All Aboard USS Midway - 2017 Annual Meeting & Expo
This year, ISPE’s Annual Meeting & Expo will be held in San Diego from 29 October to 1 November. The meeting will feature dozens of interactive education sessions that will focus on the biggest trends in pharmaceutical manufacturing, as well as social events for attendees to enjoy and celebrate the year’s accomplishments. One of the highlights of the meeting will be the Tuesday night party hosted on the USS Midway, the most visited naval ship museum in the world.
The Midway is one of the longest serving aircraft carriers in the US Navy, operating from September 1945 until it was decommissioned in 1992. The ship was named after a pivotal World War II battle, the Battle of Midway Island in the South Pacific, which was a huge victory for the Allied forces. As a rule of thumb, all ships including the Midway are referred to with female gender pronouns because in ancient times, sailors would name their ships after their wives when they left them to go out to sea.
Once onboard, you will notice the number 41 on the ship’s side. The number signifies that she was the 41st aircraft carrier built for the Navy, as each carrier is numbered in the order that they were built. Another thing you will notice is that the Midway is massive; at 1,001 feet long she’s longer than three football fields and weighs about 70,000 tons. She’s also as tall as a 20-story building.
During her 47 years of service, the Midway sailed every ocean and fought in two major wars: the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War. The Midway wasn’t just a war ship however; she also managed to save many lives. Her humanitarian efforts include evacuating South Vietnamese refugees during the Vietnam war and rescuing stranded military personnel when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1991. Because of the ship and its crew’s many heroic efforts, the Midway has been called a “magic” ship.
Today, over 4,000,000 guests have visited the Midway museum since it opened in 2004. Guests attending ISPE’s Midway celebration are encouraged to tour the ship’s 60 exhibits and 29 restored aircraft, try out two flight simulator rides, and explore the unique gift shop. Attendees will also enjoy food and drinks, served on the top deck patio. This is one “magical” San Diego attraction that you will not want to miss during the ISPE Annual Meeting & Expo this fall.
