US Air Force Tragedy at Texas Tower 4

[@dylansouza1780]

My great-grandfather was Captain Sixto Mangual, captain of the USNS New Bedford (AKL-17), who was supplying aid to the Texas Tower 4, stood by for evacuation efforts, and reported the collapse. Thanks for putting this together, not many people know about this incident.

[@robertgarms8106]

I served on Tower 3 for one year, six weeks on and 10 days off. It was quite an experience. We rode out hurricane Donna and the Noreaster that took Tower 4 to the bottom. For years, I dreamed I was on the tower and it was going down. I have many memories with pictures to match.

[@robertphillips3992]

Robert Garms, What was your AFSC?

[@inkyguy]

Robert Garms, That is absolutely terrifying! Thank you for sharing and for your service to the country.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

Was it true that the tower twisted and bobbed with the waves?

[@byronharano2391]

Wow. Thank you for serving in the Air Force's Navy. Shipmate! Not all US Air Force personnel are land lubbers. Thank you for you time in service during a true, deadly, and expensive Cold War.

[@mikegreen1095]

Please share pictures

[@papajon71]

My father, Mickey Heupel worked for American Telephone and Telegraph. He and other AT+T pioneers in conjunction with the USAF manned the towers. Dad was assigned to tower 4 during the hurricane Donna period, but were taken off before the storm hit. At the time we lived in Island Heights, NJ. AT+T would not allow it's personnel to go back to tower 4 until the damage from Donna was repaired. I remember dad getting ready to go back to the tower when the news came that the tower went down. One of the few times I can remember my father crying. He lost a lot of friends that night. I have a zippo lighter dad bought on the tower with a picture of tower 4 on it. Thanks for the history bite. I too, almost lost my father. As a footnote, after that we moved to Cape Cod so dad could go to work on tower 3.

[@pauloconnor2980]

An incredibly interesting piece of American history!!! I love stories of the Texas Towers although some are quite sad.

[@jacklingerfelt400]

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[@lightningdemolition1964]

Are you any relation to Karen heupel usaf?

[@tommypetraglia4688]

Respect to your father and his family

[@Zoomie932]

Soooo You were at N Truro AFS? I was stationed there in the early eighties. I heard about the Lt that went down with the tower who gave his life getting his crew off the structure. Another unsung hero of the cold war. History Guy left out he fact that the Navy flat refused to have anything to do with those death traps.

[@eldiablo7862]

The remains of Texas Tower 4 sits about 75 miles southeast out of the New York Harbor. It is an excellent area for Giant Bluefin tuna and sharks. Many years ago you could scuba dive and reach the top of the wreckage at 75 ft below the surface. Now the pile can be seen below 120 feet. I would fish there, the Canyon Tip and the Ambrose Light House. You can hook a big fish and still see it 80 feet under the boat in crystal clear waters during periods of calm seas.

[@bootlegboo]

Sir, there are literally thousands of snippets of history that has been forgotten. You have the ability and foresight to pick very obscure pieces. And that is what I love so much. Thank you for not letting those 28 men be forgotten.

[@jimclark6256]

@Frank Heuvelman Shows what you know.

[@jamstagerable]

@Frank Heuvelman The Old Left/Right pitfall 😔

[@damac5136]

@@jamstagerable Well, Republicans so tend to have the least sympathy for fellow humans, or at least the warmongers among them, which are many.

[@jamstagerable]

@@damac5136 "My party is corruption is better than yours" Lol

[@TUKByV1]

​@@damac5136 LOL this did not age well.

[@dbcooper9935]

Every time I start one of these, I think, "I'll just watch a minute to get the gist of it", but always end up watching the entire episode.

[@JimDean002]

Anymore when one of these comes up as a short, I don't even bother to watch the short. I just click on the full video because I know I'm going to watch it

[@roguerebel2023]

Wow! 25 years in the Air Force and I never heard about this. Thank you for what you do!

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Thank you for your service!

[@BonesyTucson]

Being Canadian I knew about the others and the Dew line (Thank you, Rush!) but I had never heard of these towers until now. Crazy stuff, very cool. Thanks for putting this together, you've got a new subscriber!

[@bigblue6917]

We often forget that when you are at the cutting edge that edge can cut both way. A suggestion for a future edition. The Memphis Belle is always quoted as being the first USAF heavy bomber to complete 25 mission. But I knew that another B17, Hell's Angel completed its 25 missions before Memphis belle. I know this because I knew they were filming both aircraft at the same time in case either one did not get to 25 missions. But researching this recnetly I discovered that B-24 Liberator Hot Stuff had completed its 25 missions before either of the two B17s. Hot Stuff completed its 25th mission on February 7, 1943, three and a half months before the B-17 Memphis Belle. It had completed 30 missions before flying back to America, but on its way home crashed into the side of 1,600-foot-tall Mount Fagradalsfjall, near Grindavik, Iceland while attempting to land. It is usually only noted because one of those who was killed in the crash was Lieutenant General Frank M. Andrews, Commander of the European Theater of Operations. He had been summoned to Washington DC by the General of the Army, George Marshall. Of the 15 on board only the tail gunner survived. And the fate of the aircraft was soon forgotten. As it is one of those episodes history has forgotten I thought it would appeal to you.

[@bodan1196]

Big Blue: Is the twentyfive missions, refering to the number of mission by the aircraft or by the crew?

[@bigblue6917]

Bo Dan I always thought a combination of the two but I have recently discovered that it is the aircraft alone. Apparently the Memphis Belle's crew for the 25 flight was a new crew.

[@bodan1196]

BigBlue: Thanks. I asked because it is a bit unclear, in my mind, how often crews changed (relative airframe) and interchanged with other crews. But this is not something I study, I just have an intrest of aircraft in general.

[@mugwump58]

Rebel Delta 2 is a contender for first B 17 to complete 25 missions. I wonder why Hot Stuff isn't recognized? Because of the crash?

[@bigblue6917]

The crash is really only known for the general who died in the crash. Shame really as it means that Hot Stuffs story gets lost. And when you think of what that means because it represents all those men who, despite knowing the odds, still made all those flights.

[@cajunndnrider3041]

I found your channel about 2 months ago. I have yet to find one of your videos disappointing. The topics you've selected and your Charles Kuralt type delivery keeps me coming back. Keep them coming. Thank you

[@freefieldtraining]

As a history buff it isn't every day I learn something new about history. Excellent channel man. I fell down the rabbit hole here at 5am and now past 7 I'm still going.

[@moncorp1]

At least you don't have a very high opinion of yourself. #sarcasm

[@hjp14]

Whoa, fancy seeing Tommy here!

[@DARisse-ji1yw]

Another victim of the time black hole that is the Internet !

[@JamesBond-uz2dm]

I'm from Massachusetts and never heard about these towers. And I value our long maritime history, even the tragedies. This may have been covered up by the military.

[@oibal60]

Nicely done.

[@tammyt3434]

This made me smile and cry a little. Definitely History that Deserves to be Remembered.

[@BMF6889]

My father was in the Air Force and in 1953 we were stationed at Pepperrell Air Force Base, St. Johns, Newfoundland. We living in temporary quarters waiting for our household goods to arrive by ship. The ship rammed one of the radar towers en route to Newfoundland during a storm. The side of the ship was breached and the cargo was covered in sea water and oil. Unknown to us, the shipping company off loaded the cargo in New York and decided that it wasn't salvageable so they discarded most of our furniture and clothing. But for some reason, they forwarded a few articles of clothing to us that were soaked in diesel oil. We lost everything except what we had in our suitcases. We were denied insurance because the insurance company didn't have the opportunity to assess the damage and the shipping company didn't take any photographs. It took a while, but we recovered.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Eek!

[@dukecraig2402]

BMF6889 An insurance company denying a claim? I don't believe you.

[@usernameisusername]

Duke Craig apparently not.. He said they recovered... Reading comprehension is critical

[@dukecraig2402]

c k Yea, it is important smart ass, you don't understand what they said, the insurance company never gave them anything, the recovery was of their own doing over time, know what you're talking about before you pop off at me.

[@usernameisusername]

Duke Craig so they recovered... From the insurance company.. Dumb ass

[@johnferguson7235]

There was a Nike-Ajax nuclear anti-aircraft missile battery on the hill above my family's home when I was a child. I can remember how the lights in our home would pulse brighter and dimmer when they would turn the radar up to full power; and it would scramble our television with static. My father would send us all to the basement when the sirens blared and they opened up the hatches on the bunker and raised the missiles up into firing position. The Cold War was very real for us, living next to a primary nuclear target. The base is still there but the missiles were finally removed in the 1970's.

[@arjanwilbie2511]

The cold war was real for many. Most thought the BAOR army was in Germany to fight the Russians, they were there to slowly retreat to buy the Belgians and Dutch time. I only got born in 1980 but we had child level (cartoons) things to prepaire us when the Reds invaded.

[@mariekatherine5238]

John Ferguson Where did you live? There was a similar base near my childhood home, only nowhere as close as you describe.

[@CCWSig]

We had many Nike missle sites here in Ohio. There’s still remnants of the sites left if you know where to look.

[@richdiscoveries]

CCWSig we still have a few in Connecticut as well buried deep in the woods of some mountainous areas. Not much left now but some concrete structures, a few railings, and some empty concrete buildings. I still enjoy going to visit them though because of the history that once took place there

[@CCWSig]

That's so neat. I love all that old cold war stuff. Most of the structures around here are gone, but there's still a few that have been sold to municipalities and "re purposed". Most of buildings have been demolished and the magazines paved over, but you can still see where they were. Sadly there's no access to any that I've found in this area. 41.386895, -81.633226 is now a bus garage for Independence City, but you can still see the outlines in the concrete where the magazines were. 41.543267, -81.627019 appears to still have the magazines intact, sadly this is now a government facility and I haven't been able to gain access to the parking lot to check them out up close. Interestingly enough, looking at these recent google maps photos, there seems to be some activity around the second site, they have tarps or something over the magazines, that's new! I also love all the AT&T long lines stuff. There's many buildings around that are still rich in that history, a forgotten past.

[@Hams30236]

While the "cold" war never really had battles where bullets and shells flew, there were still casualties. As a cold war "warrior" I greatly appreciate your remembrance of the great sacrifice some those warriors made in that cause.

[@LuizAlexPhoenix]

@Rob Osborne Lots of innocent latin civilians under financed and supported dictatorships as well. Actually, now that I look outside, I think things haven't changed that much for us, specially with the current wave of US backed neo liberals with military ties. But our lives aren't worth much, are they? It was all "worth the effort to keep the commies away", nevermind if there were any commies or just people trying to set up their countries as more than puppets in a two side war.

[@edsmith5448]

The Cold War is a forgotten war and with deaths that even our government is slow to accept. I was in an air Force missle program in the early 80's . But wasn't tell 2008 that cold war veterans were recognize in public .

[@majormissile5596]

@kragseven Eh, Debatable. Honestly it was a bit of both. NASA themselves saw it as pushing humanity's limits, the government funding them saw it both ways, usually leaning towards beating the Soviets.

[@CausalObserver74]

Remember the communist are coming but no its just an invasion army lead by U.S.Imperialist and the Captains of Industry that were coming and on the march! Sure the Great Sacrifice Remembered.... your welcome

[@markmark5269]

Terri Short - You, and a number of other posters here, are brainwashed and a part of the problem that allows this bullshit to happen.

[@tchaney64]

I'm a history freak, so this fills the gaps of things i didn't know, didn't know enough detail, or things never taught or learned. Thank you...

[@johnm3152]

You Sir are a cornucopia of history on the verge of being lost to time, indifference and short attention spans! Thanks for keeping history alive.

[@melynn66]

My Dad was on the USS Sunbird, a submarine rescue vessel (converted navy sea going tug). He told me about this as he was in the ships radio room at this time of his service in the Navy. He said the Sunbird was on station the following day and the diving bell was lowered but could not attach to the structure due to the way it was sitting/laying on the ocean floor. He said he went to the room where they were listening with the sonar and what not to the people that were trapped below. Some things were done that they could tell the people were still alive inside because of the response. He said he could hear some of that even after they did all they could do and were ordered to move on. Thank you History Guy for sharing, I've done a lot of research on this as well as some of my Dad's other stations while he was in the Navy.

[@mtlassen1992]

I hope kids these days watch documentaries like this and realize what our fathers and grandfathers did for us, to help maintain our freedom and way of life. Thank you for posting!

[@strykerjones8842]

+Grand Negus Oh good thinking, if we could only stop pissing off Islamists for not being Muslim... Idiot

[@MrJerryjam]

Sadly, most of the youth of today cannot comprehend that great sacrifice because they have been programmed to be victims and entitled. It is not their fault. They simply are not taught respect for others and history is of little interest to them. It is very difficult to imagine a world without all the modern miracles.

[@jackwyatt1218]

Spoken like a good authoritarian statist...

[@rallokkcaz]

Nobody saved us from anything except different oppressors with different ideals.

[@januszkowalski5345]

@@rallokkcaz Under the smoke screen of anti-communism a perfect security state has been created not just with 100% real-time control of its subjects' thoughts and behavior but capable of annihilating any human life considered a "threat" within hours if not minutes; with few superrich in power and the many in debt slavery. A totalitarian dream come true in the country most vociferous about the dangers of 'totalitarianism'.

[@robertmargaretgarms3188]

I was on Tower 3 at the time that Tower 4 collapsed. We were told to immediately call their families to let them know that we were OK. It's a good thing because the newspaper got it all wrong about which tower went down. The bottom of the towers were 68 ft from mean sea level. We had solid water hit and jolt Tower 3 while Tower 4 had two dish antennas washed off the land side. Both antennas were above the bottom of the tower. 40 ft waves could never touch the antennas. Thanks for putting this out, this part of history needs to be remembered also. Robert Garms

[@kjamison5951]

No moment from history is ever obscure. If we don’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. Liked and subbed.

[@trainman1209]

If we learned it. We'd still repeat it.

[@digitalninja85]

Extremely well researched, produced, and spoken.

[@AmWestColl]

you are one of the best history teachers ever....I've learned more about history from you than I ever did in school!

[@trainman1209]

That little Science Magazine every quarter in grade school was my biggest teacher!

[@socalfun64]

Thank You for bringing these guys story to us. Their sacrifice should have been recognized long before. My condolences to all the Families of the lost.

[@garywilson818]

Gary's wife here : My Dad was a Radar Technician with the US Airforce in Alaska, then Texas Tower #2 and later at Miles City Montana. My Dad talked about his job there. We lived near Cape Cod (I was a baby). He grieved his entire adult life for the men that were lost in the disaster of Tower #4 until his death in 2003. Prior to his death, he was a member of the Texas Tower Association and had a lot of contact with other elderly gentlemen who had been stationed on Towers 2 and 3. Apparently, they have all died of old age as the Texas Tower Association is no longer on the internet.

[@irishpsalteri]

Just before my time, fascinating.

[@penjim]

My Dad was in the Air Force at this time, and was working on radar early warning sites in various locations. He was always concerned he might be stationed on one of those sites, so I remember when this happened. It was quite a shock to the people he worked with.

[@danconvery5645]

I am surprised that a book or movie were never made on this sad story.

[@johndivita4842]

Thank you, HG. Your work is top notch. You are the Ace of Hearts and the Ace of Smarts!!

[@williamhamilton7681]

My dad worked for White Alice Communications at some of these remote site locations in the late 60’s and early 70’s. The family stayed with him when he was stationed on St Lawrence Island at Northeast Cape and in Aniak, Alaska. Crazy memories just came flooding back. Thanks for the video.

[@maxsdad538]

My God, it's been DECADES since I've heard the term "White Alice". We used to use White Alice to make "free" calls to home (Los Angeles) from Campion AFS, Alaska. 😁

[@ramdodgetruck]

My father worked building those things. He took lots of pictures. will try to find them.

[@JohnDoe-ef3nv]

ok

[@billysgeo]

Still waiting...

[@JS-rp7qb]

2019 anyone?

[@madmodder123]

Any updates?

[@dingledong94]

Where da pictures homie

[@Bassjunkie_1]

Thank you for keeping history like this alive.

[@doreenradway6825]

My uncle, Milton " Red" Leo perished on Texas Tower 4. He was not married nor did he have children. Only his four brother's children are his only known descendants.

[@philsharp758]

I know of this story from a an old Readers Digest. It was inadequately repaired after one of the legs was damaged. Thank you for keeping this story alive.

[@McRocket]

Wow...I had never even heard of these towers. Thank you very much for this.

[@randyhebb9272]

I grew up in Somerville, MA. and went to school with Bobby Abbott who's farther died on Texas Tower 4. I remember him not being at school for a few days and the teacher telling us that his farther had died. My parents explained that his farther was doing work on the tower when it fell into the sea. I was 12 years old, and remember my sadness to this day. I lost track of him as his family moved away after that.

[@lindawestergard4712]

Mr Abbott has a relative that dives at the tower I believe. My father was at the tower that day, going to the tower due to the weather they were going to evacuate, but circumstances didn't work out that way. My father's ship saw the tower disappear from radar, and knew it was gone. My father never really recovered from that event. He had a relationship with them, having picked them up for furlough and brought them back.

[@m.s.l.7746]

Amazing history lesson... Thanks. I've removed many old platforms in the gulf of Mexico when they're being decommissioned. It's common to have several layers of pipe with high grade concrete in between them. Usually 48"-60" outer shell with layers inside every 10"-12". Something like a 48", 36" 20" & 12" inside one another with all voids being filled with what was basically pure Portland cement. Most pipes were as thick as 3" on the inner layers but the outer most layer was usually relatively thin (maybe only ½")...really just a concrete forum & maybe extra volume when floating out. Was amazing seizing an ocean going crane pick them up in 90'-120' sections considering they were solid steel & concrete. It took the guys on the docks months to Separate the layers with a hammer hoe So it could be processed.

[@BGregS]

Wow, great video! Thanks very much for covering the long forgotten Texas Towers. My Grandfather served on TT2 in I believe 1961-62. It was an experience that definitely defined his Air Force career. He made one of the reunions before his passing which he was ever grateful of making . Thanks to Don Abbott for coordinating the reunion. R.I.P. W. H. S.

[@DustinBruce31]

Just found your channel and I’m hooked. I love history and really love obscure history. How you explain topics so clearly and with such great detail in 10 minutes is just the icing on the cake!

[@thebonesaw..4634]

They're just perfect aren't they... And the fact that he can take something I thought I would have zero interest in and tell it in such a way that makes them something I'm actually glad I learned is what makes them most wonderful of all. I'm so thankful I stumbled upon them.

[@thebonesaw..4634]

Also... weren't you executed in 1945? In the words of Charlie McGregor to Bart in _Blazing Saddles:_ *"... they said you was hung!"*

[@rdallas81]

Dustin Bruce Cake? ICING? SAWEEET!

[@TANTRUMGASM]

..you make outstanding videos....Thank you for the great "histories"

[@bleutz]

Great story sir! My dad was on the first crew of Tower 2 (he was the tower medic). I still have his hat, shirt and mug from the tower veterans association. I went to one of the reunions and was told the only way they could get to sleep was byr drinking a 50/50 mix of GI grapefruit juice and medicinal alcohol before going to bed.

[@dukecraig2402]

Bill Leutzinger I was in the Army and that's the only way I could fall asleep.

[@nautifella]

I was a Submarine sailor, I skipped the grapefruit juice.

[@Finallyfree423]

I just started the video and can say I've never heard of this. That's one of the reasons I love your channel you constantly come out with videos on topics Ive never heard of me.

[@thebonesaw..4634]

Wow! Another incredibly fascinating story. Also, kudos on the cold opening, I think I like it better.

[@vdotme]

Yep... a video that doesn't start by asking me to like comment and subscribe and telling me how to get notifications along with blurb on how to make web pages or learn new skills is shockingly rare. A 10min 20sec that has nothing but 10min and 20sec of advertised information got a like and sub straight away.

[@footloose6382]

The Bonesaw

[@thebonesaw..4634]

Herbert Punter

[@jmeyer3rn]

Agreed. Love facial expressions too. Oh ye of mobile face.

[@kegbot1]

I'm glad you find these stories from history that are so overlooked. I learned about Texas Tower 4 as a very young elementary school student as my parents had a copy of the edition of Life Magazine that covered the Kennedy inauguration. In that edition was the story 'Taps too Late for Tower 4' which told the story you just related here with photos of the divers the Navy sent to see if anyone might be trapped in an air pocket. But as the story said, every time a diver tapped the 'shave and a haircut' the answering 'six bits' never came.

[@wrightflyer7855]

Wow. Another little known but fascinating slice of history. Thank you, History Guy. I was 10 years old at that time but living in Taiwan, so I wasn't aware of this at all. The Cold War was indeed--cold.

[@RobertWoodman]

This was the first time I have ever heard of this story. Thank you! Excellent presentation.

[@andytaylor5476]

Very tragic! They didn't equip them with some sort of lifeboat? And what a financial disaster. I was a child in the 50's and had not heard of this. Thanks for your work on this.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

andy taylor they added emergency escape launches to the other two towers after the accident. Previously that carried boats, but nothing they could launch during a storm.

[@ThatsViews]

I noticed in one picture there were boats tied to the tower, but these would have been incapable of launch in a storm.

[@MrSheckstr]

Even if they had life boats and were able to safely lower them into the water (no mean feat when you see how high about the surface of a calm sea the platform is and in a storm surge it would be going up all the way to the platform and then down much further) surviving in an life raft in gale force wind would have been far from a certainty. That’s why the order to abandon a structure is rarely given before rescue vessel are on scene

[@lindawestergard4712]

My father was on the AKL-17 out of New Bedford trying to get to them, they wanted to try to go under, which they frequently did using a hoyst to pull up cargo and bring down men...which is seen in some of these videos...This video is a great one for detail, but there are so many more even an investigation done into the events of that day. Colonel Banks was tried for his actions, but found not guilty. They blamed the entire thing on the engineering of the tower. USAF was accountable for the problems that led to this. It was never going to hold up against a storm as big as Hurricane Donna....The only way to bring men down was by that hoyst shown in one of these videos. Another video has the info of the making of the towers, and even says it lost some very important braces during it's trip to be put up. Modern Marvels has an episode on Worst Engineering Disasters 3 which covers this as well. I'm glad this video has reached so many who can relate to it in one way, I have been working here in New Bedford at our local Museum trying to bring more people to realize what this was. Many men were from this area, so we are trying to bring this info out on our display for that era.

[@lindawestergard4712]

I can't tell you enough, how much this video means to me, as my father was connected to this event being on the AKL-17, It is so informative for people who were not aware and even more to those who were, Thank you very much Sir!

[@rickkephart5690]

I'm glad you posted this event. Something I had absolutely no knowledge of at all. I'm getting up there in years and still have so much to learn.

[@vinesauceobscurities]

"Iron Bastards" sounds like a badass nickname to earn if you ask me.

[@saffordpastor]

Just discovered this channel a few days ago and am loving it. Been referring others to it. Keep up the great work of recounting history that deserves to be remembered

[@natedolman9443]

I really love all your videos. They are really informative and I find myself thing of what you talk about into the next day. Thank you

[@claymaxon]

One of THE best history channels anywhere. Well done.

[@abelincoln95]

HG- I am always waiting for the next installment!!! You have really accomplished great studies!!! God bless....

[@tomgrzywacz6135]

This guy has a great narrative...voice and tempo. Easy to listen to and very entertaining.

[@dontroutman8232]

On behalf of the USAF, I say thanks again to the USCG for their efforts in risking their lives to try to save airmen, no matter how they ended up in the drink.

[@galiathen]

This guy is one if the best story tellers ever ...i salute u history guy ....keep up the awesome work

[@joeyjamison5772]

I was 12 when that happened and still remember it. I subsequently served in the USAF.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Thank you for your service!

[@dougcook7507]

This...this is why I love your channel! Thanks for doing what you do.

[@danielcreson5195]

Enjoy this channel very much, would love to stories on Texas city explosion, and the 1900 storm , worst industrial accident and natural disaster in US history Keep up the good work And thanks

[@adamjhuber]

Wow, amazing story! I never heard about the Texas Towers before this video.

[@randymc61]

Never too late to learn new things. I had never heard of these towers before. Interesting story.

[@accessfm]

Never knew about the Texas tower story. Great video... greetings from Ireland!

[@jon2564]

How sad. Thanks for sharing this story.

[@jonathanbrazee3846]

Alot of accidents and deaths will never be known from that era. It was all about secrecy.

[@FishyBusiness69]

Overtime we will learn more and more as stuff gets declassified

[@michaelwiebers9656]

Jonathan Brazee I was just wondering during this snippet why I do not remember this event and others. I was fifteen yo, but have lived in Spokane, Washington. Yes there must have been a lot o of secrecy back then.

[@richardlahan7068]

Even worse in the Soviet Bloc.

[@duartesimoes508]

Not this one, it was published on the Reader's Digest a few months afterwards. I read it in the Portuguese edition.

[@maxsdad538]

There was nothing "secret" about this, and it was never classified. Sometimes it's up to YOU to discover what you don't know.

[@yesman9792]

This channel is amazing. No fluff or filler.

[@ianinvan]

We have lost the art of storytelling. Done well, it is transfixing. And it enriches our lives. Thank you for keeping both the stories, and their telling, alive for a bit longer.

[@michroz]

Lucky to find this marvelous channel! History deserves to be remembered. And not only remembered, but learned lessons of. And when the military history is concerned, I can't help feeling the lessons are not learned well enough.

[@aaronkirby1995]

Excellent teacher thanks for helping us learn.

[@rjscott6116]

I truly appreciate what you do. You're officially my favorite history teacher, and I thank you for keeping history, and therefore the people\ heros involved in these historic, sometimes tragic events alive.

[@NigelThornbery]

Wonder who you would have to piss off to get stationed out there.

[@lonniecavenee6201]

If I was in the Air Force back then I'd have probably wound up out there. Probably the day the fucker fell into the sea too.

[@Sr89hot]

There or Shemya

[@kenycharles8600]

@@Sr89hot Shemya? Tell me about Shemya. Never heard of it. I will look on the search engine. But a story would be better. Just looked at a KZbin video by James Wilson "Tour of '67" . Short summer, long winter. Who did you piss off?

[@johnkelly5949]

@@kenycharles8600 If you were in Aircraft Control and Warning radar - either as an operator, or maintenance tech - you would more than likely get assigned to a remote location in your first enlistment. It had nothing to do with 'pissing off' someone. I was a Radar Tech. Remotes when I was mainly in (65 - 89) Alaska, though there were others overseas. I was 'lucky' enough to be stationed at King Salmon and Fort Yukon in my 24 years in. The Texas Towers had been decommissioned by the time I joined, luckily for me.

[@petroelb]

@@Sr89hot I had a co-worker who was sent to Shemya twice as an avionics tech! He's a pretty straight-laced guy and I don't think he hated it that much, but I do wonder what he did to get sent there... twice.

[@Underwaystudios]

always glad to be here, Thanks History Guy! Semper Paratus

[@IsaacWilee]

It must be awesome to know that you're wiping away ignorance for so many people everyday. You Sir deserve to be rembered. I would support your endeavors but I am very poor but if one Friday they make a mistake on my check it's all yours my man.

[@Tadesan]

Isaac Wilee love your icon. Del puts it down.

[@alphamale3713]

Isaac Wilee If you were less ignorant you could get a better paying job. 😀

[@Matt02341]

if you were less judgmental, you might have friends.

[@stuwest3653]

Stupid people don't watch stuff like this.

[@Firebrand55]

I don't know how you do it Lance...I have a problem remembering my middle name. The treatment of all your subjects is compelling and, I've learnt, always factual and correct. I suggest a future subject could be the crash of 51-5719 B-36 at Lacock, England, February, 1953.The 17-man crew bailed from RAF Fairford, leaving the aircraft to fly for 35 minutes crewless; it could have come down anywhere...history that deserves to be remembered?

[@nighttrain1236]

The only real reason for a drilling rig to be a jack up is so you can move it around easy to the next drilling site (mobile). Given that these radar towers were essentially to be fixed in position it's a puzzle why they chose the jack up configuration. My guess is because this was cheapest, and building fixed platforms at such depths probably didn't happen until the 60/70's or so with the North Sea. So they re-purposed some available oil industry technology of the day, namely jack up technology, which even now wouldn't be totally appropriate given that jack up technology is for mobility purposes and is no way as secure as any fixed platform. Assuming the radar can tolerate some heave due to swell, it would probably have been better to mount them on a re-purposed oil tanker, anchor it to the sea bed and keep the bow pointed into the wind. Much safer and cheaper I think for the time. Interesting to note that with hurricane force winds a modern (mobile) drilling rig will typically be evacuated, and put into a mode where it is jacked up as high as possible (to avoid waves striking the hull), and as much load is taken off as possible and/or mass moved to the middle. Even in this state some rigs have been lost due to the power of the sea. This is why I say a jack up can never be as secure as a fixed platform rig and what good is a radar installation which is weather dependent?

[@LuizAlexPhoenix]

I might be a bit late, but wasn't the idea to make it cheapest to build and maintain as possible? Wouldn't an anchored tanker require a bigger more specialized crew? Also, aren't those kind of expensive to be used as radar?

[@johnkelly5949]

@@LuizAlexPhoenix The Navy had picket ships that served that purpose.

[@scottbonner8171]

So glad you kept this channel going

[@scottbonner8171]

Still feel bad for being a typical troll

[@RUNDNB85]

great video's pal.

[@whatsmyname1288]

Love you Vlad

[@tedkier3264]

vlad the lad please don't impaler,Vlad!

[@geoffpimlott1218]

An excellent item as usual History Guy! As a Cold War radar and defence systems geek, this was probably my third or fourth viewing of this one since I discovered you last year. Fascinating as always! I'd forgotten with how much detail the introduction linked the Texas Towers to the operation of the DEWline in particular. A good tie-in to your Operation Chrome Dome piece too, to which I've just posted some detailed input & suggestions for future segmemts - providing that you haven't already done them. (I haven't caught up to watching them all of them yet.) This piece also reminded me of the Ocean Ranger offshore oil drilling and production rig disaster on Newfoundland's Grand Banks. Crews referred to it as the 'Ocean Danger' prior to the disaster that took all lives, a chilling reminder based on the Texas Tower 4 crew's reference to it as 'Ol Shakey'! Perhaps also deserving of being remembered as part of the grisly annals of North Atlantic maritime history. 'Also perhaps the great Newfoundland sealing disaster of the early 20th century, although perhaps that one's a bit more of a minefield, tragic as it certainly was for a great many dozens of baymen & their families! Chilly cheers & warm regards from Canada! 🍁 🐾 🍁

[@marbleman52]

This was very interesting. I don't recall ever hearing about these Texas Towers. It was sad that we lost good men for little to no gain, but as the saying goes " War if Hell", and even the Cold War had it's casualties. Thanks for another good episode.

[@lindawestergard4712]

If you are into this history, you should look up more. There is more now than there was years ago on TT4 and Engineering disasters of the period.

[@werquantum]

Another excellent production. This one hit me hard. Poor guys.

[@Derpy1969]

Thank you for educating me today. This was a TIL for me.

[@icreatedanaccountforthis1852]

This was a tragic story. Thank you for sharing it.

[@jasonhobb4520]

Good stuff. Better than the history channel.

[@eyeofbast]

Jason Hobb when ice truckers and aliens became the norm, it lost its credibility.

[@jebsails2837]

Growing up at the mouth of Narragansett Bay, this video brought back some memories. Much like the Air Force the Coast Guard (?) sought to replace it's costly lightships. Small ships, anchored in specific areas, with powerful beacons, as hazard and navigation aids in / near the shipping lanes or obstructions. There was an uproar when local lightship Brenton Point was retired and replaced with what was called a "Texas Tower". Very similar to what we just viewed, which had a minimal crew or was automated. Now you have a subject for another video. Thanks again.

[@gweshayne]

Great stuff! I never even heard of this! Please keep these videos coming! !!! RIP those men who dutifully served our country.

[@vip01]

I was stationed at Otis afb on Cape Cod at this time. I was In SAC, but I knew a couple of those guys. One was a drummer in the band I played in up there. I think he was a diesel Mechanic that maintained the generators. Another thing that was in service at that time is The Radar equipped Constellation aircraft that flew up and down the east coast around the clock. I knew some radio/radar operators on those planes also. When the tower went down was a very sad time. There was collection places at about every local store to raise money for the families.

[@donaldchase6163]

I never even knew about this happening even though I was born in 1949.

[@rickycoker5830]

as a history buff, what I love about this channel is learning new things...thank you

[@mudhutproductions]

I wonder if that was the same Lt. Yost that would later become the Commandant of the Coast Guard in the 80's? I served under Admiral Yost on high endurance cutters in the Gulf of Alaska back then.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Mudhut Productions yes, it is. The future Admiral commanded the Agassiz from 1959 - 1961. Thank you for your service!

[@mudhutproductions]

Thank you! I met Commandant Yost while serving aboard the CGC Rush WHEC 723 during the Valdez Oil Spill. He had a ribbon board that went all the way to his shoulder and down the other side. That man was remarkable! He was also tiny. Couldn't have been more than 5'6" at best. He is also the one that made all of the old schoolers mad by mandating a no beard policy. I now have even more respect for the man. Thank you for what you do! I would have not known of this 30 years later if you had not brought this event back to life for a brief moment.

[@dougdawkins9513]

Mudhut Productions jjj

[@lindalee7322]

Thank you again, Guy.

[@daleslover2771]

Excellent video, pictures, information. being an ex radar Tech, Alpha battery 1st Battalion 1st ADA & Alpha battery 1st battalion 65th Ada lived 4 years on those 40-foot radar Towers, At night time you could feel those Towers, Creep,, vibrate, in the daytime especially Key West Florida,You would swear,,, where you could feel them expand and contrack early in the morning and a mild sway. couldn't even imagine what( HELL) those guys went through out there in the ocean on those Towers..

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Thank you for your service!

[@dawolf7784]

Thank you for your service to protect all of the US !

[@jimdevilbiss9125]

I certainly do remember this. Thank you for the additional details. As always very professional he presented.

[@michaelhilton3481]

I like your bow ties 👍

[@buonafortuna8928]

Another great episode HG. Your last line hit me right in the kisser.

[@BeachsideHank]

As a kid, I remember ARGOSY Magazine did a story on this event. ARGOSY was the first pulp magazine, and was still popular as a kinda softcore "men's" rag.☺

[@alecfoster6653]

BeachsideHank- Argosy was COOL! I still remember the issue about the "Minnesota Ice Man"!

[@billscheitzach6026]

I was probably ten or twelve at the time, and I too recall reading a magazine article about this back in the mid-60s. I thought it might have been in the Saturday Evening Post, but it could have been the Argosy article I'm remembering - my dad had a few odd copies of that magazine in the house too.

[@steverichardson7417]

Great story about a little known piece of Air Force history.

[@KCFreitag]

At 6:16 do you misspeak "June of 1947?" Perhaps "'57?"

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Kurt Freitag you are correct- good catch. Thanks!

[@5roundsrapid263]

I noticed that too. Not to be rude, but at 7:42 you say “twenty-four” men instead of “twenty-eight”. A minor thing in such a very interesting video.

[@CTeale1]

Beautiful, powerful, and meaningful. Thank you for reminding us. We should know and remember those who sacrificed so that we can enjoy our liberty.

[@SuperTrainStationH]

I'm incredibly shaken right now. On my spare time since 2010 I've been working on a massive television script for a TV series about freedom fighters combating a corrupted US government and trying to restore a democracy. I had the story in my head in its entirety since 2010, and I'm about 80% done with it. The primary setting is Long Island, NY, and the final arc I plotted out concerned a oil-platform like structure called "Core 4" that the authoritarian military constructed off off the southern shore of Long Island for use as defensive measure and to bear antenna equipment. The final battle of the show as an attempt by the freedom fighters to sink "Core 4" to disrupt the enemy's radio control with a satellite mounted laser weapon that was floating in orbit. From the repurposed oil-platform technology, to the military aspect of the structure, to the name "Core 4", to it being off the southern coast of Long Island in the exact same location as a map I created of my fictional setting for my own reference, I'm EXTREMELY freaked out by all these coincidences, I had absolutely no knowledge of the "Texas Tower" program or the existence of such US military projects which used oil platform tech, I've spent an hour drilling deep into my memory to try to remember if I'd had ever saw anything on the Discovery or History channels about it, or read aobut it in a book, but I honestly had no idea this ever happened. I only saw this because KZbin put it on my recommended videos thing, I'm honestly freaked out right now and I'll need a while to get over all of this.

[@BrassLock]

+gguru1 : Sychronicity is all pervasive . . .

[@loriboufford6342]

"Universal thought"!! It's all around us, yet it will knock you on your keister ever time.

[@healinggrounds19]

Or maybe you were there and live a different life now. Good luck on your screenplay!

[@drsonnysell4471]

Respect & Gratitude Professor!!

[@sixstringedthing]

Great presentation style Mr. Guy. Clear, concise, and your passion for the subject matter is readily apparent. New subscriber right here, I look forward to watching more.

[@greg1268]

Maybe I'm just slow but I find he talks a little to fast, especially when he crams a lot of information into one sentence. Just an observation. But all in all, GREAT channel!

[@sixstringedthing]

Yes, that's true Sam. But I find that his annunciation and sentence structure is clear enough that I find it fairly easy to follow along, even when he's talking fast. And I can always reach for the mouse if I miss something. :)

[@greg1268]

yeah, i definitely reach for the mouse! I'm also know to watch them 2 or 3 times as well. I must a little slow.....

[@sixstringedthing]

Sam Solo everyone learns at their own pace mate, nothing wrong with that ;)