Decades later, McCall traveled to Washington, DC with a group of fellow Vietnam Veterans on an Honor Flight Nevada-sponsored trip to the Vietnam Memorial. McCall had visited the memorial on his own a few times, but prior to this trip with other veterans he made a point to research the combat history of the ship and learn the names of the 13 Midway serviceman who died during that initial deployment. He located each of their names on the Memorial wall and obtained rubbings of them.

That trip brought back a lot of memories for McCall, and triggered questions that had gone unanswered for several decades.

And now, some 60 years later, he’s written a book about it. His is the first-ever personal account of the inaugural Combat Deployment of the USS Midway, as recalled by an enlisted member of the Ship’s Company.

He writes, “After that Honor Flight Nevada trip, I had so many questions, things I honestly hadn’t thought too much about all these years. The Vietnam war was a long, costly, and divisive conflict. It was a difficult period in America’s history. I suppose I’d put all that behind me, but now I decided I wanted to know more. 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 serviceman who sacrificed their lives for their country – and at such young ages? What became of the pilots who were taken as POWs after their planes were shot down?”

He continued researching the USS Midway and its history, especially the details of that first combat deployment and those whose lives were lost.

McCall writes, “Onboard the USS Midway, information was seldom shared with the enlisted members of the Ship’s Company about 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 any of them, but still. I wanted 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 archival photos and photos of those who died, this book sort of happened on its own. I decided publishing it would be a respectful way to honor all who served on the USS Midway, especially the 13 casualties from that first combat deployment.” 

In addition to his tribute to the fallen, McCall’s book provides insight into life onboard the Midway, from mundane daily chores to dangerous mishaps, including an in-flight aircraft collision. He writes, “Lt. Paul Ilg of Attach Squadron 22 (VA-22) had already flown 20 combat missions over North Vietnam. After launching on May 11, 1965, 12 planes were forming up to fly to Cubi Point. Lt. Ilg was the second to the last plane in the formation. While attempting to join the formation, the twelfth aircraft came in “too hot” and slammed into the underside of Lt. Ilg’s plane’s fuselage. Lt. Ilg didn’t know the extent of damage to his Skyhawk, but he saw his fuel gauge read 200 pounds – and was dropping, fast. He’d be out of fuel in minutes. Two of the A-4s in the formation were configured as tankers. One of them flew alongside; Lt. Ilg maneuvered his aircraft behind and under the tanker and was able to plug in and refuel. The two returned to the Midway, separating about a mile and half out, so Lt. Ilg could begin his approach – but there were still a lot that could go wrong. He could overshoot the ship or run out of fuel on approach. He could lose flight controls or even catch fire. Lt. Ilg was prepared to eject if he had to, but that didn’t happen. Instead, he made a perfect landing. There are four arresting cables on the deck. A perfect landing is when the pilot catches the number two wire. Lt. Ilg caught the number two wire as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Once he was safely aboard the Midway, Lt. Ilg remarked to his commanding officer, Cmdr. Don Wyland, “Great! No swimming today.”Lt. Ilg was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his superior flying skills and for saving the aircraft. In 1965, the cost of an A-4C Skyhawk was just over three quarters of a million dollars.”

This, and other stories, including McCall’s account of an incident that prompted the United States Congress to pass the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution – which ultimately led to the expansion of the US’s involvement in the Vietnam War – make for a compelling read.

Readers will learn more about this contentious period in US history, while also getting to know McCall, who says, “As this is a first-person account, I’ve included stories of my life before and during military service, and what my time onboard the Midway was like, being a young sailor far from home during wartime. I hope this book is interesting to those who like military history, and I hope it honors all who serve. Lastly, I hope it pays a debt of gratitude to the families of the fallen.