USS Midway, commissioned in 1945 just after World War II, became the lead ship of a new class and for a decade the world’s largest aircraft carrier, symbolizing the postwar expansion of American naval power. Built in Virginia and later based in both Atlantic and Pacific operations, she helped pioneer major innovations including a V-2 rocket launch from a moving platform and the angled flight deck. Repeated modernizations kept her effective through the jet age as she served in Cold War crises, the Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm. Preserved in San Diego, she remains a rare surviving postwar carrier closely tied to major changes in carrier design and U.S. naval history.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain