Explore the Midway from the Comfort of Home

The son of a fisherman, he was an enlisted man who “came up the hawsepipe” to become Chief Warrant Officer aboard Midway. Today, he will tell you to go the engine room — because that’s where the values of responsibility and respect can be found.

As Saigon collapsed around her, Stephanie and her family ran to a rescue helicopter destined for the USS Midway. Stephanie experienced firsthand the chaos and heartbreak of the U.S. evacuation in Vietnam. But what stayed with her to this day is a perspective of how precious freedom truly is. It’s a tale she’s still sharing from the Midway.

The combat missions seemed endless. First, Jack and his co-pilot shot down two North Vietnamese fighter jets only minutes apart. But on his 285th combat mission, he was shot down by the enemy. This former USS Midway aviator’s journey carried him through the depths of pain and humiliation at the “Hanoi Hilton” — and ultimately to triumph, honor, and personal peace.

Jim was responsible for all the supplies aboard a floating city of 4,500 voracious young men. From eggs to pens to equipment weighing tons, there isn’t anything that USS Midway supply officer Jim Reily hasn’t seen, ordered, inventoried, and reordered. Rescuing families threatened by a massive volcano eruption in the Philippines reminded him why it mattered.

Ed Murray defied the odds to make sure that Navy aircrews could rely on their 75 planes during combat missions. He regularly worked two 12-hour shifts back to back, prepping jets with parts from half a world away for each day's missions: a life of "eat, sleep, work, repeat." To date, Ed Murray has even logged 7,500 hours as a docent on the Midway. Dedication doesn’t run any deeper.