Why the USS Midway Trusts Anchor Audio to Tell Its Story

Touring the USS Midway isn’t like stepping into a quiet, climate-controlled museum. It’s an active, immersive experience on a floating city of steel. Docked in the heart of San Diego Bay, the Midway sits just beneath the flight path of one of the busiest airports in the country. It’s surrounded by a working harbor, cruise ship terminals, helicopter tours, and the steady pulse of downtown. Add to that the sound of tourists, gusting winds across the flight deck, and the natural echo of steel bulkheads, and you have one of the most acoustically challenging environments imaginable.

And yet, despite all that, thousands of guests hear every word, every ceremony, and every moment with crystal clarity. That’s because the USS Midway Museum team trusts Anchor Audio to help them break through the noise.

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Touring the USS Midway isn’t like stepping into a quiet, climate-controlled museum. It’s an active, immersive experience on a floating city of steel. Docked in the heart of San Diego Bay, the Midway sits just beneath the flight path of one of the busiest airports in the country. It’s surrounded by a working harbor, cruise ship terminals, helicopter tours, and the steady pulse of downtown. Add to that the sound of tourists, gusting winds across the flight deck, and the natural echo of steel bulkheads, and you have one of the most acoustically challenging environments imaginable.

And yet, despite all that, thousands of guests hear every word, every ceremony, and every moment with crystal clarity. That’s because the USS Midway Museum team trusts Anchor Audio to help them break through the noise.

“The reality is, it’s loud here,” says longtime docent Jack Gale. “You’ve got planes overhead, seagulls screaming, wind coming in off the water... without a reliable sound system, our voices just get swallowed up.”

Anchor Audio’s American made portable PA systems are purpose-built for environments like this; loud, unpredictable, and demanding. With battery-powered speakers that prioritize voice clarity and a rugged, weather-resistant build, the systems used on the Midway stand up to the salt air, UV exposure, and heavy use from event after event without the need for cables, wires or cord.

“The gear gets used constantly,” says Caleb Clark. “We host well over 100 ceremonies a year. That’s everything from military retirements to veteran honors and national holidays. These events matter. These words matter. People come from all over the world to celebrate service and sacrifice, and the last thing we want is to be drowned out by a passing ship.”

That’s where Anchor makes the difference. Not just with volume, but with clarity. Because on a ship where every rivet has a story and every hallway echoes with history, being heard is essential.

Commissioned in 1945, the USS Midway served for 47 years, the longest of any aircraft carrier in the 20th century. It was active through the Cold War, Vietnam, and Desert Storm, carrying more than 225,000 sailors in its lifetime. Today, it’s a museum dedicated to preserving the voices and stories of those who served. That mission only works if those voices can actually be heard.

“When I tell a group of students what it was like to live and work aboard this ship, I need to connect with them,” says Jack Gale. “If they can’t hear me, I lose that moment. Anchor gives us the power to connect, to educate, and to honor the people who made history here.”

Even more impressive, the Midway’s crew doesn’t have time to baby their gear. “We’re in the sun, on the harbor, setting up and tearing down multiple times a day,” says Caleb Clark on the events team. “This equipment gets rolled, dropped, exposed to salt, wind, and water—and it still works. That’s why we’ve been using Anchor for years.”

In the end, preserving history isn’t just about keeping artifacts. It’s about telling stories. Stories of bravery, innovation, resilience, and teamwork. The Midway doesn’t just display history, it speaks it loud and clear. And thanks to Anchor Audio, it gets heard.