BGuthrie Photos: CA -- San Francisco -- Golden Gate NRA -- Nike Missile Site

CA -- San Francisco -- Golden Gate NRA -- Nike Missile Site:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. MHNIKE_130726_011.JPG: Golden Gate National Recreation Area Nike site SF-88 1955-1974 The only restored Nike missile site in the country. The Cold War: Following World War II, a period of great political and military tension developed between the Soviet Union and the United States. This era, dubbed the "Cold War," was based on ideological differences between Communism and Democracy. During this time, more than 300 Nike antiaircraft missile batteries protected American cities and military targets against anticipated Soviet bomber attack. SF-88 is typical of those Cold War defensive sites. Its mission was to prevent aircraft from attacking the San Francisco Bay Area and nearby Travis Air Force Base. Twelve Nike sites once surrounded the bay. Nike Missile Defenses: The Nikes were "guided" missiles, directed by radar beams to their targets up to ninety miles away. Here at a launcher area, up to twenty Nike Ajax, and later, twelve Nike Hercules missiles were stored in underground magazines. A crew of 135 Air Defense Artillerymen kept them read to launch. Across the valley to the north, at the Site's fire control center, radars and computers detected and tracked incoming aircraft. By the late 1960s, changing political climates and new military technologies made Nike sites obsolete. In 1972, in an effort to ease tensions, the Soviets and the United States joined in the first Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I). As a result of these talks, both countries agreed to eliminate this type of missile battery. The Army closed the Nike Site SF-88 in March, 1974, and transferred it to the National Park Service. "It Was Awfully Tense": "You were on call 24-hours-a-day so your life was not your own. When your site was the 'hot' battery, you had to be in the pits, and have the missiles up in fifteen minutes. We actually had to sleep in the pits so we didn't waste extra time running down from the ready rooms. "We were young kids. I was 24 or 25, most of the others were about 18 or 19 -- young kids, half of them away from home for the first time, not totally knowing what was going on. We felt we could have been at war at any time. It was very scary, awfully tense." -- Ron Parshell, Private First Class, Launcher Crewman, Nike Site SF-88 during Cuban missile crisis, 1961
2. MHNIKE_130726_022.JPG: Missile electronic test and assembly building
3. MHNIKE_130726_027.JPG: Crewmen practice taking cover prior to launch
4. MHNIKE_130726_059.JPG: San Francisco Nike Missile Sites (Red circles) Nike Launcher Areas (Green circles) Integrated Fire Control Areas (Radar)
5. MHNIKE_130726_075.JPG: Nike Ballistics Computer
6. MHNIKE_130726_140.JPG: "Oozlefinch" The Oozlefinch is the unofficial mascot of the Air Defense Artillery. It is generally depicted as a featherless bird with large eyes. This mythical creature flies backwards at supersonic speeds, usually carrying a Nike Hercules Missile. Soldiers who demonstrated skill as "Missile Men" could join the Great and Honorable Order of the Oozlefinch.
7. MHNIKE_130726_149.JPG: Guard Dogs: Located at the back of SF 88-L is the dog kennel. Guard dogs were an important part of the security system at a Nike Missile site. Military Police (MPs) and their dogs would constantly patrol the site's perimeter to ward off intruders.
8. MHNIKE_130726_242.JPG: Nike Ajax Missile (cut-away): The Ajax was the first generation surface-to-air guided missile. It had a 25-mile range. The Hercules, its successor, achieved a distance of 100 miles.
9. MHNIKE_130726_271.JPG: Power supply
10. MHNIKE_130726_278.JPG: Guard post -- dummies are inside
11. MHNIKE_130726_440.JPG: The missile tilts up...
12. MHNIKE_130726_490.JPG: ... the missile tilts down again
13. MHNIKE_130726_559.JPG: The platform comes down ...
14. MHNIKE_130726_590.JPG: ... The platform goes up again
15. MHNIKE_130726_633.JPG: And the platform comes down again
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Wikipedia Description: SF-88
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SF-88 is a former Nike Missile launch site at Fort Barry, in the Marin Headlands to the north of San Francisco, California, U.S. Opened in 1954, the site was intended to protect the population and military installations of the San Francisco Bay Area during the Cold War, specifically from attack by Soviet bomber aircraft. The site was originally armed with Nike Ajax missiles, and modifications were made to the site in 1958 to allow it to also be armed with Nike Hercules missiles. In 1974, SF-88 was closed, but was not demolished. It is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is open to visitors. Normal visiting days are Wednesday-Friday, but a special tour with veterans of the base is available the first Sunday of each month. Restoration work to the site is done on Saturdays by anyone willing to volunteer.
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