The Midway matched the Missouri in longevity, achieving a staggering 47 years in service. Launched just too late to fight in WWII, she didn"t have to wait long for prolonged battle action, outdoing even many of the WWII veteran carriers in fighting service. She was involved in the air offensive off Vietnam beginning in 1963, accounting for some of the first MiGs downed by the US. She would become a mainstay in the offshore carrier force designated Yankee Station, flying numberless sorties into the heart of the North Vietnamese missile and MiG defenses. Her rescue sorties to snatch away downed flyers were legend. The Midway was a stabilizing force in the seas off Arabia during the many crises in the area. And in the first Gulf War, the old veteran was right in the middle of launching killing sorties into Kuwait. The Midway is still afloat as a battle museum at San Diego, California.