The aircraft carrier USS Midway was in service from 1945 to 1992, making it the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century. The carrier was commissioned on September 10, 1945, just eight days after World War II ended. The ship didn’t see its first combat deployment until 20 years later, when in 1965 it served in the South China Sea during the Vietnam War. I was aboard the USS Midway during its first wartime deployment.
I hadn’t wanted to serve in the military during the Vietnam War, but after I’d graduated college my college deferment expired. I decided I would rather have a hand in my own fate instead of waiting to be drafted, so I joined the Naval Reserves. I was called to active duty in August of 1964 and served aboard the USS Midway from August 1964 to May 1966. In February 1966 the ship was dry docked at San Francisco’s Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and the crew moved into nearby Quonset huts.
I didn’t reenlist once my time was up. I was proud to have served, but I was quite happy to return to civilian life. Before deploying, I had a career as a teacher and was earning a master’s degree with the goal of becoming an education administrator. I was married and had just bought a house. My first child, a son, was born just a few short months before I deployed. I felt like my life was just getting started.
The Vietnam War interrupted my life, but it ended the lives of more than 58,000 U.S. servicemen and women. Of that number, more than 33,000 were only 18 years old at the time of their deaths.
After my time in the Navy, I went on to have a successful career in education and raised a family of five kids. Life’s been good. I’m 87 now, and like many retirees, I do a lot of traveling in my RV. I’ve always had a keen interest in military history. In my retirement, I’ve been active in veterans’ groups and have made RV trips to visit various U.S. war memorials.
In November 2022 I traveled to Washington, D.C. with a group of fellow Vietnam Veterans on an Honor Flight Nevada-sponsored trip to the Vietnam Memorial. I had visited the memorial on my own a few times, but prior to this trip with other veterans I made a point to research the combat history of the ship and learn the names of the 11 servicemen who died in battle during that initial deployment. I located each of their names on the Memorial wall and obtained rubbings of them.
That trip to the Vietnam War Memorial stirred something in me. It brought back a lot of memories, and triggered questions that had gone unanswered for several decades – things I honestly hadn’t thought too much about all these years.
The Vietnam was was a long, costly, and divisive conflict. It was a difficult period in American’s history. I’d put all that behind me, but now I decided I wanted to know more about the Midway, its long history, and the stories of the lives of those who served onboard. Why was the Midway sent to the South China Sea? Who were these young servicemen who sacrificed their lives in battle – and at such a young age? What became of the pilots who were taken as POWs after their planes were shot down?
I continued researching the USS Midway and its history, especially the details of events that took place while I was onboard during that first combat deployment. Back then, the enlisted men weren’t aware of the day-to-day activities of the Air Wing. We knew nothing of our casualties – there was just a list of names at the end of the Cruise Book. I didn’t personally know those who died, but still. I found myself waiting to know who these men were before they joined the military; I wanted to honor their sacrifice by learning about them, where they came from, and who their families were.
My curiosity fueled many hours of research. Once I’d gathered all the information, including finding archival photos of the ship and portraits of those servicemen who died, this book sort of happened on its own. What follows is the first-ever personal account of the inaugural combat deployment of the USS Midway, as recalled by an enlisted member. I decided publishing it would be a respectful way to honor all who served on the USS Midway, especially those we lost during that first combat deployment.
I’ve included a selection of stories from my childhood and growing up in California and Kansas – not because my early years were all that special – but because now, at 87, I have the blessed advantage of reflecting on my life and seeing how certain people and events shaped my character and prepared me to withstand the challenges of serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War.