‘I would do it again in a heartbeat’

Alexandria man served on USS Midway, discovers his photo at museum

By Julie Parent

A photo of Don Van Guilder when he was a Navy sailor is posted at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, CA. Photo contributed by Liz Winter

Don Van Guilder of Alexandria, Minn. was watching a YouTube video about the USS Midway Museum when he saw one of two photos of himself on the bulkhead wall in the background. He was so shocked, he took a picture of the computer screen and showed it to his friends and family members. Don served on the USS Midway from 1956 to 1962.

The USS Midway was commissioned approximately 11 years earlier. At that time, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command website, it was “the largest ship in the world, and the first U.S. aircraft carrier that was too big to transit the Panama Canal.” The aircraft carrier “was equipped with an armored flight deck, weighed in at 45,000 tons at commissioning, housed more than 100 aircraft, and was complimented by a crew of more than 4,000 Sailors and Marines.” The “supercarrier” was decommissioned in 1992. The museum opened in 2004.

Don Van Guilder’s mother dressed him in sailor suits when he was a child. Photo contributed by Liz Winter

Don wanted to go to the museum, but he didn’t think it was feasible. However, when he was 86 years old, Liz Winter surprised him with a first-class plane ticket. Liz is one of Don’s two daughters. The two of them traveled together to spend Memorial Day Weekend in San Diego, Calif. in 2024.

Liz also arranged to have a private tour guide show them around the ship which had been remodeled and modernized. The ladders on the ship were steep, so they had to be careful going up and down them. In the ship library, they found Don’s picture with the Fighting Redcocks Squadron in a yearbook. Many people visiting the ship thanked Don for his service and wanted to take his picture. Seeing how much Don enjoyed the trip brought tears to Liz’s eyes.

As a child, Don’s mother frequently dressed him in sailor suits. For as long as he could remember, Don wanted to be in the Navy. He joined the Navy when he was 18 years old and attended boot camp near Chicago in Great Lakes, Ill. About a quarter of the people who enlisted at the same time he did were told they had to become Marines. Don was glad he got to stay in the Navy.

The storekeepers on the USS Midway did not have computers to search for supply product numbers. Photo contributed by Liz Winter

Don worked as a storekeeper in the USS Midway supply department. His job was to make sure they had everything they needed. For example, if an airplane blew a tire, Don made sure another one was available. Don’s clerical skills were excellent. Although they did have electric typewriters, they did not have computers yet. Don looked up the correct product numbers listed on long sheets of paper. When they were in Death Valley or a similar climate, Don would start working at three in the morning so he could relax when the temperatures rose to unbearable highs. Some of his other memories include learning a lot of new terms, hearing the prisoners the Marines guarded banging around in the jail located on the floor below his bed, witnessing a man killed in an accident, and seeing a drunk sailor who had gotten a bottle of Rum onto the ship by taping it to his leg under his pants.

Overall, Don enjoyed being in the Navy so much, he said, “I would do it again in a heartbeat. There was something special about this ship.” The sailors called it “the tip of the spear,” and other countries feared it. Being out to sea for a month at a time did not bother him, because the ship was like a city. In fact, it was so large, he could barely feel it moving. For Don, the hardest part of being on the ship was the lack of fresh food. When products like eggs and milk ran out, they used canned and powdered products. They also did not have a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Nationally, one of the places Don sailed to was Hawaii. Internationally, he went to the Philippines, Okinawa, and Hong Kong. At that time, Hong Kong was part of the United Kingdom. Now, it is part of China. Since Hong Kong is known for its exquisite tailors, Don had some clothes made for himself there.

Liz Winter pasted a picture of the USS Midway in a beautiful scrapbook she made for her father. Photo contributed by Liz Winter

Shortly after Don and Liz returned, Liz’s husband Todd got to go to the USS Midway Museum for a work conference and party on the flight deck. When he found where the pictures of his honorable father-in-law were displayed, he proudly showed them to his co-workers.

Don and his wife Terri have been married for 55 years. Terri firmly believes that every part of Don and Liz’s trip was part of God’s plan.

“It was meant to be,” she said.