Posted on 1/14/2009, 3:34:36 AM by Coleus
The last defense against a Soviet nuclear attack was in the back yards of North Jersey. Tucked behind Gary's Wine Marketplace on Route 23 north in Wayne are 32 acres owned by Passaic County that were once home to a missile base and now stand as a relic to the Cold War era.
Through the height of the Cold War, from 1955 to 1963, 14 Nike missile batteries were nestled in suburban communities throughout the state, at the ready to fire against any Soviet bomber that might have dodged the U.S. Air Force's interceptors and headed toward New York City.
Additional sites were control areas where radar stations kept watch for a Soviet attack. "In these leafy suburban towns, they were actually the very tangible manifestations of the international Cold War tensions," said Donald E. Bender, a marketing consultant in Livingston who has researched the Garden State's Nike missile bases for the past 15 years.
His expertise has been tapped by a variety of U.S. military branches and landed him appearances on national television. Most of the site installations have gone the way of Bergen County's two former sites: either redeveloped into luxury housing, like the former launcher site that was nestled in the woods of Mahwah, or picked up by a local government, like old radar station buildings that are now Bergen County's horseback riding center in Franklin Lakes.
At the former missile site in Wayne, asphalt now covers the three 25-foot-deep missile magazines that each housed 10 Nike Ajax surface-to-air missiles. It's now a parking area for Passaic County's Para-Transit jitneys. The single-story cinder-block building that was an Army barracks is home to the county's Mosquito Control Division, Weight and Measures office and other departments. The entrance is marked by a steel gate, barbed wire and a security guard's shack – presumably where a guard acting as Checkpoint Charlie made sure that only U.S. Army or Army Reserve personnel were admitted.
The structures hearken to the 1950s, when schoolchildren were taught to "duck and cover" beneath their desks to protect against an atomic bomb blast, and the Soviets' Sputnik satellite struck fear and awe in Americans as it orbited the Earth in 1957. Jerry Pluhar, 72, a driver for Passaic County Meals on Wheels who gets his daily driving assignments in the old barracks, said he remembered the Cold War but didn't know the place where he got his daily driving assignment was a part of its history.
"I'm a Cold War relic myself," he joked. The military wanted to build the launcher sites in a circle about 25 miles from the center of New York City's Central Park, and situate them to provide overlapping coverage for the metropolitan area, Bender said.
The ideal sites for the launcher areas were expansive and had soil with little rock. Elevated places were sought for the radar stations. Salem and Maha Abugosh were surprised to learn that their home in The Ridge at Wayne development near Alps and Ratzer roads was on a former Nike control site where three radar towers once stood. One tower scanned the skies over Manhattan, another would have been fixed on an enemy aircraft and the third would have tracked the missiles deployed from the launcher base near Route 23, Bender said.
"You wouldn't think it was part of a missile-launching operation," Maha Abugosh said, standing in the foyer of her two-story home on a cul-de-sac. The Nike Ajax missiles kept at the Wayne base were non-nuclear and akin to those that shot down U-2 spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers over the Soviet Union in 1960.
The Nike sites are more than just reminders of the Cold War, he said. They are worthy of the respect given to military installations that date back to the Revolutionary War. "These are the last fixed fortifications that were constructed to defend the continental United States," he said.
***
Fast facts
New Jersey had 14 Nike missile bases in the Cold War. Most sites are now redeveloped or owned by local governments. Among them are:
East Hanover: Launcher area is now a housing development.
Franklin Lakes: Radar site now owned by Bergen County.
Mahwah: Launcher site developed into luxury homes.
Wayne: Launcher site owned by Passaic County, radar site developed into luxury homes.
Source: Don Bender, president, Cold War Research, Livingston, N.J.
Secret? There are a bunch of sites detailing Nike emplacements all over.
The need for US anti air defenses have not gone away just because the Cold War has ended. We need a good mix of short and long range air defense with guns and missles. Deploy them all around the US.
Nikes are emplaced in shoe stores...
=)
This was so "secret" they made a corny movie about it at the time... "Rally Round the Flag, Boys."
Ooh you are bad!
* Nike Site CD-63 Dillsboro, Indiana, Missile Launching site (L-3) converted to a private residence (including old missile silos) on Ind. 262 just outside of the town limits. It was set up in 1958 to protect Cincinnati and Dayton. It was shut down in 1969. Just a little over a mile to the East-Northeast off of Texas Gas road is the accompanying abandoned radar facility (C-4). The old radar towers are still standing.
* Nike Site BR-94 Bridgeport, Connecticut, Launch/assembly site: Shelton, CT, Control/Radar Site, Monroe, CT. Launch site and assembly buildings converted into public recreation facitliy. Baseball fields, recreation Halls, Tennis courts, playground etc. Control Site and buildings converted to storage/support for local military installations by US Gov.
* The IFC area of Nike Site C-32 in Porter, Indiana is being used as the administrative offices of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
* The administrative area of Nike Site C-47 in Wheeler, Indiana has been converted into a paintball field known as Blast Camp. The launcher area, located on private property, is not open to the public. Site C-47 is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
* The 40 acres (160,000 m2) that once housed Nike Site C-70 in Naperville, Illinois has been divided into an office park and Nike Park, part of the Naperville Park District, with soccer, softball and Little League fields. It is located at the south-east corner of Mill Street and Diehl Road in northern Naperville.
* Nike Site C-93 was located in the Skokie Lagoons near the border of Glencoe and Winnetka, IL. The radar and control facility was located on the west side of Forest Way Dr two blocks north of Tower Rd; the missile launchers were in a bermed compound on the other side of the lagoons adjoining the Edens Expressway, about a quarter of a mile south of Dundee Rd. The radar site today is on the North Branch Trail on a levelled off hill; the launch area has been fenced off and used as a dumping ground for dredging operations and is not open to the public, although the complex perimeter can be viewed from the bicycle trail. The portion of the bike trail from Tower Rd to the launch complex was the actual road used to access the base. It is unlikely any part of the base was on the island in the middle of the lagoons. A small foot bridge connected the launch complex to the main island for unknown reasons, this bridge has long since been removed.
* Evidence of Nike Site C-98 is quickly disappearing as Fort Sheridan, IL is being converted slowly into a high end residential subdivision. This site is very rarely documented. Many sources claim that the Chicago Defense System had 22 Nike sites but with Ft. Sheridan the actual number is 23.
* Nike Sites C-80 and C-81 in Arlington Heights, Illinois, located at the corner of Central and New Wilke roads, have been converted into a public golf course and United States Army Forces Command training and maintenance center.
* Nike Site C-84, located in Deer Park, Illinois at the northeast corner of Quentin and Lake-Cook roads, has been converted into an office park and shopping mall.
* Nike Site C-72, located in Addison, Illinois.
* Two sites were located on Chicago’s lakefront, C-03 on the north side at Belmont Harbor and C-41 on the south side at Jackson Park near the Museum of Science and Industry, at approximately 50th Street. For more information on the Jackson Park site see: http://m-epperson.home.comcast.net/~m-epperson/nike/ For an aerial view of the Belmont site today see: http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=4&S=9&Z=16&X=4474&Y=46432&W=3
* Nike Site D-54 in Riverview, Michigan, has been converted into a public park with a Nike-Hercules missile and a plaque commemorating the site. The pits are still there, under the park, behind the fire station. There is one original building left near the launch site, which has been refurbished and turned into a hall to host Cub Scout events and such. The City of Riverview has concerns about possible radiation from the site, but has not done much about it.
* Nike Site DF-01, located off North Locust Street just north of Denton, Texas was converted for use as an astronomical observatory of the University of North Texas after decommissioning. Aside from its use as a laboratory for the school’s astronomy program, the site has been used for storage, research and experimentation. A broadcasting tower is also located on site. The site’s housing and administrative complex has been sold to a private owner and is currently being used as a residence.
* Nike Site F-07C near Spokane, Washington was acquired by the United States Air Force in 1963 to be used as one of the command readout stations for the DMSP mission. It was operated by Detachment 1, 4000 Aerospace Applications Group, which was later designated as Detachment 1, 1000th Satellite Operations Group, and later the 5th Satellite Control Squadron part of the 50th Space Wing. It was later converted to the Fairchild Satellite Operations Center to support MILSTAR/GPS and other programs under Air Force Space Command.[1]
* Nike Site HA-67 Plainville, Connecticut Pinnacle Mountain. Reduced to concrete slab years ago.
* Nike Site HM-69, located at the Everglades National Park in Florida, is undergoing renovation and is not yet open to the public. Site HM-69 is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
* The IFC area of Nike Site KC-60 in Gardner, Kansas is now the Nike Intermediate School in the Gardner-Edgerton Unified School District 231.
* Nike Site L-85C near Connor, Maine was acquired by the United States Air Force in 1963 to be used as the second command readout station for the DMSP mission. It was operated by Detachment 2, 4000 Aerospace Applications Group until 1993, when all DMSP operations were transferred to Site 1.
* In Los Angeles, California, the stripped IFC area of Nike Site LA-96, on top of a mountain in the middle of the city, San Vicente Peak, has been turned into a Cold War memorial park. The LA-96 launcher area in Van Nuys has been stripped of its hydraulics, electrical equipment, etc. which were to be transported to Nike Site LA-43 at Whites Point, Fort MacArthur, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks made it impossible to complete this project. The Nike parts are still (as of March 1, 2006) at LA-96 and awaiting possible use elsewhere. Francis Gary Powers, Jr. has expressed interest in using some of the LA-96 parts at Nike Site W-64, in Lorton, Virginia. Foundations and other signs of Nike installations can still be found elsewhere across the area, including the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the San Gabriel Mountains.
Other Los Angeles area Nike site locations include: LA-04 Mt. Gleason /Palmdale- a Los Angeles County fire camp and prison work camp; LA-09 Mt. Disappointment / Barley Flats- Barley Flats is now an LA County Sheriff Air Station; LA-14 South El Monte- Now a city construction yard next to a park; LA-29 Brea/Puente Hills- The Brea control site area appears to be used by the water district, the Puente Hills launch site has been completely obliterated; LA-32 Garden Grove- A few site buildings remain at 33°47’33.85”N, 118°00’09.07”W; LA-40 Long Beach Airport /Lakewood-Hotel and commercial development; LA-43 (mentioned above) Ft. MacArthur (Upper Res /White Point) - The Fort MacArthur Museum is working to preserve and interpret the site; LA-45DC Fort MacArthur (Lower Res) - Part of Los Angeles Air Force Base; LA-55 Point Vicente (Palos Verdes) - In City of Rancho Palos Verdes part of Del Cerro Park; LA-57 Redondo Beach/ Torrance- Now Hopkins Wilderness Park; LA-70 Hyperion /Playa Del Rey- Apartment complexs; LA-73 Playa Del Rey /LAX- commercial/resdential area; LA-78 (mentioned below) Malibu- LA County Fire Station 8, Launch site mostly intact, original buildings still in use by LA county; LA-88 Chatsworth/ Oat Mtn.-Located in Michael D. Antonovich Regional Park, reportedly the launch site area is relatively undisturbed with much original equipment still on site; LA-94 Los Pinetos /Newhall- Located in the Angeles National Forest, site is currently used for radar tests, the launch area appears to be mostly intact, LA-96 (mentioned above) Van Nuys / Sepulveda- Part of San Vicente Mountain Park with a Cold War Memorial site; LA-98 Magic Mountain /Lang /Saugus- Within Angeles National Forest, portion used as microwave radio relay site.
* Nike Site LA-78 near Malibu, CA, the former launch site is now Los Angeles County Fire Station No. 8 or “Camp 8” on Rambla Pacifico road. The former crew barracks are now used for county fire station personnel and the old launch bays appear to be used for storage. Col. George Evans, a former Nike crew member posts some very nice 1960’s site pictures here: http://george.smugmug.com/gallery/418537/1/16759653#16759653. Nearby the former fire control center area atop Saddle Peak has only a few concrete pads left at the site.
* Nike Site M-74 in Waukesha, Wisconsin resided on hill nicknamed by local children as “Nike Hill”. The command center is a common spot for Urban exploration. Some have suggested that it be made into a cold war museum. [1] In March of 2006, the City of Waukesha took ownership of the property, retaking it from the federal government. [2].
* The IFC area of Nike Site MS-20, located on 112th Street in Warren, Wisconsin, St. Croix County, is being used as a storage facility; the launcher area is privately owned. Most of the buildings have been destroyed.
* Nike Site MS-40 is located on County Road 80S in Farmington, Minnesota. Well preserved for its years of age and disuse, it is currently under private ownership, with plans to be converted into a law enforcement and public safety training center. It is also a safe haven for deer chased by hunters in the area, as it is completely fenced in.
* Nike Launch Site N-75, located in Carrollton, near Smithfield, Virginia, has been converted to a recreational area called Carrollton Nike Park. The park features athletic fields, bike trails, and a skate park built directly over the filled-in missile magazines.
* Nike Site NF-74/75 dual site, located in Grand Island, New York, is now known as the Grand Island Nike Base. It was redesignated NF-41 after conversion to Hercules. Operational from the mid 1950s through the mid 1960s. It comprised a Launcher and Integrated Fire Control Area for Nike-Ajax Missiles. The IFC was located off of Whitehaven Road near West River and is now known as Nike Base Town Park; as such, it hosts Grand Island’s Senior Citizen Center, a town-sponsored safe hangout for teens known as Reality Cafe, and space for group meetings. The Launcher is off Staley Road just east of West River Road; it is now used as the Grand Island Central School District’s Eco Island Ecology Reserve.
* Nike Site BU-52 dual site located in Hamburg, New York, was a double-site Launcher and Integrated Fire Control Area for Nike-Ajax Missiles. The IFC was located off New Lake View Road, at 2 E. Heltz Road, and is now offices for the Town of Hamburg. The Launcher area was also off New Lake View Road, at 1 E. Heltz Road, and is currently covered by a bike track, a Hamburg Town Park, and Bulk Storage. [2]
* Nike Site NY-53, located in Middletown, New Jersey
* Nike Site NY-54, located in Holmdel/Hazlet, New Jersey
* Nike Site NY-55DC, located in Highlands, New Jersey
* Nike Site NY-56, located on the former Sandy Hook Proving Ground (now a part of the Gateway National Recreation Area) in New Jersey, has been preserved and is open to the public. The IFC area is open one weekend a month from April to October, the launcher area has occasional tours. The park currently owns three Ajax missiles and one Hercules. Every fall, the park holds a Cold War Day event. Site NY-56 is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District.
* Nike Site NY-58/60, located in Old Bridge, New Jersey
* Nike Site NY-60R, located in South Amboy, New Jersey
* Nike Site NY-65, located in South Plainfield, New Jersey
* Nike Site NY-73, located in Mountainside, New Jersey, is now the current site of the Watchung Stables of Union County.
* Nike Site NY-79/80, located in Livingston/East Hanover, New Jersey, this Nike Battery was constructed near the borders of Essex and Morris Counties during 1954-55. The control area was located atop Riker Hill in Livingston in order to obtain good radar coverage of the region. The launcher area was constructed about two miles (3 km) away, on a portion of the former Matarazzo farm in East Hanover. This double Nike site was operational with both Ajax and Hercules missiles.
* Nike Site NY-80C, located in Livingston, New Jersey, this former location facility contained several radar systems for locating and tracking hostile aircraft and for controlling the flight of Nike missiles launched from the East Hanover facility.
* Nike Site NY-80L, located in East Hanover, New Jersey, some of the Army’s housing has been transformed into residential homes and a gated community.
* Nike Site NY-80R in Randolph, New Jersey was left vacant for many years and the building kept intact. Sometime in the mid to late 90’s the phone booths outside were removed and some activity was resumed at the base for a few months. Picking up in late 2006, the base is currently experiencing some remodeling. The sidewalk is being redone as well as the stairs leading up to the building. Houses that line the building and site’s perimeter received a letter from the state in August 2006. The letter stipulated that there would be extensive remodeling of the area as to make it less hazardous to the public. In the past few months, there have been “parades” of white vans exiting and entering the building at will. The reason that their movement at will is unusual is that there is an electronically locked barbwire fence surrounding the area, to which these vans have the opening device.
* Nike Site NY-88 located in Wayne, New Jersey this classic three magazine Nike missile base was operational in 1955. It stayed operational through 1963 manned by the New Jersey Army National Guard and regular Army units.
* Nike Site NY-93 located in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey
* Nike Site NY-94 located in Mahwah, New Jersey
* Nike Site PH-07 is located in Richboro, Pennsylvania. The IFC area is occupied by the Council Rock School District administration, and the launch site is part of the Northampton Township Recreation Center. Batting cages have been placed on top of the 2 missile magazines, which appear otherwise intact.
* Nike Site PH-32 in Marlton, New Jersey. It was shut down after the deactivation of Ajax-only sites. A housing development was built on top of the control area in the early 1990s. The launch area remains vacant.
* Nike Site PH-41/43 in Sicklerville, Gloucester Township, New Jersey. It was a double site, operating both Ajax and Hercules missiles from 1956 to 1974. The site has been turned over to Gloucester Township for commercial development.
* Nike Site PI-71’s launch site was located at Moon Township, Pennsylvania, outside Pittsburgh. The launch site is now a nature preserve and is off limit to motorized vehicles. Only the blacktop / concrete pads still exist.
* Nike Site S-13/14 in Redmond, Washington is owned by the Lake Washington School District and was previously used for the district’s NEVAC work study programs. All the structures remain intact, though some are in disrepair. The radar site to the west of the launchers has been renovated and is now owned by the United States Air Force. The radars have been removed and portions of the site have been converted into Redmond’s Nike Park.
* Nike Site S-20 on Cougar Mountain (in Issaquah, Washington 10 miles (16 km) east of Seattle) is accessible via the trail system and has some small signage and concrete pads, but no structures remain.
* Nike Site S-61 on Vashon Island in Puget Sound, has been turned into a public horse park named Paradise Ridge. The buildings are now used as a thrift store, Granny’s Attic, and a medical clinic.
* The administrative area and part of the launcher area of Nike Site S-92 in Kingston, Washington is now the Spectrum Community School (alternative high school) and school-bus yard in the North Kitsap School District.
* Nike Site SF-51C, near San Bruno, California (6.5 miles south of San Francisco), is located on the Sweeney Ridge parcel of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Several buildings are still standing, though badly vandalized and decaying, with most of the roofs partially collapsed. The site is accessible by foot via a paved path.
* Nike Site SF-51L, near Pacifica, California (4.5 miles south of San Francisco), is located on the Milagra Ridge parcel of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Only concrete pads remain.
* Nike Site SF-59L, near San Bruno, California (1.5 miles south of San Francisco), is located in San Bruno Mountain State Park. The site is in active use as a microwave radio relay station.
* Nike Site SF-88L, in Fort Barry (part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area) across the Golden Gate from San Francisco, has been preserved as a Nike museum, complete with missiles (inert). This site was given intact to the National Park Service in 1974 after it was decommissioned for use as a legacy of the Nike program. It is open to the public on designated days; usually Wednesday to Friday, 12:30 to 3:30 pm. The SF-88L site has been restored by volunteers and National Park Service employees to the condition it was in the 1960s, complete with signage and various pieces of equipment such as the radars and control vans that would have been stationed on hills overlooking the site. One of the two missile magazines has been restored and has a working elevator and launch rail for the inert missiles. Site SF-88 is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Fort Barry Historic District.
* Nike Site SF-91 The IFC on the top of Mt. Livermore Angel Island in San Francisco Bay has been permanently removed. The former radar site has been restored to its natural condition, and is now enjoyed as one of the best views of the region by hikers and picnicers. This is an early Ajax-only site that was never converted to Hercules. The mountain between the launcher and the IFC was “notched” in three places to allow the Missile Tracking Radar to acquire the missile while sitting on the launcher. The three underground magazines are existent and in reasonable good condition. The Park is currently (11-2007) using the launch site as a dumping ground. The only fence left around the launch area is the gate. At least one of the magazines is usually accessible due to continuing vandalism of the locks on the escape hatchs.
* Nike Site SF-93L in San Rafael, California in San Francisco Bay has had the missile silos converted into recycled water storage tanks by the Marin Municipal Water District. The water is used to irrigate a nearby park and golf course.
* Nike Site SL-90 Grafton, IL This site is located at the top of Pere Marquette Park. Though badly overgrown, many buildings are still intact. Site is now used for vehicle storage by the park.
* Nike Site W-64 in Lorton, Virginia. This site was co-located with the now closed Lorton Reformatory. The launcher facility, located at the intersection of Hooes Road and VA 611, is still largely intact and in the process of being developed into the Cold War Museum with the assistance of Francis Gary Powers, Jr., the son of Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 pilot shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960. The former control facility is located on the west side of Silverbrook Road just south of Hooes Road and became part of the prison maintenance facility.
* Nike Site W-83 in Great Falls, Virginia was later used by the Defense Mapping Agency and is now part of the Fairfax County Turner Farm park. The park has been identified as having the darkest skies within 30 miles (48 km) of Washington, D.C. It is used by the amateur-astronomy Analemma Society for night viewing, and has recreational facilities for daytime use. There are proposals to create an “Observatory Park” for public observation and education using county grants.
* Nike Site W-94 Gaithersburg, Maryland. The launch and control sites are located about 5 miles (8.0 km) apart. One was located on part of a National Guard Armory (which is actually in Olney, MD) and is now an off-site FEMA center. The other is near the Montgomery County Airpark and is surrounded by a housing development (see http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=39.161071,-77.175125&spn=0.003935,0.010815&t=h&z=17). It was transferred to the Maryland National Park and Planning Commission April 29, 1996 and is now a park.
* Nike Site Summit, located at Fort Richardson outside Anchorage, Alaska, has been in use as a secured communications site for various federal agencies, including BLM, FAA, FCC, FBI, IRS, and others. It is also used on occasion for communications exercises supporting various US Army operations. There are two adjacent ski recreation areas. While preserved, the site itself is currently off limits to the public. Site Summit is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
* Nike Site Bay, located at Goose Bay, outside Anchorage, Alaska, has been used as a low security prison, but due to a fire, has been mostly abandoned, and is quickly dilapidating in the harsh weather.
* Nike Site Point, located at Point Campbell, in Anchorage, Alaska, has been converted to a cross-country ski park. All 4 launcher bunkers are still there, with one of them converted into a nice chalet. In the summer, the park is used as a bike trail.
* The following sites were deployed in the vicinity of Fairbanks, Alaska: Site Tare, Site Peter, Site Mike, Site Jig, Site Charley, and Site Love.
Secret? There was a Nike base at Belmont Harbor on Chicago’s lakefront.
Cheers!
I got a train set in the early 60's that had a car with a missile that looked just like this.
Kewl.
The site was across from Cherokee High School on Tomlinson Mill Road. Occasionally, when the track or cross-country coach would send us out to run on the roads, we'd "run" in the abandoned site.
I just looked on Google Maps--there are still some concrete pads behind the houses.
* Nike Site DF-01, located off North Locust Street just north of Denton, Texas was converted for use as an astronomical observatory of the University of North Texas after decommissioning. Aside from its use as a laboratory for the school’s astronomy program, the site has been used for storage, research and experimentation. A broadcasting tower is also located on site. The site’s housing and administrative complex has been sold to a private owner and is currently being used as a residence.
There's another interesting site near Denton, just off the 288 loop on the east side of town. It's a gigantic (Wal-Mart size) underground complex called the "Federal Regional Center". Locally known as the Bunker, it's actually FEMA's Region VI headquarters facility. I know a guy who's been in it, and according to him it's a mix of modern and Cold War classic down there, with rooms full of high-tech computers alongside rows of enormous, obsolete (but functional) Bendix commercial laundry equipment. (Yes, there's a laundry down there. There's also a morgue.) If you look at the aerial view, you can actually see the many, many weird-looking antennas sticking out of the ground over the facility. You can also see white dots that are actually large, blast-shielded air intakes.
That site in Randolph NJ is interesting. Black-helicopter buffs have been watching it for years, wondering just what the hell is going on in there. Something certainly is. I myself did a bit of research on the site a few years ago, but came up with nothing.
I just want to know where they get parts for those old Bendix washers and dryers...
Nke site just north of Bergen County in Rockland County NY now a town park.
http://allthingsclevelandohio.blogspot.com/2009/01/cleveland-area-former-nike-missile.html
“As a child I remember Nike bases near my home in suburban Maryland that protected D.C. It wasn’t until I was much older that I learned that the Nike Hercules had a nuclear payload to insure that it would kill its target. I not sure now how protected we were with the possibility of a friendly nuclear weapon going off over our heads.”
I visited the SF-88 site not too long ago, and they had a decent description of the Nike-Herc. The missiles were designed to be intercepting targets roughly 70 miles from the launch point. The warheads were relatively small (5-20kT), and wouldn’t be doing a lot to you from that distance. The interesting bit was that they could also be used in an anti-SHIP role! Launch it out and direct it downward against a surface target.. that could be somewhat messy! If I recall correctly, Nike-Hercules could also have been used against inbound ballistic missile warheads, also (not only just bombers and the like) I remember also that a couple other similar-vintage SAMs in the US inventory had antimissile capabilities.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.