USS Midway, San Diego

John in front of the USS Midway in San Diego

As I huffed out a large breath, wondering if my lungs would recuperate, I asked Laureen how many steps we had taken during our visit to the USS Midway Museum in San Diego.

“I think,” she replied in a gasp, “my watch says around sixty-five thousand, but that could be wrong since my eyes are tearing up and I can’t see clearly.”

That’s a lot of steps. I’m used to maybe two hundred per day unless I have to use the restroom more often, depending on the day of the week.

But here we were, visiting the USS Midway and traversing all around this wonderful aircraft carrier launched out of Newport News, Virginia, on March 3, 1945. It never served in WWII, but has seen plenty of action since it was officially commissioned in September of that same year.

Laureen and I love San Diego. Try to get there as often as we can, but one historical place we’ve never set foot on until a recent weekend was the USS Midway aircraft carrier, permanently docked at the Embarcadero waterfront at Navy Pier.

Why we hadn’t, in the past, taken a tour aboard this gorgeous water war machine, since it has been docked there for over twenty years, is a question we asked ourselves. Thus, the reason we had our walking shoes on and eyes watching the steps taken.

The ship is huge. Over one thousand feet long, 258 feet wide at its widest point, and as tall as a 20-story building. Wandering everywhere the tour allows is not for the weak of heart but is a must-see to truly marvel at the ingenuity and magnitude of what the United States Navy has to offer.

We walked the flight deck, studying the 30 aircraft meticulously taken care of over the vast four-acre area on the USS Midway. 

Just some of the helicopters for tourists to visit

There was the F-4 Phantom III, the A-9 Corsair II, the TBM Avenger, the UH-1 Huey helicopter, and so many more aircraft the visitor can wander and gaze at, including the one made terrifically famous in the Tom Cruise film, Top Gun, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.

A plane for any aircraft enthusiast

Just one of many planes on display

It was a somewhat warm but overcast day as we wandered about the USS Midway anchored in the San Diego Bay, but nothing could deter us from the excitement of visiting such a naval marvel as this ship is.

When active, the ship boasted a complement of nearly 4,700 personnel, broken up into the regular ship's company, the aircraft wing, and the smaller but lethal group of Marines assigned to the ship.

It was a floating city. And with a city comes extracurricular activities to make sure no one ever got bored while circumventing the Earth.

One of the best events was the steel beach picnics, where bbq’s were set up on deck, and the crew played sports, sang songs, listened to music, and enjoyed other activities. Movie nights, talent shows, driving golf balls off the deck into the ocean, and skeet shooting were done regularly to make sure being away from home for long deployments didn't feel that long or lonely.

The flight deck is 4 acres, plenty of room for activities

Plenty of room for crew and guests to wander the USS Midway

Although the ship entered service not long after WWII ended, it saw plenty of action during the Vietnam War and the Gulf Wars. Sortie after sortie, planes took off and landed along the lengthy runway on the ship, making sure that American interests were well handled no matter where on the globe the floating fighting ship was.

As a floating museum, the USS Midway is a must for any history enthusiast or just any person wanting to climb aboard a historic piece of American pride and truly respect the men and women who once sailed her.

Looking southwest toward Coronado Island

There are dozens of volunteer docents, most retired military, who are glad to stand with a visitor and answer any questions that may pop up. They know the answers because they love the history and splendor of this ship and what it represents.

One docent, Terry, told us, “I love coming here and meeting people from all over the world. They ask questions, and I do the best I can in answering every one of them. Of course, if there weren’t any tourists, I would still come here; it’s an honor to those who served aboard her.”

Terry then told us of a tour to the Castle, where all the goings-on of the ship are run from. “If you hurry, you will get the first tour, which isn’t crowded; later in the day it can be an hour wait.”

I learned about waiting from Disneyland. I hate waiting in lines, so off we ran over the flight deck and within minutes were climbing steep metal stairs up four decks to where the command post sits high above the ocean.

These are really straight-up ladders comprising 12 steps per floor, and by the time I had made it to number 48, I was tired and decided to sit in the Captain’s chair overlooking all the action down below on the flight deck.

View of the flight deck from the Castle

The sense of power which overtook me was sensational while sitting in the commander’s chair. I ordered Laureen to launch 4 Tomcats to ensure we had the proper dinner reservations at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, or else!

Laureen enjoying the power of running the ship

She only smiled as she listened to the docent explain every nuance of the command bridge. The view was outstanding as we all looked out the wide glass windows facing Coronado Island, perhaps wondering what it would have been like gazing across open ocean waters, wondering if an enemy was also peering your way.

After leaving the Castle, we headed into the belly of the aircraft carrier to the crew's quarters, the many dining halls, the kitchen, the laundry, the engine room, the infirmary, the arms lockers, and so much more that I forgot all I saw except the number of stairways and ladders that each of the nearly 20 floors required to manoeuvre up and around.

One of the officers' quarters aboard the USS Midway

In the dining hall, in honor of those who did not return

The hallways were narrow, the ladders steep, the bunks tiny, which shows that to be aboard the USS Midway was a guaranteed way to keep in shape.

No one was knocking back a dozen Crispy Cremes and then racing up and down between decks. Nope, instant heart attack, though maybe with a smile on a glazed face.

We spent four hours on the ship, and that was probably not enough. But with nearly a hundred thousand steps on my made-up watch, I was tired and thirsty.

Luckily, there was the Cafe 41, which served adult libations on the aft deck, which helped with my parched throat and tired feet.

John R Beyer enjoying Cafe 41

Why we had not visited the USS Midway in the past, we don’t know. But we will be back again to enjoy all the Navy has to offer aboard this wonderful fighting ship.

John can be contacted at: beyersbyways@gmail.com

For more information: 

https://www.midway.org/

                                                            
 In 1542, Captain Juan Cabrillo landed just off the coast of Southern California, having sailed into the entrance of what would be later be known as San Diego Bay. It was a momentous occasion for the Spanish explorer, even though he was actually Portuguese, to finally find such an immense safe port so far away from home.

                                                             That looks like a nice bay.

Months of sailing had tired Cabrillo and his men, and nearly exhausted their food supplies. The bearded man – I assume he was bearded; weren’t all early 16th century explorers bearded? Even the women?

“We have done it my fine fellows,” he exclaimed, in perfect Spanish, with perhaps just a hint of a Portuguese accent. “We are tired, hungry, and I know a great place that serves wonderful fajitas and large margaritas near the Embarcadero.”

Okay, perhaps I exaggerate.

But he was pretty thrilled, according to some history paper I once read, about his discovery of the bay. His men were too – finally able to disembark and look around the vacant lands that bordered the blue waters which streamed in from the Pacific Ocean. What a relief it must have been to walk on solid ground again, after so long bouncing up and down and down and up across the waters.

In fact, embarcadero means, boarding place, in Spanish. I don’t know what it means in Portuguese, though.

Cabrillo, per history, was the first European to set foot, or webbed feet – considering he had been at sea for so long, onto the soil that would centuries later encompass one of the most beautiful cities in the United States.

It would be nearly two hundred years before any other Europeans would revisit after Cabrillo departed, and start to settle there permanently. It would be a lonely land, except for the large groups of Kumeyaay – pronounced Kumeyaay - who lived there already.

                                                        That's some pretty big territory

These Native American people, had resided near the large bay for nearly 12,000 years before Cabrillo had claimed the area for Spain. I guess, Cabrillo simply forgot about the indigenous people already living there.

“I claim this land in the name of the King of Spain, even though I’m Portuguese,” he was heard announcing, at he stuck a flag in a beach.

“Uh, sorry, but we were here first,” replied the chief of the Kumeyaay people.

“Yeah? Where’s your flag?” Cabrillo asked. All his men, who weren’t busy building sand castles, nodded in agreement.

“Got me there,” the chief lamented.

Anyway, as the centuries moved on, San Diego prospered, and in 1976, the first female port commissioner, Bernice Leyton, approved two parks to be built on the peninsula jutting out into the San Diego Bay. 

                                        The two parks have great views of Coronado Island

In 1978, the Embarcadero Marina North and South Parks were completed, with rolling open grass areas, tall eucalyptus trees, and other flora making the parks not only breathtakingly scenic, but also acting as a buffer from the western breezes coming in from the bay to protect the boats in the marina.

The Embarcadero Marina Park North, was a nine-and-a-half-acre extension for the already present Sea Port Village situated at the northern edge of the park. The designers believed, and were correct, that this addition of lands would make a gorgeous area for walking for visitors and citizens of San Diego. A walking path winds gently along the bay with views of the Coronado Bridge, as well as Coronado Island itself.

Even though Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, if we remember our history, made a pretty big name for himself as another Spanish Explorer - at least he was Spanish, born around 1510 in Salamanca, Spain - who explored the area in what would later be the American West and the country of Mexico, he never set foot in the San Diego Bay area.

Why name a bridge and island after him? How about the Cabrillo Bridge, or Cabrillo Island? Perhaps, the Kumeyaay Bridge and Kumeyaay Island would have worked out just fine also.

Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be.

Still, the view of the bay is outstanding, and being in Southern California, the weather is almost perfect year round. That is why San Diego is known as America’s Finest City. Miles upon miles of white sandy beaches, dozens of lush green parks, bike lanes all along the waterfront, and so much more to offer those who reside there and those who would like to. Those would be the tourists.

                                                The view from anywhere, is awesome

So, a few weeks ago, I decided to pay America’s Finest City, a visit. It was a quick visit. A little business, but time enough to walk around the Embarcadero Marina North Park, and wander through the shops at Seaport Village.

The sun was shining, no clouds in the sky, the crystal blue waters of the bay lapping the shorelines of the Embarcadero, and crowds of likeminded people enjoying the outdoors. I knew they were enjoying themselves as their foreheads were wrinkled up and their eyes squinting.

That’s the new way of knowing if someone is smiling. A scrunched up face. Since we’re all required to wear masks – the new way of life – no smiles were actually seen, but only felt.

“I was smiling at your joke, Dad.”

“I didn’t see any smile.”

“My eyes were watering, that’s the sign now.

The day was just lovely. In fact, love was in the air along the promenade that circles the embarcadero.

Young lovers smashing masks together as they sat on the bay retaining wall. Couples walking hand in hand, and then sanitizing soon after. 

It was all so romantic. 

But, I was alone on this trip. Laureen couldn’t accompany me – so I thought I’d do something she would never think of doing – I went shopping.

That last line was tongue in cheek – of course, me wearing a mask, no one would know.

There are actually some sixty plus stores in Seaport Village. I didn’t make but two – I was exhausted, after purchasing some snazzy t-shirts and a couple of patriotic masks.

                                           One of many shops offering great items for sale

There are also countless restaurants, bistros, coffee shops, sweet shops. And did I mention mask shops? The shopping area is so eclectic in what is offered, that it sounds silly to say it’s an eclectic set of eclectic businesses, all bunched in one area. I had to write that – just had to.

                                    Enough for anyone, wanting to enjoy San Diego at its finest

But, in this time of COVID and with all the rest 2020 has brought us – I’m waiting for swarms of locusts to descend from the heavens at this point – the Seaport Village and both parks on the Embarcadero are worth visiting.

It’s San Diego – that should say it all, but, and here’s another selling point. It’s cooler there by the water – and in this blistering summer – that is enough said.

This article was first published in the Daily Press Newspaper, in - Beyer's Byways.