As a celebration of the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the USS Midway Museum held its 9th annual MLK luncheon on the hangar deck. The event was not only a tribute to the accomplishment of Dr. King, but an opportunity to shine the light on several local community leaders who are making a difference in San Diego.

By April 1975, life in Saigon had dissolved into chaos. The army of the North Vietnamese had surrounded the city and bombardments were a daily occurrence. It was only a matter of time before Saigon collapsed. For those trapped in the city who had associations with the U.S. government or military, fear was rampant.

With war with England looming, colonist John Corbin made the difficult decision to join the Continental Army in 1775. His young wife Margaret was, unfortunately, confronted with two less than desirable choices. She could stay behind and face any number of hardships on the western frontier of Pennsylvania, or, like so many other wives and children of colonial soldiers, she could follow the Army.

World War II was in its final year when New York native Herb Alberg was finally old enough to enlist. Joining the Navy, he started his active duty service in December 1944. Following basic training and follow-on instruction, Herb received orders to the Navy’s newest, largest and most advanced aircraft carrier – the USS Midway (CV-41).

The eventual disengagement of American military forces in South Vietnam began shortly after Richard Nixon’s election to the presidency in 1968 with a determination to preserve South Vietnam’s sovereignty without a combat commitment. This endeavor required building Saigon’s military in a “Vietnamization” process while dividing support among Hanoi’s communist allies of China and the Soviet Union.

USS Midway Museum volunteers continue to be the life’s blood of the ship. They are often the first encounter museum guests have once they come on board, and the last one as they are going ashore. Comments by guests on Tripadvisor repeatedly praise Midway volunteers as the reason behind their 5-star visit.