USS MIDWAY   (CVB-41)
(later CVA-41 and CV-41)

Built by Newport News. Designation changed from CV 41 to CVB 41 15 July 1943. 
Laid down 27 Oct 1943, launched 20 Mar 1945, commissioned 10 Sept 1945.

Named for the Battle of Midway, USS MIDWAY was the lead ship of her class, three of which were completed, with another two ships cancelled. Serving her country for 47 years, more than 200,000 American veterans served aboard her. During that time, the USS MIDWAY saw service off Vietnam, in the Persian Gulf and in a number of other conflicts and crises. After being the first aircraft carrier forward deployed for 17 years in Yokosuka, Japan, she returned to North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego for decommissioning in April of 1992. In over five decades of service, she received the Presidential Unit Citation; Navy Unit Commendation; U.S. Navy & Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal; Navy Occupation Service Medal; China Service Expeditionary Medal; and Vietnam Service Medal.

Commissioned as CVB 41, the MIDWAY was redesignated as attack aircraft carrier CVA 41 on October 1, 1952, and multi-purpose aircraft carrier CV 41 on June 30, 1975.

Today, the MIDWAY is serving as a floating museum in the city of San Diego. There are two Photo Tours of the USS MIDWAY Museum available. Click here for a Photo Tour with photos from 2007 or click here for photos from 2008 and 2010.

http://www.navysite.de/cvn/cv41.htm

Best Friends
AMS1 Wallace Jasper,AMS1 Robert Nelson,
HTC Nash Teel,BT1 Ronald Porter( Later BTMC),
ABF1 Norman Miller,MMCS Douglas Benson,
MM1 Raymond Cooper( Master at Arms)MS1 Julius
"Rico"Phillips, MM1 Sam Houston,AO2 Rivers,

Best Moment
Liberty in Olongapo,Toykyo,Pusan Korea.

Worst Moment
Never a bad moment, the best duty station I ever had...

Chain of Command
HTC Frankberg, HTC Teel, CWO4 Goracke,
MORE MEMORIES;
Medals Awarded,
AFEM,29 April 1975-30 April 1975,
HS, 29 April 1975-30 April 1975,
NUC, 29 April 1975-30 April 1975,
(Frequent Wind, see below)
N/MCOSS Ribbon,Aug 1974-Aug 1976,

Other Memories
Operation Frequent Wind,29 April 1975-30 April 1975,
Awarded AFEM,NUC, HS,
In April 1975, Midway returned to the waters of Vietnam. On April 20, all fixed-wing aircraft of CVW-5 were flown off to NAS Cubi Point and ten USAF 40th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron H-53's were embarked. Midway, along with USS Coral Sea, CVA-43, USS Hancock, CVA-19, USS Enterprise, CVAN-65 and USS Okinawa, LPH-3, responded to the North Vietnamese overrunning two-thirds of South Vietnam. On April 29, Operation FREQUENT WIND was carried out by U.S. Seventh Fleet forces. As South Vietnam fell, the H-53's from Midway flew in excess of 40 sorties, shuttling 3,073 U.S. personnel and Vietnamese refugees out of Saigon in two days, bringing them onto the ship. Midway's HC-1 Det 2 Sea Kings then transported the evacuees to other ships. One South Vietnamese pilot flew a Cessna O-1 Bird Dog observation plane with his wife and five children out to Midway. He passed a note asking permission to land. The angle deck was cleared and the pilot made a good approach and landed with room to spare. The crew of Midway met him with cheers. For her role in the operation, Midway was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
Immediately following Operation FREQUENT WIND, Midway steamed south into the Gulf of Siam to Thailand and brought aboard over 100 American built aircraft preventing them from falling into communist hands. When they were aboard, the ship steamed at high speed to Guam, where the planes were offloaded by crane in record time. After the offload in Guam and a brief stop in Subic Bay, Midway entered the Indian Ocean and operated there from October until the end of November. On November 25,1975, during post "MIDLINK" exercises, a fatal accident occurred. While attempting to land on the Midway, an aircraft struck the ramp, bolted, impacted the barricade, and struck another aircraft. Flying debris injured two crewmembers. Midway returned to Yokosuka in time to celebrate the 1975 Christmas holiday.
In June 1976, Midway participated in Exercise TEAM SPIRIT, an exercise in intense electronic warfare and bombing missions over South Korea. In August 1976, a Navy task force headed by Midway made a show of force off the coast of Korea in response to an unprovoked attack on two U.S. Army officers who were killed by North Korean guards on August 18. Midway's response was in support of a U.S. demonstration of military concern vis-avis North Korea.