After Vietnam, Midway again became an instrument of crisis diplomacy off Korea. North Korean soldiers had killed two US Army officers who were attempting to cut down a tree in the demilitarized zone. Operation Paul Bunyan returned to remove the tree under deliberately overwhelming military cover, with Midway among the supporting forces. The episode is one of many deployments through which the ship's movements trace United States diplomacy and military activity across her 47-year career.
Notable Point · 34:41-35:18
Carrier power behind Operation Paul Bunyan
Midway's appearance off Korea after the axe-murder incident shows a fleet carrier supporting a deliberately overwhelming demonstration of force.