Nike Missile Bases - A Forgotten Tale of the Puente Hills

[@bigmike9665]

Dude!! Thank you for this. I grew up across a Nike base in Pacifica. Believe the number was SF 51. Once a month from our living room window, we could see the missiles being raised. My friends, brothers, and I used to hike over to the base. Right up to the fence line until the MPS (or so we thought they were MPs, could have just been regular soldiers) would show up and watch us, and we run off like scared rabbits. We always thought it was just us who were brave enough to walk up to the fence and face the army.. years later, i learned it seemed any kids who lived in a 3 mile radius did the samething. Those soldiers must have hated us kids. Haha. The base carried Hercules missiles, and the base stayed open until 1972. Give or take a year. When I tell my kids we grew up next to small nukes, they think we had a terrifying childhood. No, I tell them. Being a kid in the 60s was a wonderful time.

[@waynecipperly6962]

This might be common knowledge but all the Nike sites were numbered where they were located on a 100 point circle where 0 was north, 25 was east, 50 was south, and 75 was west. I was stationed and worked in the Philadelphia Missile Master Site (PH-64) in Pedricktown, NJ from 1960-1963 and also did a short stint at PH-91 in Worcester, PA before it was switched from regular Army to the National Guard. I also attended the Missile Master Training School in Orlando, FL and if memory serves me right my MOS was 186.60. Thanks for posting this video. Brings back a lot of good memories!

[@justinlombardo9388]

Thanks for making this video. I’m 43 and grew up in La Habra and used to ride my bike up the hill and explore those hills. My friends and I would spend the whole day up there with the cattle. This would be early 90’s and the houses surround that area were being built.

[@stevengoldstein7890]

As Italy native I very much appreciated this segment

[@michaelhiggins7365]

What a phenomenally well done documentary. I grew up in Glendora and graduated from Charter Oak High School in 1977, so I was very close to both of these sites during their time of operation and had no idea until today they ever existed. Documentary's such as these are a true credit to the usefulness of youtube and to all those who devote so much hard work to produce such a fine piece of work. Well done ! And, thank you !

[@jmfa57]

Walnut High School, Class of 1976. We were quite the rivals in those days, weren't we? Little did we know that our area played such a part of a much greater rivalry!

[@cynergy4]

My cousins lived in Rowland Heights, and we hiked all over those hills from the late 60's to the mid 70's. Hopping fences and hoping that the rancher didn't catch us. It was said that he carried a shotgun full of rock salt for us pesky trespassers. Hiking to the reservoir and then running madly down the hill jumping over cow pies. I went to Arcadia High. Great memories!

[@robertlopez7988]

Yep, from 1971 - '81 I lived in the R. Heights area near Blandford Elementary, there was an underground office with wires all over the walls over the hump area, our access to the hills was near Blandford Drive south, a visit in '74 showed a fence surrounding the site guarded by angry German Shepherds.

[@johnlillywhite]

Incredible history. I remember hiking up there after it was decommissioned and going down into the silos while the blast doors were still open. Eerie. All sorts of great memories. Thanks for this! Graduated RHS 1978.

[@Homested_Happenings]

I graduated Alvarado JHS in ‘78. I lived over by Fossil Hill.

[@ChunkStyle]

I grew up in LP in the 80s and I never knew about any of this. Yesterday, my son learned about this site at school and told me about it. Thanks for doing this video! Can't wait to check out your other videos also.

[@joonchitti]

Thank you for the presentation you gave at the Rowland Heights Community Center today! I’ve known about the existence of the missile base behind my house since the 1980s, but never knew about any details in its history. Your presentation was exceptional! I’m sharing this video with my son who has hiked to the missile base many times. In the 80s the silos were still open for exploration. He said he went down one and found a cow skull down there. The safety issues had to be why they were eventually filled in and sealed.

[@lperocker]

I grew up in Rowland Heights and went to John A. Rowland Highschool. Thank you for making all of these videos. Not only are they entertaining but they're very informative and your narrating is perfect!

[@bigboibob8313]

I go to rowland highschool rn

[@robertlopez7988]

Ditto, I went to J.A.R.H. too, it has changed a lot since 1980.

[@MichaelBrown-hx7gf]

I remember when i was young the air raid sirens where always tested on the last Friday of each month precisely at 10:00 am... Thank you so much for all your hard work and posting your delightful video's.

[@davidpineda645]

wow how long ago?

[@joaquinalexander9]

In West Covina, I remember that happening till 1982 - '83 maybe? The old air raid tower+horn around the corner from my Elementary School still stands to this day.

[@joaquinalexander9]

@@davidpineda645 In West Covina, I remember that happening till 1982 - '83 maybe?

[@kj6qvb]

For the most part, informative and well-done. My dad was a Nike missile radar tech with the PA National Guard. As a single father, he was forced to take me to a drill once, where this 5 year-old boy got to play with the radar. I would later sit in the radar van at SF-88 and spin those same controls. The number designations were like points on a compass, with 0 and 100 being north.

[@VKDM8687]

MARTY!!!!!!! As a long time Brea resident (since 2001), I am FASCINATED by the local history. I was born and raised in Pasadena. I love that you put out this video. I just found it. WOW!!!!!! Soooooooo very cool!! THANK YOU!

[@chuckbalius916]

Chuck Balius You brought back some great memories. I was stationed on a Nike site in Cromwell Ct. from 1959-1963 as Fire Control crewman. I was also stationed in Korea as a Hercules Assembly Sgt.

[@mendiestorey4844]

Thank you for documenting so wonderfully where me and a bunch of friends hung out and rode bikes. Awesome job!

[@Sheliteful]

I grew up just down the hill from the Rowland Heights Nike Base, on North Otterbein Ave.. I remember hiking up there at about 10 or 11 (1968-69), only to be told by the guard we weren't supposed to be there. They did give us water...it was pretty hot and we were thirsty! No water bottles back then. Now thinking back, I wasn't a very good Girl Scout, otherwise I'd have taken my canteen with me!! Great documentary!! Never knew the story behind the base. Thanks!!

[@robertlopez7988]

Not too far from my alma mater JARH. Great times.

[@6582rg]

I grew up in La Habra Heights from 1967 on. We used to hike and ride motorcycles from our house up to the Nike Base in the early 70s. Brings back great memories.

[@vmao4868]

Thank you very much for this. I hike and bike these hills now. Great to know their history.

[@andrewyip3384]

After a series of community meetings on the future Puente Hills Landfill Park, there's a lot of support for turning the Nike missile site into an observation area and the buildings will be restored and some will house a visitor center/observation deck.

[@themopedmetallist]

Not while we're still oxygen thieves to Gavin Newsom and Gerhard von Braun. See youtube/Grindall61 or We The People Rising. People we vote for have been wanting us dead since who knows when? 1912 at least

[@ganginfr4923]

@@themopedmetallist oh God, don't plug your drunk libertarian fantasy shunned here.

[@robserrano8971]

That would be awesome if.they ever did that.

[@DiegoLoya]

A lot of hard work goes into this. Each episode gets better and better. Looking forward to more.

[@lincbond442]

Great video. I was at the South El Monte Nike site a few years back. Some remnants of the base are still there.

[@RichardCorongiu]

Nice touch well presented Thanks

[@nordschleifefan]

I grew up in Rowland Heights and mountain biked through LA-29 numerous times during high school. Back in 1999, the underground bunkers were still there and you'd be able to go down and explore around with a flashlight. The magazines were there, as well...although they were sealed shut. Some of our friends figured out how to get into them, but I never ventured that far. I believe they were demolished and cemented over a few years later, and no longer there, today. Those radar towers provided awesome views of the San Gabriel mountains at night. From my high school basketball court, you can see electrical transformers on top of a hill a few miles out with no wires running from one tower to another. That's where the base was at, as they cut those wires down when they decommissioned the place. IIRC, the only things still standing today are the radar towers and guard shack...maybe.

[@longuecarbine]

Great video. I too grew up in Rowland Heights and we used to hike up to the base. We were often met by US Army personnel who told us to scram we weren't allowed near the fence. I recall hearing the alarms and see the Nike's raised from their launchers.

[@damienmilk3025]

Great piece of research, in Australia, in the 1960s, we sat fat,dumb and happy really not understanding what was going on around the world. Thank you for the work you put in to make these videos.

[@johnnygardner288]

I'll second that other guys "DUDE" I grew up in East La Habra just off Palm and Whittier blv. and clandestine trips to the nikie base were common and also the stuff of legend on my block. I guess I was around 8 or 9 years old at the time of its decommission and that's when things really got a bit out of hand in those hills.In fact a couple of my classmates, know trouble makers by the way, managed to get themselves locked in one of the Missile silos.I don't remember how long they were locked in for,but were it not for a passing oilfield worker they may not have been found alive. As I said before, these two were bad news anyway and not very bright by any measure. One of them told me they were able to pry the doors open and because they both had to go in and check it out they weged a rock or piece of wood to keep the heavy steel door from slamming shut and of course... it failed.leaving them both in the dark with no way out. They got ahold of a rock or pipe someone had thrown in and began banging on the steel door when they heard the oil workers truck outside. ultimately facilitating there rescue(with tears included from the tuff guys I'm told) Rattle snakes,angry ranch hands(toting shotguns loaded with salt rock allegedly)(never saw the guns but I got plenty of rocks thrown my way)and stupidity, just some of pearls awaiting adventures kids back when. Thanks so much for the video!

[@ArmySigs]

Very interesting film, and a great closing track! :)

[@artjohnson1757]

You made an excellent film, lots of good history. I called a Nike Missile base home from 65 to 68 across the Miss. River from St. Louis, Mo. in Ill.. We were in one of the prettiest place in Ill., we were in Pierre Marquette State Park at Grafton Ill., except for Winter it was a lovely place.

[@FelipeGarcia-uu1qh]

Good history. I’m from EAST LA. Didn’t know this. So I grew up with these missiles around me and later I would guard nuclear Nike Hercules missiles in Germany while serving in the Army ! Who knew?

[@whoknows4279]

I grew up in Chatsworth in the NW corner of the San Fernando Valley. There was a nike base on Oat Mountain, north of Chatsworth. It was still in operation in 1969 then some time after that it was closed down. Thank you for the video, it brought back memories.

[@davidmorin6667]

Thanks for the film, in Connecticut we had P&W.A, sub bases, helicopter industry and colt firearms, Ruger, Winchester we had nike sites in Glastonbury they are interesting to check out

[@mr.mullen7111]

Great job Marty! All of that land was right behind my old house in RH. Now Pathfinder divides my old back fence from the area.

[@namewithheldnamewithheld2725]

I lived in Rowland heights for ten years,1984-1995,I graduated from john a Rowland high in 1993,I used to hike up in the peunte hills alot with friends just to hang out,its a fascinating area.

[@Dapyman]

Very cool video. Its been shared in the Facebook "You know you grew up in Rowland Heights during the 70's & 80's if..." group (Almost 3,000 members as of May 2015). Enjoyed watching every minute of this piece. Thanks for sharing all your research.

[@robertlopez7988]

I was there too ! Fun times.

[@carlylejohnson7974]

What a surprise! I was stationed at El Monte Site 14 from September 1959 and became an Acquision Radar Operator until we were transferred to LA Habra Site 29 when the site became a Nike Hercules site. These were nuclear tipped 5, 10 and 15 megaton capable. This was in 1960. I was discharged from Site 29 in August 1962 when I left to finish college at UCSB. All sites consisted of the launching area and the integrated fire control area (IFC). They were line of sight from each other so missiles could be controlled by missile tracking radar in IFC area. I enjoyed my three years at the two sites and found this video delightful.

[@scotts5308]

Hiked up there from the Roland Heights side about 1979 or 1980. Went to one of the silos which was mostly filled in.

[@MangoHombre]

I lived in Rowland Heights and I was a frequent visitor and explorer of the Nike Base before they tore it down and filled in the silos.

[@2244ntho66]

This is a well done video! I grew up a mile from a Hercules site in one direction and a mile from the Naval Weapons Station and a mile from Navy air force base. We always joked it was better to be there than anywhere else cuz we wouldn't suffer if bombed.

[@swoopdaddyman5423]

Well done video . 👍

[@rockystovall6980]

Marty - I would like to thank you for all the memories you bring back through you Forgotten series. I grew up in San Gabriel Valley. We moved often until my Parents bought a house in So. El Monte on San Gabriel River Parkway - later renamed Parkway Drive. I used to play Base Ball on land that was once Gay's Lion Farm. I remember when the San Gabriel River would flow from the snow melt off from the San Gabriel MTN's. In 1958 my parents divorced and I moved to Villa Park St, La Puente and finished JR. High at Villa Corta School, the next year I went to Los Altos High in Hacienda Heights for 1 year then moved to El Monte to live with my dad and went to Arroyo High. So you see I was all over the area you bring to us in your Video's - Plus I was stationed at LA29 from late 1962 to 1964 when it was turned over to the Ca. National Guards, then I spent 5 mo there in the NG as a Missile Technician. I would like to than you again for so many more memories , so much more then I could possibly put down. Thank You

[@natasliah9702]

Wow I live in la puente now, it must have looked so different back then.

[@rockystovall6980]

yes it has - I've been through La Puente many times over the last 16 yrs and every time it looks different.

[@orangelion03]

Excellent overview of LA-29! I visited the site in the late 70s...lived in Chino, worked at GD Pomona, and was dating a girl from Rowland Heights. Over the years I visited all of the sites around Los Angeles.(or former sites...some were long gone even by the early 80s). As a kid, I recall watching drills at the Sepulveda and White Point launcher areas. So as not to panic the locals, they were announced well in advance and drew big crowds. Ironically, the Newhall site is now home to one of the largest LA County Fire Department air attack bases. FYI, the missile that exploded in New Jersey was not a NIKE but a BOMARC CIM-10. An Air Force project whereas NIKE was US Army.

[@wpechter]

orangelion03 They had a Nike explosion in Middletown, NJ about 8 miles from me. Check Google. I live near NY 54 Holmdel Nike base.

[@orangelion03]

William Petchter responded to my post above, but for some reason it does not show up. William informed me that there was indeed a NIKE accident in New Jersey, in addition to the BOMARC incident! I Googled it as he suggested and was shocked to learn how bad it was. The missiles that exploded an entire magazine full) were Ajax and therefore no nuclear warheads, but many men were killed and scores injured. Thanks William. www.gendisasters.com/new-jersey/14060/leonardo-nj-nike-missile-explosion-may-1958

[@orangelion03]

@@wpechter Somehow missed your response all those years ago. Thank you! I had not been aware of this event until just a few years ago. Ten men...tragic...

[@renesanchez5333]

Great video. Love watching al of these over and over, the history is fascinating. Love being a Whittier local and close to all of this history. Any more future videos?

[@danstafford6536]

In the launch area they would run crew drills to prep a missile for launch... they would attach a flight assimilator to assimilate a firing of the missile.

[@michaelconde2322]

Please do a video on the history of Rowland Heights

[@robertlopez7988]

The ending music is also done by R.E.M. and it sounds hip on just the keyboards alone. Cheers🎉 !!!!

[@EdwardRichter]

Tremendous. I really enjoy the work the two of you are doing.

[@maxmusclem]

Thanks for sharing we use to go up there in the late 70's early 80's

[@raym909]

The El Monte Niki site was down at the south end of my street. one year my grammar school did a field trip to the base, it was with in walking distance for kids. we got to see the Nikis and they even raised one from under ground. I went to Potrero El. goolge earth the south end of Chico st. at Leg Lake park. you can see it.

[@rockystovall6980]

raym909 I went to Potrero in first grade, we lived in a trailer park on rush then we moved to stozer and I had to go to Wilkerson, didn't like it as much as Petrero. this was in the early 50's w then moved to San Gabriel River Parkway later changed to Parkway Dr. there I went to Maxon Elementry then MTn View Jr. High. at Five Points. and I remember the Nike site and swam in the ponds that later became Leggs Lake.

[@timw6596]

I lived on Lerma Rd just down the street from Valley Lindo ES....graduated from Valley Lindo continuation school on Durfee that is now South El Monte High School ! Small world !!!!

[@rockystovall6980]

Yes it is and getting smaller with enter net. I to get going - have to go to Scott AFB for a class. If we can I would like to talk later

[@rockystovall6980]

we should talked some time

[@wolfsmith2865]

raym909 I remember that base! We saw it from a highway. I recall seeing a rocket out during training a time or two.

[@jamesmoore3709]

Great video, very well done! And great editing! I'd like to see more in this series.

[@garthmiller6932]

Hey Marty my name is Garth Miller and I grew up in Rowland Heights on Upper Bolanos Avenue. Good job.

[@robertlopez7988]

Cool, I was just around the corner on Radby street 18991. Fun times.

[@ronrobert6379]

I'll never forget them. I was hiking up to explore them in the early 1970s Tear gas canisters were popped in those structures when they vacated them and the residue sometimes made our eyes and throats burn. Especially the day my dumbazz brother kicked one inside a building and some powder spread through the air. It felt like my throat was closing up and I was going to choke to death. There were some launch tubes deep in the ground with metal plates welded over them. We found small gaps to drop rocks into them and they fell for a long time before they hit the bottom. That place was cool. We hiked from our house in at Nogales and the 60 frwy all the way up there and back when we were in elementary school. It took us most of a day to get up there and back. We didn't have back packs so only what our pockets could hold came with us so by the time we would get home we were starving. There were cattle up there then and we drank from their water troughs when we were thirsty. Most of the time our only supplies were a pocket of jolly ranchers for the day. It was brutal but so fun and special we did it lots of times. When we got a little older we brought our BB guns. The cows were hating us those days.

[@markcantemail8018]

Thank you Marty and John for this information . I was only in California once in 1985 , I ended up at Vandenberg before I flew home . What you showed us got me wondering about what was In Western ,N.Y . We had a silo in Niagara county ,Radar sites and Nike / Ajax . Lockport air station had the call sign Migrate . From what I am seeing on youtube today The Army had the Nike Missles . Lockport Must have been Radar for Niagara Air base ? I thank any Veterans who can give me basic information on what they did . This recent history was all around us !

[@kyqx]

Well done, thanks!

[@Michael-xl8dz]

Thanks keep up the great work helps me feel Proud of been from the S.G.V.

[@robertgarcia3872]

I remember walking in some rooms up there when it was abandoned it still had concrete pads

[@Bbendfender]

I have explored several old ICBM sites in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Some of the Nike sites are still around but abandoned.

[@biggusdickus8335]

You had me at "300 missles in each Base" !!!!

[@1uptospeed]

always enjoy history thanks !

[@pra3t0rian]

Wow, great information.

[@fabuloso3401]

please make new videos!!!!! these are absolutely great!!!!!! @forgottentales

[@Mr6stringchaos]

I grew up in Brea, and lived next door to someone who worked at the Nike Base.

[@rapskallion]

I got to practice duck & cover as a child living in the SG Valley. I thought it was pretty lame to have to practice something so simple, but at least it gave me the opportunity to clown around while under my desk.

[@gerry-p9x]

We had 3 of these sites here one in old bridge was a park now but in 60s. They had school tours and parent talks on function of site. Yeah Nike missles housed 1 mile from town centers and schools msmart

[@MetalMex777]

What’s up Smarty? You probably don’t remember me but that’s a long time ago. Cool little video you got. I have actually been down in those missile silos. I frequently hiked those hills since 7th grade. All the stoners would get high in them. And the Steiner brothers got handcuffed by their so called security back then. And this could be a rumor but I heard Andy Michelle he found a dead body over there on his minibike. Could be a Rowland Heights myth. Do you know if can still go down in them? Last time was 1977-78 for me. Hope you are well Marty!

[@bryanr.3241]

Great job on this video ✌

[@hertzair1186]

It should be restored and become a museum

[@themopedmetallist]

Someone I made acquaintance of: Larry Harrison, grew up right in this vicinity JWO Frank Zappa/ Claremont. Good source of local deets if able to track down

[@jeffsiegel4879]

Thanks! Another well thought out and presented video! I grew up in Studio City and there are concrete pads and (there was) an above-ground tank. I've seen similar pads off Mulholland Highway inside the Malibu Creek State Park land. At the Malibu site, there is a manhole-like cover on one of the concrete pads. None of the pads are large enough to cover a missle as shown in this film. There is no mention of the Studio City site on the map you showed, nor the one in the hills of Tarzana just off Mulholland Drive at the southern terminus of Reseda Boulevard. I'd love to know more. Are there reference materials that I could look at?

[@dhsbear]

What a great video --- lot's of old footage I've never seen. One mistake however is your accounting of the 'atomic nike' nuclear accident. What you are referring to had nothing to do with a NIKE base; the missile involved was a CIM-10A 'BOMARC' --- that air defense system was operated and controlled by the Air Force (NIKE was operated & controlled by the Army). You are correct though that the area surrounding that particular BOMARC missile shelter (McGuire Air Force Base) is still contaminated today.

[@kurthubbell4464]

There was an incident on Long Island, NY I think it was at Jones Beach, maybe Fire Island.

[@dhsbear]

That's where the BOMARC base was / is located. The only catastrophic accident involving Nike missiles happened on 22 May 58 at a launcher area near the town of Middletown, New Jersey (Known as "NY-53[L]"). This accident involved several AJAX missiles (which only had conventional HE warheads); and the resulting explosion killed several military (and civilian) personnel.

[@passedhighschoolphysics6010]

Nice job.

[@deborahwest1842]

I loved riding up to the Nike base...in the 80's. It wasn't open to the public i had access to keys from a neighbor so I would ride my horse up to the top of the Nike Base. Of course graffiti, they finally filled the holes in the underground so the cattle wouldn't get stuck in there. I have pictures somewhere of my adventures up there

[@MrShobar]

Rep. Charles Wiggins was one of Nixon's most stalwart defenders on the House Judiciary Committee when they were weighing impeachment charges against Nixon.

[@soupwifey]

😱 I never knew this until now. My parents weren't even born yet. They can't remember this.

[@jamesbond2310]

My Dad was XO of the Nike Hercules sites locate at Ft Baker back in the early 60's. I used to go with him in his Jeep to visit the "golf balls" as I used to call them. I remember when President Kennedy was assassinated,the base went on full alert. Site 88F ed-thelen.org

[@timw6596]

The site in South El Monte was never used as a land fill and still has remains !

[@forgottensocal]

You have to go through the Puente Hills Landfill in order to approach the former NIKE site.

[@timw6596]

the site in South El Monte is number LA-14 ! It was the first to be installed in Southern Calif ! It still shows up on Google Earth today @ 34*02'35.75" N 118*03'32,44" W ......it never was or is a land fill...trust me as I rode my bike past it for years going to Legg Lake to go fishing and we would count the missiles sitting on the pads !

[@forgottensocal]

The base is still up there. But the former Landfill is around it. You have to go through the Sanitation District in order to reach the former base. In fact, the landfill is going to become a wilderness park, and the guard shack (and I hope the rest of the base) may become part of the park... An historic landmark of sorts.

[@timw6596]

I think we are talking about 2 different bases......LA 14 is in South El Monte and it sounds like your talking about LA 29 in the Brea/Puente Hills area !

[@forgottensocal]

No, we are talking about the same base. LA-29 is still there too just above Rowland Heights and Brea. Its in bad shape these days... but its still there. The S. El monte site is up in the hills, and its got the Landfill on one side, and Rose Hills on the other. Here is a link to a map that shows the Guard shack. www.google.com/maps/place/34%C2%B001'03.4%22N+118%C2%B000'52.6%22W/@34.0176171,-118.0151492,167m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d34.017616!4d-118.014602

[@bruceg1845]

grew up in La Puente - 50's

[@twstf8905]

Need a towel if the volume is up too high! ☔

[@egmjag]

More information and images than I expected. Very informative. I saw the fire trucks still parked in a garage back in '82, but there were so many bees all over the place. We wouldn't have been able to explore that section even if we wanted to. Surprised that there were no cattle roaming around there when this video was made. There was always a few every time I went there a few years ago. I even rode a bike around that Nike base. I read that people aren't allowed to walk around there, but apparently that's not true from the footage in this video. Would like to visit that place again but I'm a little concerned about the cattle and possibly law enforcement or government prohibiting people from going there. There's a huge structure that gets lit up at night in the eastern portion of the former Nike base. It looks like a giant square. I read that it's off limits and the surrounding area as well. The only downside to that place is the ghetto graffiti, which is an eyesore.

[@jw4620]

Good! Thanks! I always figured the California defense guys had sack duty.

[@richardthompson6406]

In 1974 when the city of brea was given the keys to the site, I was a police explorer for the city police Dept. I was given my set of keys to the site And we used the buildings for tear gas training for the reserve officers. We would send a projectile from a 37 mm launcher into the building and have the reserves enter with gas masks on, wait a while and then were instructed to remove them then walk out the back door where was waiting with mace. (Pepper spray) and spray them in the face. They were also given a chance to shoot the gas gun and throw gas gernades For practice. Day while there a fired projectile stared a small grass fire and myself and 2 other explores were able to extinguish the fire with Fire extinguishers I keep in my vehicle. We received accommodations from the dept for our quick action. From them on we always had a Fire truck standing by just in case. On our breaks we would go down in to underground sites an explore. Good times. Thanks for the memories.. keep up the good work

[@inlandumpires1937]

Excellent this brings back memories of when I was a kid living in RH. It appears you can access the area...is it OK to visit the site? And do you access it from RH or Brea? Also maybe some day you can do one on the Hot Springs that use to be in RH

[@wkat950]

The closing of the Nike base in 1971 came about because of diminishing threats from manned bombers. The ABM effort took priority. I will say that the thaw in Soviet relations made the Nike program less imperative.

[@Idahoguy10157]

wkat950 .... the anti ballistic missile systems were cancelled in the Nixon administration

[@rubyelena3874]

To bad those buildings and guard tower are knocked down 😩 just went their today

[@carlylejohnson7974]

Continuing...the Hercules sites were high security sites because of nuclear tipped missiles. An exclusion area surrounded the launching site and was patrolled by MPs and sentry dogs at night. One night as Sgt of the Guard I was invited to wear an attack suit and to enter the exclusion area while being monitored by MP. He set his dog loose and it hit me hard. Of course the dog was immediately called off me. Whew!.

[@fabuloso3401]

when will there be more videos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TOBYH]

What street do you take to get up there? Thanks

[@aly7900]

Do you know why they destroyed the towers?

[@sofknsad]

Duck an cover, hah, our school had a real bomb shelter with steel doors and air conditioning apparatus. That was in 1970s Finland. Still all large buildings have a bomb shelter.

[@danstafford6536]

The Air Force had bases and missile silos the Army had batteries and missile magazines.

[@nicoblaytherealflamingo445]

Giant slide coming soon!

[@wolfsmith2865]

I grew up in L.A.. my family knew of these bases, and also approved. If these bases, with nuclear warhead armed missiles were active today, a third of the state would be whining and protesting outside their gates. Times have changed, many times not for the better.

[@morrighanwermarn-arnburg7333]

Everyone climb under your desk and curl into a ball in case a missile hits. The smart schools had people go in the hallway and curl into a ball. At least that way there was an extra wall between the children and not just a big glass window. WTF is a desk supposed to do? I guess it would help if the ceiling collapsed.

[@ludwigdrummer717]

... it is not accurate to call Nike storage areas - silos.

[@joeyvasquez8]

I wish I can clim. The tower ;)

[@mikecowen6507]

Nice job putting this together. I know it takes a lot of work. However, I've got to say it... At 3:14 you have soldiers manning a "satellite dish" in 1947, a decade before Sputnik, and a full 11 years before our FIRST satellite, Explorer 1, was launched. Imagine scanning the sky for something that hadn't even been invented yet! Talk about boring duty! Radar dish perhaps, but satellite? No way. Get your facts straight. It's too easy to look up. As both a historian, and a public educator it's a double fail.

[@SCRalston]

The first picture is apparently an SCR-584 radar with IFF antenna in Italy in 1944-1945. The system was used for directing AAA fire.