Commissioned just nine days after World War II ended, the Midway outlasted the war that built her and went on to become the longest-serving American aircraft carrier of the 20th century. She fought in Vietnam, responded to crises across three oceans, and led the Naval air component of Operation Desert Storm in 1991—her last combat deployment. The Midway was always a hard ship, but her crew wouldn't have had it any other way. She now rests in San Diego as a museum and monument to all who served.