USS Midway: America's Shield - Paperback

by Scott McGaugh (Author)

Back Jacket

"As the captain of the USS Midway I was never more proud of the young men, mostly teenagers, under my command. . . . USS Midway: America's Shield tells their story, straight from the flight deck. It's real American history everyone should know."
--Rear Adm. Riley Mixson, U.S. Navy (Ret.), former captain, USS Midway

"USS Midway: America's Shield carries the reader along from one great event of the latter twentieth century to another. An odyssey fueled by remarkable young men from every corner of America. An inspiration to us all!"
--Lou Reda, documentary filmmaker, History Channel

The USS Midway first set sail in 1945, with thousands of young men aboard. When it made its final return to port nearly fifty years later, approximately 200,000 sailors--with an average age of nineteen--had served on the aircraft carrier. The crew witnessed such significant events as nuclear threats during the Cold War, confrontations with Mao Tse-tung, espionage battles with the Russians, a fire that nearly sank the carrier, and the liberation of Kuwait. This collective memoir of the brave Americans who faced these threats while at sea provides a compelling story of empowerment and optimism. The book includes a memorial list of the 213 young Americans who were killed during forty-seven years of service.

Scott McGaugh is the marketing director of the USS Midway Museum and a spokesman for Midway University, the museum's education program. In addition to discussing the subject on documentaries for the History Channel and other media outlets, he has written several books about the Midway. McGaugh is a member of the Public Relations Society of America's Counselors Academy and has received the society's highest national award, the Silver Anvil. He earned a BS in political science from Arizona State University and studied international relations at Uppsala University in Sweden. An avid gardener and fly fisherman, McGaugh lives in San Diego, California.

Cover photograph: Courtesy of USS Midway Museum

Author Biography

Award-winning author and veteran journalist Scott McGaugh is an authority on naval history from the end of World War II through Operation Desert Storm. His interest and expertise in the naval aircraft carrier the USS Midway serves as the inspiration for his published works. It has also earned him interviews on the History Channel, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, FOX Network, and in such publications as The Tin Can Soldier and Mains'l Haul: A Journal of Pacific Maritime History. McGaugh is the marketing director for the USS Midway Museum. He makes monthly public speeches aboard the museum, and he serves as the spokesman for Midway University, the museum's rapidly expanding K-12 education program. In addition to his marketing work, McGaugh guest lectures at San Diego State University. As a member of the Public Relations Society of America's Counselors Academy, he holds an accreditation in public relations and has received the society's highest national award, the Silver Anvil. McGaugh studied international relations at Uppsala University in Sweden, and he earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Arizona State University. In his spare time he enjoys gardening and fly-fishing. McGaugh resides in San Diego, California.