The USS Midway Museum again will kick off the summer with Legacy Week, a three-day celebration of service to country over the Memorial Day Weekend. It’s especially appropriate in 2015 when in August Midway will also celebrate the Greatest Generation and the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. And both events come on the heels of a just-completed Vietnam remembrance initiative that was widely supported by San Diegans.
Free Veterans Wreath Ceremony
All active-duty and veterans are invited to a special wreath ceremony on Saturday, May 23, at 9 a.m. on the flight deck. Veterans from five wars and conflicts, along with youngsters from the audience, will present remembrance wreaths over the side. All event attendees can remain aboard and enjoy the museum the same day. This is a family-oriented ceremony and all of San Diego is welcome!
American Freedom Festival
That same night (May 23), Wynonna will perform live on Midway’s flight deck. It’s called the American Freedom Festival and is always a sold-out event. One of the highlights is the number of local veterans service organizations that receive a portion of the proceeds. Wynonna is as popular as ever among the military community so this promises to be a very special evening aboard Midway.
Legacy Week, May 23-25
During regular museum hours there will be a unique kids discovery zone and a very popular annual feature, “Meet the Aviators.” At every aircraft in the museum’s inventory, we will have pilots who flew that aircraft, sharing their experiences and stories with museum guests. From World War II to Operation Desert Storm, museum visitors will meet the aviators who flew Midway’s aircraft.
On May 24, the U.S. Navy Ban will perform live on the flight deck at 1:30 p.m. On the following day, the San Diego Blood Bank will conduct a blood drive on Navy Pier, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saluting the Greatest Generation
Then on August 15, Midway will invite every local World War II veteran to join us on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. It will be a massive community celebration on the flight deck where San Diegans literally will be able to shake the hand of the Greatest Generation. Incredibly, nearly two dozen WWII veterans share their stories with the general public aboard the USS Midway on a regular basis. People of all ages and from around the world are eager to say “thank you” to the Greatest Generation.
For more information about these events, visit www.midway.org.
