed civilian helicopter in the South China Sea.Midway immediately dispatchedHC-1 Det 2 helicopters to the scene. All 17 people aboard the downed helicopter were rescued and brought aboard the carrier. The chartered civilian helicopter was also retrieved from the water and lifted toMidway's flight deck.
On 25 March 1986, the final carrier launching of a Navy fleetF-4S Phantom II took place offMidway during flight operations in theEast China Sea. ABF2 Paul F. Morehead Jr., fueled aircraft number 111 for the last time. The Phantoms were replaced by the newF/A-18A Hornets.
_heavily_rolling_during_sea_trials_in_1986.jpg)
Midway continued serving in the western Pacific throughout the 1980s. In order to alleviate persistent seakeeping issues,Midway received hull blisters in 1986. During her 1986 refit (named "Extended Incremental Selected Repair Availability"), blisters were added to improve the ship's stability. The modification proved counterproductive, as it actually increased the ship's instability in rough seas. She took water over the flight deck during excessive rolls in moderate seas, thereby hampering flight operations. Before another $138 million refit was approved to rectify the stability problems, it was even proposed to decommissionMidway. Nevertheless, she had earned herself the nickname "Rock'n Roll carrier." During a typhoon while in the Sea of Japan during the Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, on 8 October 1988,Midway, which was not supposed to be able to sustain more than 24 degrees of roll, survived a 26-degree roll.
On 30 October 1989, an F/A-18A Hornet aircraft fromMidway mistakenly dropped a 500-pound (227-kilogram)general-purpose bomb on the deck ofReeves during training exercises in the Indian Ocean, creating a 5-foot (1.5 m) hole in the bow, sparking small fires, and injuring five sailors.Reeves was 32 miles (51 km) south ofDiego Garcia at the time of the incident.[14]
_underway%2c_December_1987_(DN-ST-88-02631).jpg)
Tragedy struckMidway on 20 June 1990. While conducting routine flight operations approximately 125 nautical miles (232 km; 144 mi) northeast of Japan, the ship was badly damaged by two onboard explosions. These explosions led to a fire that raged more than ten hours. In addition to damage to the ship's hull, two crew members were killed and 9 others were wounded;[15] one of the injured later died of his injuries.[16] All 11 crewmen belonged to the at sea fire-fighting team known as the Flying Squad. WhenMidway entered Yokosuka Harbor the next day, 12 Japanese media helicopters flew in circles and hovered about 150 feet (46 m) above the flight deck. Three bus loads of reporters were waiting on the pier. About 30 minutes afterMidway cast her first line, more than 100 international print and electronic journalists charged over the brow to cover the event.[17] The news media made a major issue out of the incident, as it had happened amid several other military accidents. It was thought that the accident would lead to the ship's immediate retirement due to her age, butMidway was retained to fight in one last major conflict.
_BuNo_162829_-_Feb_13_1991_Super-Frelon_Strike.png)
On 2 August 1990, Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait, and U.S. forces moved into Saudi Arabia as part ofOperation Desert Shield to protect that country against invasion by Iraq. On 1 November 1990,Midway was again on station in the North Arabian Sea as the carrier of Battle Force Zulu (which included warships from the U.S., Australia, and other countries), relievingIndependence. On 15 November, the carrier participated in Operation Imminent Thunder, an eight-day combined amphibious landing exercise in northeastern Saudi Arabia which involved about 1,000U.S. Marines, 16 warships, and more than 1,100 aircraft. Meanwhile, theUnited Nations set an ultimatum deadline of 15 January 1991 for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait.
Operation Desert Storm began the next day. On January 17, 1991, at 2:00AM,Midway launched aircraft from CVW-5 for the first carrier strikes of the Gulf War.[18] An A-6E TRAM Intruder fromVA-185 Nighthawks from theMidway was the first carrier aircraft over the coast.[7] Around 17 other aircraft from theMidway provided support during the strikes.[18][19]
At around 4:05AM, four A-6E TRAM Intruders from VA-185 andVA-115 Eagles attackedShaibah Air Base at around 350 ft, encountering heavy AAA fire, with two of the four aircraft not dropping their bombs. At around the same time, three A-6E TRAM Intruders from VA-115, each loaded with six Mk.83 bombs; attackedAhmad Al-Jaber Air Base in occupied Kuwait. The AAA fire at Shaibah led to theMidway's pilots avoiding low-level attacks for the rest of the war.[18][19] NoMidway aircraft were lost on the strikes. The Navy launched 228 sorties that day fromMidway andRanger in the Persian Gulf, and fromJohn F. Kennedy andSaratoga in the Red Sea. The Navy also launched more than 100Tomahawk missiles from nine ships in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf.
Midway later launched an F/A-18 Hornet that used the firstAGM-62 Walleye television-guided glide bomb in combat. The Hornet fromVFA-195 destroyed a T-shaped building atUmm Qasr Naval Base with a Walleye II. The pilot,LCDR Jeffery Ashby, led a mission on 13 February 1991 that successfully destroyed an IraqiSuper Frelon helicopter armed withExocet missiles (which had posed a threat to the US Carriers) with a Walleye I.[20] The removal of the threat allowedMidway and the other carriersRanger andTheodore Roosevelt to move closer to Kuwait.NF-104 was painted with a kill marking for the helicopter and was displayed whenMidway returned to Japan.[citation needed] Some ofMidway's F/A-18As also unsuccessfully attempted to intercept Iraqi Mirage F1s during theAttack on Ras Tanura on January 24, with anRSAF F-15C later shooting down both of the Mirages.[21]
Desert Storm officially ended 28 February, andMidway departed the Persian Gulf on 11 March 1991 and returned to Yokosuka.
_leaving_Yokosuka%2c_Crew_spelling_Sayonara.jpg)
In June 1991,Midway left for her final deployment, this time to the Philippines to take part inOperation Fiery Vigil, which was the evacuation of 20,000 military members and their families fromClark Air Base, on the island ofLuzon, after the eruption ofMount Pinatubo.Midway, along with twenty other U.S. naval ships, ferried the evacuees to the island ofCebu, where they were taken off the ship by helicopter. After taking part in the evacuation, the aircraft carrier once again returned to Yokosuka.
In August 1991,Midway departed Yokosuka for the last time and returned toPearl Harbor. There, she turned over withIndependence, which replacedMidway as the forward-deployed carrier inYokosuka. Rear AdmiralJoseph Prueher and the staff of Carrier Group ONE moved toIndependence. Prueher was the last admiral to lower his flag onMidway. She then sailed toSeattle for a port visit. There the ship disembarked "tigers" (guests of crew members) before making her final voyage toSan Diego.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 3D Walkthrough of USS Midway, Virtual Tour |
Midway was decommissioned atNaval Air Station North Island on 11 April 1992 in a ceremony in which the main speaker wasSecretary of DefenseDick Cheney. During decommissioning,Midway, her sailors, and their families were filmed for the movieAt Sea, a documentary on carrier life shown only at the Navy Museum inWashington, D.C. The ship was stricken from theNaval Vessel Register on 17 March 1997.
On 30 September 2003, ex-Midway began her journey from theNavy Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility,Bremerton, Washington, to San Diego, California, in preparation for use as a museum and memorial. The aircraft carrier was docked in early October at the Charles P. Howard Terminal inOakland, California, while work proceeded on the Navy Pier in downtown San Diego. On 10 January 2004, the ship was moored at her final location, where she was opened to the public on 7 June 2004 as a museum. In the first year of operation, the museum had 879,281 visitors, double the expected attendance.
On 11 November 2012, a college basketball game between theSyracuse Orange and theSan Diego State Aztecs was played on the flight deck. The Orange won, 62–49.[22]
On 15 July 2015, museum personnel were evacuated from ex-Midway due to smoke caused by an apparent fire. The San Diego fire department responded quickly, but no fire was found, and the museum was able to open for the day on schedule.[23]
On 18 July 2025, a private 60 feet (18 m)sportfishing boat collided with Midway at slow speed. There were no injuries, or significant damage, and the captain of the vessel was later arrested on suspicion ofboating while under the influence.[24]
 |  |   |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |   |
 |  |  |  |
 |  | _ribbon.svg) | _ribbon.svg) |
| Presidential Unit Citation | Joint Meritorious Unit Award | Navy Unit Commendation with threestars | Meritorious Unit Commendation with two stars |
| Navy E Ribbon with wreathed Battle "E" device | Navy Expeditionary Medal with three stars | China Service Medal | American Campaign Medal |
| World War II Victory Medal | Navy Occupation Service Medal | National Defense Service Medal with two stars | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with six stars |
| Vietnam Service Medal with four stars | Southwest Asia Service Medal with two stars | Humanitarian Service Medal | Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with sixteen stars |
| Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry Cross) | Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal | Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) | Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) |
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
32°42′50″N117°10′30″W / 32.713789°N 117.174940°W /32.713789; -117.174940
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
