"We made it!"
Cadets, counselors and parents boarded the USS Midway Museum in San Diego on September 19th 2025 for an overnight adventure. Ten clubs totaling over 250 boys and men from the Southern California Council were represented.
The Midway Overnight Adventure is a structured event, with guided tours and behind-the-scenes excursions throughout the ship. After check-in on Friday evening, the “campers” boarded the ship and were separated into groups called squadrons. Each squadron name was selected from actual aircraft squadrons which had served on the USS Midway during its forty-seven years of active service. After being assigned to their squadron, Cadets and adults were guided to their berthing areas located toward the front (or bow) of the ship. Squadron members were berthed in actual U.S. Navy three-high beds called “racks”. After storing their gear, squadron members returned to the designated area on the ship’s hangar deck for further instructions before being dismissed to begin the adventure. Guided by members of the museum’s Education Department, each squadron followed a different schedule to visit eight areas of this massive floating museum.
The USS Midway was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in the 20th century. Named after the climactic Battle of Midway of June 1942, Midway was built in only 17 months but missed World War II by one week when commissioned on Sept. 10, 1945. Midway was the first in a three-ship class of large carriers that featured an armored flight deck and a powerful air group of 120 planes.
Midway’s first combat deployment came in 1965 when it flew strikes against North Vietnam. Midway aircraft shot down three MiGs, including the first air kill of the war. However, 17 Midway aircraft were lost to enemy fire during this cruise. In 1966, Midway was decommissioned for a four-year overhaul. Over a chaotic two-day period during the fall of Saigon in April 1975, Midway was a floating base for large Air Force helicopters that evacuated more than 3,000 desperate refugees during Operation Frequent Wind.
As potential threats to the Arabian oil supply grew, and to relieve strain on U.S.-based carriers, Midway transferred to Yokosuka, Japan, making it the first American carrier homeported in a foreign country. In 1990, Midway deployed to the Persian Gulf in response to the Iraqi seizure of Kuwait. In the ensuing Operation Desert Storm, Midway served as the flagship for naval air forces in the Gulf and launched more than 3,000 combat missions with no losses. Its final mission was the evacuation of civilian personnel from Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines after the 20th century’s largest volcano eruption of nearby Mount Pinatubo.
On April 11, 1992, the Midway was decommissioned in San Diego and remained in the inactive ship fleet in Bremerton, Washington, until 2003, when it was donated to the 501(c)3 nonprofit San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum organization. It opened as the USS Midway Museum in June 2004.
On Friday evening, as the squadrons of Cadets and adults were guided from area to area, members of the Education Department or active duty military shared their experiences in engineering, aircraft operations (launching and recovery), navigation, security and tactical communications during wartime.
During Friday evening and after each squadron had visited four areas, everyone enjoyed a brief free-time on the Flight Deck. Cadets and parents were able to step back into history and relive the active service of rescue helicopters, cargo planes and powerful fighter jets as well, climbing in and out of cockpits, cargo holds, and taking in the sheer size and power of these fighting machines. As Friday evening ended, Council President Bill Mulder led the group in reciting our Cadet Landmarks, where we got to declare our mutual commitment and love for Christ to each other and to the Midway staff, then each squadron returned to their berthing areas. Lights out promptly at 2200 (or 10pm in civilian time) signaled a brief pause in the adventure. Revelle (or lights on) occurred at 0600 (or 6am).
A full breakfast was provided by the museum’s kitchen staff at 0615 and regrouping was called at 0700 for a continuation of the adventure. Four more areas of the ship on the schedule for each squadron on Saturday morning.
These tours included (from top to bottom): the bridge where Midway sailors navigated the ship through the oceans; the flight deck where briefings on launching and recovering aircraft, as well as pre-electronic communication between ship personnel and the pilots were demonstrated. A visit to the Combat Information Center, or C.I.C. showed how equipment was used to find and interdict incoming enemy aircraft or ships, and communicate with the pilots in the airplane cockpits. Deep within the confines of the museum, squadrons visited one of four engine rooms, where massive steam generation machines produced enough power to support ship’s movement and operations, including making fresh water. One engine room for each of the massive propellers. Also visited was Damage Control Central, or D.C.C. were ship’s personnel responded to emergencies (fire, flooding, etc.). Squadrons also visited the living spaces of the United States Marine Corps detachment onboard the ship and received a briefing on the life and duties of a Marine onboard the USS Midway.
Mid-morning on Saturday found our intrepid “Honorary Midway Museum crew members” back on the hangar deck for a final briefing and dismissal. The overnight adventure was ended but with a promise to return in 2028 for a new generation of Southern California Cadets.
"Spend the night on the longest-serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century! Walk in the footsteps of a true Midway Sailor, sleeping in authentic Navy bunks, eating breakfast on board, and much more." USS Midway Museum Overnight Adventure
A new council-wide event for all clubs in Southern California Council. The Overnight Adventure takes place in San Diego onboard the USS Midway on September 19, 2025. Registrations for this year are already closed. However, it is planned for this adventure to be a triennial event so the next one is planned for September 2028.
The Midway Overnight Adventure is a structured event, with guided tours and behind-the-scenes excursions throughout the ship. The event begins at 6:30 PM on Friday, September 19th and concludes at 9:30 AM the following morning. Our group would be broken down into "squadrons" of about 15-20 people. Each squadron would then rotate through all the guided tours and excursions (similar to how events are handled at camporees).
The Midway Overnight Adventure is an all-weather event. Many spaces within the ship can get rather warm, especially in the summer months. However, we will also be touring until 9:30 PM, and while on the Flight Deck it can get chilly. We recommend a light jacket or a sweatshirt. Our berthing areas are temperature controlled; it can vary between 68-76.
There is limited Wi-Fi access aboard the ship, and much of the ship has poor cellular coverage due to the armored steel construction. For safety reasons, we discourage visitors from touring while using their phones and handheld devices. Electrical outlets are scarce, so a portable charger is recommended for recharging wireless devices.
The Midway staff provides an evening snack and breakfast but no dinner. It is highly recommended you eat dinner before your event. Berthing (sleeping) will be in the authentic berths used by the enlisted men when this ship was active duty—it is dormitory style. The bunks are stacked three-high but safety requires that only the middle and bottom bunk are used for sleeping. Overall dimensions for the racks are as follows: 77 1/2" L x 27 1/2" W x 9 3/4" H. We have separate Heads (restrooms) for males and females, but there are no Rain Lockers (showers) available.
Evening behind the scenes tours last past 9:30 PM, but early berthing is OK. Taps (lights out) will be at 10:00 PM. Reveille is at 6:00 AM.
Parking is available on the pier, owned by the Port Authority and operated by Ace Parking. The cost is $18 per vehicle for overnight parking. Re-admission to the museum is free at the conclusion of the program! Parking passes may only reflect 12-hours of parking credit, but they are valid until 10:00 AM. Re-admission to the museum is free at the conclusion of the program, however, parking will need to be extended if you wish to stay.
