While we were in San Diego, Dan, my sister Jennifer, and I took the time to tour the USS Midway Museum, a retired US aircraft carrier docked in the San Diego harbor. Although the Midway was involved in many wartime activities, I was surprised (and pleased) to learn it was also involved in some humanitarian missions as well (rescuing 1800 Americans fleeing Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption in 1991; rescuing 3073 Saigon refugees in two days in 1975). In addition to the myriad aircraft on display, there were scores of other interesting details to the ship and how it operated. I seemed most drawn to how a crew of 4500 (including 2 doctors and a dentist) lived in this floating city. I found the logistics quite fascinating – where did the crew sleep, what did they eat? What did they do for entertainment? What did the captain’s quarters look like? Here are some interesting daily living facts: 10 tons of food (13,500 meals) served daily; 3000 potatoes daily; 1000 loaves of bread daily; 4500 pounds of beef when served; 500 pies when served. The chapel, the brig, the post office, the laundry room, the sick bay, the library all intrigued me.
The first thing that hits you about the Midway is how huge it is. It’s hard to imagine something this large and heavy can float. Obviously, I’m no engineer! Here are some numbers that help paint the picture of the sheer magnitude of this ship: 1,001 feet long; 4.02-acre flight deck; 18 decks; 18-foot tall propellers; 20-ton anchors; 2000 feet of anchor chain; 2000 compartments; 2000 electric motors.
Some other interesting facts… The USS Midway was in service for 47 years stretching from the end of WWII to the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. No other aircraft carrier served for the United States as long. It was the first carrier homeported in a foreign country, calling Yokosuka, Japan home for 18 years. The average age of the 225,000 sailors who served on the Midway was 20. The on-board library held 5000 books. From the deck of the Midway, you can look down into Mole Park and see the of “Unconditional Surrender”, a 25-foot, 6000 pound statue commemorating a famous World War II photo of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square, new York City, on August 14, 1945. I’ve included a photo of this taken from the flight deck, as well as various shots of the aircraft. Note the Coronado Bridge over San Diego Bay in the background of the helicopters photo.
The first thing that hits you about the Midway is how huge it is. It’s hard to imagine something this large and heavy can float. Obviously, I’m no engineer! Here are some numbers that help paint the picture of the sheer magnitude of this ship: 1,001 feet long; 4.02-acre flight deck; 18 decks; 18-foot tall propellers; 20-ton anchors; 2000 feet of anchor chain; 2000 compartments; 2000 electric motors.
Some other interesting facts… The USS Midway was in service for 47 years stretching from the end of WWII to the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. No other aircraft carrier served for the United States as long. It was the first carrier homeported in a foreign country, calling Yokosuka, Japan home for 18 years. The average age of the 225,000 sailors who served on the Midway was 20. The on-board library held 5000 books. From the deck of the Midway, you can look down into Mole Park and see the of “Unconditional Surrender”, a 25-foot, 6000 pound statue commemorating a famous World War II photo of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square, new York City, on August 14, 1945. I’ve included a photo of this taken from the flight deck, as well as various shots of the aircraft. Note the Coronado Bridge over San Diego Bay in the background of the helicopters photo.
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