Commissioned just after the end of World War II, the USS Midway claimed bragging rights as the largest ship in the world for roughly a decade. Its 47 years of duty also makes it the longest serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century.
Over its long career, the Midway saw action in Vietnam and was the flagship during Operation Desert Storm. The radar and other screens in her Tactical Flag Command Center still display the activities during the early hours of that Persian Gulf War.
Today the Midway serves a much calmer mission as a downtown San Diego museum.