Fifty active-duty service members proudly became America’s newest citizens during a stirring naturalization ceremony aboard the USS Midway Museum, taking the Oath of Allegiance as part of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) annual nationwide Fourth of July citizenship celebration. Representing the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Army, these new citizens came from 20 countries spanning the globe, including Mexico, Ukraine, South Korea and the Philippines. For more than a decade, Midway has hosted this special ceremony, honoring the commitment of the men and women who chose to wear the uniform of the nation before officially becoming its citizens.

The USS Midway Museum is one of the world’s most unique venues. Every day, scores of volunteer docents share remarkable stories of service and sacrifice with thousands of guests in spaces that range from narrow passageways inside the ship’s island to the expansive hangar deck and the windswept flight deck overlooking San Diego Bay. Each location presents unique acoustic challenges, making coherent communication essential to creating an unforgettable visitor experience.

For the past few years, corporate partner Anchor Audio has helped ensure those stories are heard loud and clear.

Locally based, Anchor Audio designs and manufactures professional portable sound systems that are proudly American made. For more than 40 years, the company has built rugged, easy-to-use voice amplification solutions serving educators, military organizations, government agencies, first responders, businesses, sports and entertainment venues and event professionals across the country.

Aboard Midway, Anchor Audio’s Liberty and Bigfoot portable sound systems have become indispensable tools for docents and staff.

Inside the ship’s island, Liberty systems provide clear voice reinforcement for small tour groups navigating compact compartments and steel passageways. On the hangar deck, where sound echoes across steel surfaces and blends with the conversations of hundreds of visitors at any given time, the systems deliver the clarity and projection needed to keep guests engaged.

“Anchor Audio’s Liberty and Bigfoot portable sound systems have become indispensable tools for docents and staff.”

The challenges continue on the flight deck, where docents present popular aircraft launch and recovery demonstrations while competing with winds off San Diego Bay, military and civilian aircraft operating from nearby airports, and construction activity at adjacent Freedom Park at Burnham Navy Pier.

In every setting, Anchor Audio’s portable systems help transform difficult listening environments into memorable educational experiences.

“Anchor Audio provides an outstanding range of amplification solutions that allow our educators and docents to deliver exceptional experiences in every one of Midway’s uniquely challenging indoor and outdoor environments,” said Steve Miller, Midway’s director of strategic partnerships and member development. “We’re excited to continue growing this outstanding partnership.”

Anchor Audio equipment also supports the hundreds of corporate events, military ceremonies, educational programs, receptions and community gatherings hosted aboard Midway each year.

The partnership extends well beyond providing equipment. Anchor Audio works closely with the museum through technical support, communications consultation and product testing, recognizing that Midway’s extraordinary variety of spaces offers an ideal environment to demonstrate the versatility of its products.

As the most-visited historic naval ship museum in the world, Midway provides an iconic setting for showcasing industry-leading American-made technology, while benefiting from a trusted corporate partner committed to helping preserve history by ensuring every story can be heard.

Every weekday during the school year, the USS Midway Museum welcomes students eager to explore history through the lens of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As they calculate aircraft performance, solve engineering challenges and discover the technology that made naval aviation possible, many are experiencing STEM education in a way that textbooks alone cannot provide.

Making those opportunities accessible to every student takes dedicated community partners. For the past seven years, Hologic has proudly supported the Midway as a corporate partner, helping ensure that more young learners can experience the museum’s award-winning educational programs.

Hologic is a global medical technology company dedicated to improving health through early detection, accurate diagnosis and advanced surgical solutions. With locations in more than 36 countries and more than 7,000 employees, the company is an industry leader in breast health, cervical cancer screening, molecular diagnostics, and gynecologic health, developing technologies that enable healthcare providers to detect disease earlier and improve patient outcomes worldwide. At the heart of Hologic’s mission is a commitment to advancing science and improving lives through innovation.

That commitment naturally extends to inspiring tomorrow’s innovators.

As a biotechnology company built on scientific discovery, Hologic recognizes that tomorrow’s breakthroughs will come from today’s students. Supporting elementary STEM education helps nurture curiosity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills at an early age. These are the qualities that form the foundation of tomorrow’s scientists, engineers and healthcare professionals.

Through its partnership with Midway, Hologic supports elementary STEM education while also helping fund the museum’s “No Child Left Ashore” Title I school scholarship fund, which underwrites admission and transportation costs for students that might otherwise be unable to visit. That support provides the means for hundreds of students each year to come aboard Midway and experience the museum’s popular “Math on the Midway” field trip curriculum, where mathematical concepts come alive through real-world applications found throughout the historic aircraft carrier. By eliminating financial barriers, Hologic helps ensure that students from at-promise communities have access to experiences that can spark lifelong interests in STEM learning.

“Hologic’s partnership demonstrates how corporate leadership can create lasting opportunities for young people by investing in education and experiences that inspire future generations,” said Steve Miller, Midway’s director of strategic partnerships and member development.

Like Midway, Hologic represents a culture of innovation and continuous advancement. Together, the museum and Hologic are helping students connect history with possibility, showing them that the same curiosity, collaboration and ingenuity that once powered one of America’s most iconic naval ships continue to shape the future of science, technology and healthcare.

By investing in educational access today, Hologic is helping cultivate the next generation of problem solvers whose ideas may one day change the world.

Telling a story about classified naval operations that took place long ago and quietly behind the scenes is far from easy. Even more difficult is to tell such a story in a manner that is highly immersive and engaging for museum visitors of all ages and walks of life.

The USS Midway Museum exhibits department, along with experience-design studio, FELT, and the San Diego chapter of the Naval Intelligence Professionals, took this challenging concept and turned it into a stunning reality when they brought to life the museum’s Carrier Intelligence Center exhibit in 2025.

“Top Secret: Inside the High-Stakes World of Naval Intelligence,” was an instant hit with Midway visitors and grabbed the attention of the International Awards Associate (IAA). This global organization evaluates and honors creative professionals in advertising, design and digital media.

In its ongoing commitment to highlight and honor the best in creative design, the IAA recently bestowed its prestigious MUSE Award on Midway’s newest interactive exhibit for excellence in the experiential and immersive exhibition category.

“I was delighted but not surprised that the exhibit was recognized,” said Mark Berlin, Midway’s director of operations who oversees the museum’s exhibits development. “It tells a unique story that few people are aware of – the behind the scenes of naval intelligence – through the lens of the Operation Desert Storm conflict from 1991 that many of our guests remember.  The interactives in this exhibit are the best we’ve ever introduced on Midway.”

“Hearing that the Midway’s intelligence center exhibit received the MUSE Gold Award is incredibly exciting because it represents years of work dedicated to preserving a part of naval history that very few people ever saw or understood,” said Diana Guglielmo, a retired naval intelligence officer who played a key role in the design of the exhibit. “What makes the recognition so special is knowing that visitors can now walk into the exhibit and gain an appreciation for the naval intelligence professionals who worked quietly behind the scenes during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.”

The carrier intelligence exhibit was evaluated and scored by an international panel of experts consisting of technology professionals, scholars and industry leaders who work in galleries, libraries, archives and museums.

“It tells a unique story that few people are aware of – the behind the scenes of naval intelligence – through the lens of the Operation Desert Storm.  The interactives in this exhibit are the best we’ve ever introduced on Midway.”

“The exhibition is distinguished by an inventive reuse of authentic, retired intelligence equipment and spaces,” said the Media & Technology Professional Network, he professional interest committee of the American Alliance of Museums that selected Midway’s new exhibit for the MUSE Award. “Top Secret transforms a once-hidden space into a deeply immersive experience, helping visitors feel the urgency, complexity and stakes of naval intelligence.”

Spearheading the development of the new exhibit was the creative team at FELT, led by creative director for visual design, Julie Flechoux, and creative director for content, Christine Murray.

“This was such a team effort,” said Christine, who is also one of the founders of FELT Design. When I heard about the MUSE, I felt like it validated every single person who contributed, every box we dug through to find just the right artifact and every question we asked, especially of our naval intelligence advisors. To see the exhibition recognized not only within the museum world, but by this international community of designers, storytellers and creative innovators is super gratifying.”

“This was our second project working with the creative team at FELT,” said Mark. “The first one was our engineering exhibit, which is great, but I think this one went even better. It’s an honor to have a front-row seat to the creative process that our talented exhibits team led and watching all the pieces come together to create an impactful experience for our guests. Having the subject matter experts of the naval intelligence professionals involved ensured that we got the facts right and their stories provided the human and emotional element to the exhibition.”

Aric Henschen, Exhibits – April 2026

The art world celebrates many different styles, from abstract and expressionism to impressionism and surrealism. On board Midway, however, realism is considered the highest form of art. Every exhibit, display and restored space is painstakingly crafted to recreate extraordinary levels of authenticity.

For Aric Henschen, authenticity takes center stage in all the work he does with the exhibits team. He recently completed all the faux painting in the new Prisoner of War
exhibit. Not only did he work tirelessly to
ensure the accuracy of the exhibit, but he also toiled in alternatingly hot and cold conditions which can affect the paint’s consistency.

“Aric did a truly outstanding job,” said Bill Coleman, Midway’s exhibits director. “The detailed effort he put forth on our new POW exhibit accurately depicted the look of an actual prison camp cell during the Vietnam War.”

A dual service veteran, Aric split his military career between the Navy and the Army before retiring in 2006. Since joining Midway in 2025, he’s already amassed more than 400 volunteer hours.

Steve Nehez, Safety – May 2026

There is no question, Steve Nehez is a go-getter. Although he joined the safety team only a year ago, he has already contributed more than 1,000 volunteer hours to Midway. Committing nearly 120 hours per month, he has had a tremendously positive influence on the museum’s safety and security efforts.

His motivation and passion have been infectious within the safety department, and he’s not afraid to tackle any job and literally get his hands dirty in the process.

“He loves his position and is very passionate about safety and security,” said Dominic Boccia, Midway’s director of safety. “He quickly gained the respect of his peers and is making a beneficial impact on Midway.”

A model train enthusiast, Steve also helps set up and operate the popular train display on the hangar deck during Jingle Jets, the museum’s holiday lights celebration.

Steve served in the Marine Corps for 28, years rising to the rank of sergeant major. Following his retirement from the military, he worked in parking enforcement in Oceanside for nearly two decades.

AJ Ronacher, Docents/Midway on Bikes – June 2026

Over the past six years, AJ Ronacher has become one of Midway’s standout docents. Since coming aboard in 2020, he’s donated more than 2,700 volunteer hours to the museum. 

Along with directly engaging with Midway visitors, AJ has also committed himself to another passion that has quietly evolved into a very visible component of the museum’s community outreach program.

In 2023, AJ helped take the dream of the late Bob Carter, a former museum docent, of creating a Midway bicycle club and turned it into a reality. Known as Midway on Bikes, or MOB, AJ is the club’s director with the ongoing vision of establishing local neighborhood rides through San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties.

“He works tirelessly to recruit new members and ride leaders while meticulously coordinating every group outing,” said Jack Gale, Midway’s docent director. “AJ is constantly generating fresh ideas and finding innovative ways to enhance the MOB experience for everyone involved.”

Known as the MOB Boss, AJ has demonstrated selfless leadership and an unwavering commitment to the club.

For those interested in becoming a USS Midway Museum volunteer, more information along with the volunteer application can be found here.

It has long been said that the lifeblood of the USS Midway Museum is its volunteers. Today, more than 850 strong, this remarkable team – made up of former military personnel, retired doctors, teachers and people from all walks of life – not only keeps the museum running each day, but is also the driving force behind Midway’s stellar reputation and world-class guest experience.

Midway, however, doesn’t rest on its laurels when it comes to this dedicated assembly of talent. The search for new volunteers is never ending.

“It’s critical that we bring new volunteers on board,” said Jack Gale, Midway’s director of docents. “Generally speaking, the vast majority our volunteers are retirees. To ensure we don’t become captive to Father Time, we spend a considerable amount of time looking for people who might be interested in donating a few hours a week or month to the museum.”

Oftentimes, the volunteers themselves become the best recruiters.

Long-time docent, Fred Shatsky, is constantly on the lookout for people that could see Midway as a potential volunteer opportunity.  As president of “Get Off You Rockers,” an active sports and social club in San Diego for adults aged 50 and older, Fred recently introduced members of this association to the museum.

“I believe some of the Get Off Your Rockers members would be good Midway volunteers for the same reasons I have found my Midway experience so rewarding,” said Fred, who has been a Midway docent since 2004 and has amassed more than 10,000 volunteer hours. “Volunteering offers well-known benefits for seniors, and even those who are less socially inclined can find meaningful and engaging opportunities to get involved with on Midway.  There are already a few Get Off Your Rockers members who are Midway volunteers.”

During the tour personally guided by Fred, this group of Get Off Your Rockers saw virtually the entire ship.

“Visiting the Midway is always a special treat,” said Bryson Pennoyer, a retired electrical engineer. “With all the unique personal experiences and stories told by Fred, it was an outstanding day. I also appreciated observing the efforts that the volunteers and staff put into making the Midway a major attraction for our town. I enjoyed every minute of the tour.”

Laurie Switzer, Midway’s director of volunteers, has spent more than 20 years ensuring that the museum’s treasure chest of volunteers is swelled to the brim.  She appreciates connecting with organizations like Get Off Your Rockers as excellent opportunities to find new Midway volunteers.

“We are excited to give this opportunity to Get Off Your Rockers,” said Laurie, who joined the Midway team in 2004. “Active retirees find the Midway volunteer program to be an inspiration, even if it’s just looking in from the outside. We hope other retirement groups here in San Diego will connect with us. Many consider the Midway to be a fountain of youth.”

Although Fred hopes to interest more Get Off Your Rockers members to Midway in the future, this recent visit has already been a success.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Midway Museum,” said Judi Spuris, the founder of an interior plantscape company. “Exploring the ship’s operational areas and learning about the lives of its crew made the experience both educational and memorable. I particularly appreciated the description of Midway’s volunteer opportunities presented by Laurie, Midway’s volunteer director. On our tour, Fred introduced me to the Knot Team leader, Emory. What I learned from Laurie, Fred and Emory inspired me to apply to become a volunteer for the Knot Team.”

Midway is once again proving to be great place to get off your rocker.

Who doesn’t love a good donut? They come in all shapes and sizes, and in more flavors than the sweetest of sweet tooths could ever image.

The USS Midway Museum once again partnered with the San Diego regional office of the Salvation Army to celebrate National Donut Day and honor the organization’s Donut Lassies from World War I.

Eight donut companies from throughout San Diego County gathered on Midway’s flight deck, armed with thousands of freshly-made donuts, bringing culinary joy, and possibly a sugar coma, to nearly 900 pre-registered guests.

“My kids love donuts and I just couldn’t believe how many types of donuts they had,” said Anna Fuentes, who enjoyed the event with friends and family. “It was cool doing this on the Midway. We had never been on the ship before and my son loved seeing all the planes.”

National Donut Day was started by the Salvation Army in 1938 to help raise funds for those adversely impacted by the Great Depression and to honor the volunteers, known as Donut Lassies, who made donuts for U.S. soldiers serving on the front lines in France during World War I. The lassies often fried the donuts in the metal helmets of the soldiers.

This holiday is celebrated annually on the first Friday in June. Hundreds of local donut-related festivities are held in communities across the United States every summer. This was the third Donut Day celebration held on Midway.

“Our partnership with the USS Midway Museum helps bring the San Diego community together to celebrate National Donut Day while honoring the legacy of the Salvation Army Donut Lassies who served America’s troops during World War I,” said Maj. Amy Reardon, the divisional secretary for the Salvation Army in San Diego County. “We are incredibly grateful to the Midway team for opening their iconic ship to the public and helping make this special event free, accessible and memorable for hundreds of San Diegans each year.”

Although popular folklore says that Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag in her upholstery shop in Philadelphia during the summer of 1776, it was a year later, on June 14, 1777, that the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution officially adopting the first design of the flag for the fledgling United States.

“It’s a day to honor our flag that is known worldwide as a symbol of freedom and independence.”

One hundred years later, Flag Day was established to observe the centennial of the Stars and Stripes. It wasn’t until 1916, however, that President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation for this day to be celebrated across the nation and in 1949, Flag Day was formally signed into law.

For more than 100 years, the Daughters of the American Revolution have been celebrating Flag Day around the country. For these descendants of patriots who aided in the Revolutionary War, this annual observance is an opportunity to promote patriotism and commemorate the principles upon which the United States was founded.

“It’s a day to honor our flag that is known worldwide as a symbol of freedom and independence,” said Beth Conard, a Midway volunteer since 2017 and a member of the Linares Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in San Diego. “Setting aside a specific day to give respect to the flag shows everyone we still believe in and are proud of the dream our ancestors risked their reputations, prosperity and lives for during the Revolutionary War.”

With help of the Daughters of the American Revolution, along with the acclaimed Mountain Fifes & Drums of Lake Arrowhead, the USS Midway Museum honored the nation’s Stars and Stripes during a Flag Day celebration on the flight deck.

“Performing on the Midway was cool because we were performing on a place where people fought for our country,” said Jema Schmidt, a 12-year-old fifer with the Fifes & Drums. “I hope that people saw us and were inspired by our leadership, responsibility, historical embodiment, musical skill and discipline.”

Mountain Fifes & Drums is an authentic 18th-century military music corps comprised of boys and girls ages 10 to 18 who bring history to life while sharing the stories behind the songs of revolution, the significance of their instruments and the purpose of the period attire. The presentation by this award-winning musical unit on Midway provided a memorable and fitting tribute to our nation’s history and the American flag.

“It is important for Americans to be reminded about Flag Day because flags have always been a part of our culture and country since 1776,” said Evan Valdea, an 18-year-old snare drummer with the Fifes & Drums. “Flags have played many roles, but as people forget the history of these flags, we forget our heritage, our culture and our pride in our great nation. That is why we should always remember our flags and the past so that we can honor the fallen and remember what makes us American.”

While the Fifes & Drums entertained Midway visitors with their performance, Beth, along with 10 other members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, talked to museum guests about the importance of and the meaning behind Old Glory, and passed out flag lapel pins to military veterans visiting Midway that day.

“Everyone that participated had such a great time,” said Beth, who’s fifth great grandfather was a private in Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War. “One of our members said it was the best Flag Day ever.”

Both groups enjoyed the opportunity to share the Flag Day celebration with museum guests aboard Midway.

“My hopes for any of the guests who heard us was that they enjoyed our performance,” said Eleanor Valdez, a 13-year-old fifer with the Fifes & Drums. “I also hope that they perhaps went home with a little bit of history and pride for their country.”