The USS Midway was named in honor of the Battle of Midway, which turned the tide of war in the Pacific. Commissioned on September 10, 1945, only a few days after the ending of World War II, the Midway was then the largest ship in the world and the first U.S. aircraft carrier too large to pass through the Panama Canal. It had an armored flight deck and a 120-aircraft air group, making it, for its time, a “supercarrier” displacing 45,000 tons with over 4,000 sailors and marines.
From its commissioning, Midway led all the naval operations through the period of the Cold War. It was in 1946 that the vessel became the first American carrier to operate in the sub-Arctic midwinter, pioneering new flight deck procedures. In 1947, a captured German V-2 rocket was launched from it as the first launching from a ship, heralding the beginning of the Navy’s naval missile warfare. In 1949, Midway proved its ability to carry atomic bombs, thus becoming a formidable strategic weapon.
The operational history of Midway includes major deployments and innovations. After initial service with the Atlantic Fleet, it made seven deployments to European waters, patrolling NATO’s “soft underbelly.” In 1955, a round-the-world cruise brought Midway to the West Coast, where it was modernized with an angled deck to enhance jet operations.
The first combat deployment of the Midway was in 1965 during the Vietnam War, when its aircraft were flying strikes against North Vietnam and scoring the first air kill of that war. That deployment cost 17 aircraft to enemy fire. Having undergone an overhaul beginning in 1966, the Midway again saw action, having a principal role in Operation Frequent Wind in 1975. It helped evacuate over 3,000 refugees during the fall of Saigon.
When the geopolitical winds changed, the Midway was homeported in Yokosuka, Japan, as the first American carrier stationed in a foreign country. In 1990, it sailed to the Persian Gulf following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. More than 3,000 combat missions were flown from its deck during Operation Desert Storm without loss; it served as the flagship for naval air forces in the Gulf.
The final operational duty of the Midway was to assist in the evacuation of civilian employees from Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines due to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The Midway was decommissioned on April 11, 1992, and became the USS Midway Museum located in San Diego. The museum opened to visitors in June 2004.
The USS Midway Museum continues to educate with a dynamic richness of naval aviation history through restored military aircraft, flight simulators, and virtual reality experiences. The museum’s educational programs have affected hundreds of thousands of students, and its foundation supports initiatives that embody America’s core values of service and sacrifice.
It provides a view of the colorful past of the Midway, from its Cold War operations to major conflicts like Vietnam and Desert Storm, underlining the legacy that has been built. As a museum, it continues to inspire and educate future generations about the importance of naval power and the sacrifices that have been made in the name of freedom.