Midway (CVA 41) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 22 text:

Once each year the crew of the Midway is given a chance to show their family or girl what they do aboard. The day starts to 0700 when everyone comes aboard, con- tinues to 0800 when the Midway pulls out under the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges, and continues along while we conduct flight operations, an underway replenish- ment, and nearly every other event that normally goes into our life at sea. In ad- dition, we show off a bit with an air show, a marching and firing drill by the Marines and a cake-cutting ceremony. The day comes to an end around five when we slip back under the bridges to our berth at 3 South in Alameda, tired. once we got to bring that ' ' something ' ' aboard

Page 24 text:

A carrier cruise in WESTPAC for six to eight months is a feat undreamed of not too long ago. The supply problem of feeding, clothing, paying and keeping up the morale of 3,600 men plus providing fuel, spare parts and upkeep material for a 987-foot ship over this long period and 6.000 miles is staggering. It takes months of planning and weeks of hard work to prepare for such an ambitious task. The Air Group must embark, supplies must be lifted aboard and stored, black oil must be pumped into the ship ' s tanks, every possible casualty and operational change must be taken into consideration and planned for. Nothing must be forgot- ten. For days the work goes on. Finally, everything is aboard and everyone spends that last night on the town ... or at home. But in the back of everyone ' s mind is the thought that tonight is our last. In the morning the 62.000 tons which we call home will leave its berth and carrv us to Hawaii and WESTPAC. Bui it ' s April, and Midway has a mission