Midway (CV 41) - Naval Cruise Book

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FOREWORD This is the historic account of the 1965 Western Pacific cruise of the United States Ship Midway, engaged in combat for the freedom of a small nauon. It is not the ordinary jour- nal of a peacetime vehicle passively guarding the peace and showing the flag. It is the graphic portrayal of the USS Midway defending those doctrines which have made the United States of America so great, and for which Americans have fought throughout the history of our nation. During the months of this account, USS Midway operated as a unit of the U. S. Seventh Fleet, and actively engaged, offensively and defensively, in fighting communist aggression in South Vietnam. From March 6, 1965, when the ship departed her home- port of Alameda, California, until November 23, 1965, when she returned from the cruise, USS Midway had steamed 80,000 miles, and operated at sea for 211 of the 262 days in the cruise. Her longest at-sea period was from May 19 to July 2, operating off Vietnam. The 1965 cruise was a significant one. The ship launched her first attack and fired her first shot in combat against an enemy since she was commissioned on September 10, 1945. She was constructed too late to participate in World War ll. During the Korean Conflict she operated in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. This cruise tested her in actual combat - a task for which she was built 20 years ago. But MIDWAY without a crew is not a ship. The some 3700 officers and men who proudly serve on this 62,000 ton attack aircraft carrier are the USS Midway. This pictorial story is their story, the dedication of their labors and their lives in a fight for the cause of freedom and a better life for all mankind.

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WF L., mm, 3 we ,N .75 51425 , 'in '8L, 2'-if 3 it 1 , an E Q 1 9 5 i 1 f ' ya Hceed anywhere, at any time, , , at y Q '- 131 c ai N X Q' Y '7 'ILI , nv, ' + ,tif . N ,N a ' X , Q4 -' 4' -n ,A qggigqwg, p J. ..f,Q..,,1. .,,. r. L 1 s X, , ,4: The primary coiip ig simply-defends her ust be rea ro- any typef'fofi war5are, ordered by higher authority. must be ready to beaigtthe strain of the Cold War or convert instantly to hot ,wearywithl either nuclear or conventional weapons. ,S at V. M M During this 13965 cruise,'US5 I!fiSlSl0ll vias clearly sp?-:lled out., As unit ofgftheiniigghtf Fleet, Shelassisted tlietRepuli'li5 of 4StouthiVietn5nfiif1 defending their homeland against aggression by Jtheg Viet' Qonggand the Red 4 Communistss froin ,North Xiietnama 3:5 'X A S c L To carry out this mission, Midway and her fighters, bombers, reconnaissanceland airborne' early warning- aircraft, patrolled coastal waters for QenemyQimovements,' and on their owngsorhside-by-side with tl1e United States and,S0uth1 Viet- :Qi 1-, L41 his M., ,G 3 aTi 't 'K ,, q ef 1-mix 1 +514 - - . ,r ., ,Q ,,,, , fmwlsq ,, N., ,Q 4 V. . .,, W,-1 11amese Air Fdrces, Midway's, squadrons bombarded Viet Cong J' concentrations' ein- So'uth+ Vietname and fdestroyelm communists-5 S D military installations and fagilities North Yiegm am. y ' , 5 in , These liorth Vietnamese installations had directly con- tributed to and prolonged the wal: against the freeipeople of South Vifetnamn t ff Q wtf x b ., , ,Each man serving aboard USS Midway - theshipis com- pa1ify,f the Hairi wingfand Staff of-Commandeiffiariiier Seven - whatever his job, contributed to-the overall success of this missionf 'f ' 'Q f i lf Q SQ Q r During this 1965 cruise, Midway andiher crew were proud to have helped the people 6f SoiIthiVietnan1 to defend their freedom andirightszanclp tio prevent the weaned' of eomhf miflnism from eating awaysthisitinyi nation and sblfeadingifyfb Q -- ,, at the shores of our own free United States of America. y . ., - - V 'K H-we. - . ,Mui , . , ' ' , it, u K S 1, 1, sy sg ' Aw-s-sf-.-,ws-.s 3 ,gk -

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