Spent a quality five months (Feb.-June of '70)as a Battery Clerk (70A10) @ C-3-5, Bristol, RI. Didn't get to do any fancy button pushing, but enjoyed the duty. Subsequently levied to Long Binh, and wasn't quite as much fun. Revisited site in summer of '97, but it's now just an overgrown, bulldozed hilltop owned by RI university system.
Most vivid ADA memory was the alert right after Kent State; sort of impressed a small town draftee, it did. CO was CPT Edward V. Moore; XO was 1LT Charles F. Thensted.
We are an environmental firm conducting site evaluation, sampling and analyses and finally a risk assessment of the former Opportunity Strikes Hercules system in Anchorage AK. I am seeking data pertaing to solid rocket fuels, composition, and the analytical means to detect these materials in the environment. Also any chemical data former employees at the site may have. The goal for the site is the development of an historical site for the government. The site lies in the mountains overlooking Cook Inlet.
I was stationed at B Battery in Louisville, Nebraska, from April 1965 until June 1966. I was then sent to Korea and stationed at F-4-44 outside Inchon, until August 1967. Missile people were the best. Still maintain long distant freindships to this day.
The former Nike site on North Ave, Westport, CT is currently being plowed over to make way for the new North Ave. Middle School at the old site. All that remains is a chow hall, barracks, a few guard houses, and what looks to be the former on-site power generator...and a lonely flag pole, where I would imagine Revele and Taps was heard each day. It's very sad to see an icon of the Cold War just go away, with not even a mention in the news. Fortunately, I had taken a few snapshots during the last few years of its existence. The "Bayberry Rd. Site" is still used for a local nurses group, I believe. There is also the Rolnick Observatory on that site, as well.
I have been encouraging my students (I'm a high school teacher here; the HS is a scant 1/4 mile down from the North Ave. site.) to do some research on the Nike Project. (They think "the Nike site" was a sneaker factory in the 50's!)
Something I have not seen mention of is the movie that made Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward rather famous around here on the "Gold Coast", Max Shulman's story of Nike missile "invading" Westport: "Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys". I have been searching for a video copy of this film, but have had no luck...yet! Rarely, it may be shown on TV. Has anyone seen it?
Thanks for the great website, and all the websites I've visited today. It's nice to know others haven't forgotten. Larry Sementini
PS I would really love to talk to someone who was stationed at either the Bayberry or North Avenue sites in Westport, Conn. Thanks,
Date: 12/12/1999
Name: Jim Coleman
E-Mail: jmcol3@aol.com
I was with Battery B, 4th Missile Bn, 6th Arty just outside Trier from 1965 to 1967. Got there as a Pvt E-2 and left a Spec. 5 16B 20.....any of the old crew still kicking around?
Webmaster's Note: Jim served in Trier, Germany with Battery B, 4th Missile Battalion, 6th Artillery as a 16B20 Launcher Crewman.
Date: 12/11/1999
Name: Lynn Edmund Waddell
E-Mail: lynn-ee@cox.net
Redstone Arsenal, 8/64 to 5/65. Troop ship "General Rose" to Germany. Stationed at 4th Ord., USAADM (US Army Ammunition Depot,Miesau) as a 22L2T Nike Track Radar and Test Equipment Repairman. (we were told we were the first class to go through Redstone under this classification.) 6/65 to 5/67. Miesau, Germany is just off the Autobahn about 10 kilometers West of Ramstein, Airforce base. Our Headquarters was up in Pirmasens, as was our Equipment Calibration Support Unit.
( My original orders were for Nancy, France, but were changed enroute when De Gaul asked us to leave French soil.)
We were a General Support Depot and as such kept at least one "float system" up and running 24 hours a day. In addition to the "float" we had shops 1,2,& 3 which repaired the constant flow of repairs that the direct support guys couldn't fix on site. (also sharing our facilities was the 181st Hawk repair detachment and a Pershing Unit (I don't remember their unit number- they were kind of "snobish" because their repair shop used a "real" computer instead of an old 1936 ibm card reader. Also, they were a "strac" outfit whereas we wore the "snack-bar" patch [COMM-Z, fleur de lis.] and were considered too "civilian" for their taste.
Most of the time we worked bankers hours, but when I first arrived there was a tremendous back log of chassis from direct support sites because shop 3 wasn't functional. Once it was up and running and the workload dropped back to normal and I too became a laid back "snack-bar" warrior of the 4th Ord.
As a side note I was told that Miesau was the second largest Ammo Depot in Europe, and we often had "alerts" in which trains would come into the exclusion area and unload what the locals would tell us were nuke warheads. If you really wanted to know what was happening in the mailitary you always asked the Germans, apparently they weren"t on "a need to know" basis.
Date: 12/9/1999
Name: John A Pederson
E-Mail: john.a@inil.com
Been searching the web for some time as to what happened to units that served the Nike Hercules System. I served with the 524th ordnance Company At Fort Richardson from 65 to 67. Lost track of everyone I ever served with in those years. Thanks for the web site!
The best time of my life was ARADCOM 2/52 ADA. But I got over it. Would love to know what Happened to SFC Gomez, Pvt Danny Nordstrom, that crazy little tunnel rat PFC Ulrich and all the rest of um. We were the elite, the best and the group with the Pride.
Webmaster's Note: Scott served in El Paso, Texas, Fort Bliss, Texas in the 2/52nd ADA/ Motor Pool. He says he was a "64C/ Truck Driver haulin 10,000 lbs of mass destrution" with a rank of Pvt1 to E3 from 4/73 to 7/74.
I served in a nike ajax unit, c btry 441 in berkley, ca. oct 56 to april 57. Then to Ft. Bliss for missile mtc school where I stayed on as an instructor. Discharged in aug 59 as sp-5, mos 223.68. Had orders to taiwan but swaped with a sgt who actually paid me to go in my place. Now I kind of wish I went.
I found your website, was in the 194th at Fort Cronkhite from April 1958 until about October, 1958. They must have left for Alaska in about December or Jan of 1959. It was some time after I was transferred to the Presidio, anyhow. I served with Rolf Flockoi, he passed away from cancer about three weeks ago. I have been in touch with Doug Nelson, who was in the 194th and 197th. Will tell him about your website.
My name is R.W. Warren, everyone in the 194th and 197th called me "Tex". I worked in radar maintenance while with the 194th. Wish some of the other guys would find you and log on.
Thanks very much for creating this web page. A few fimilar names remind us of our well spent youth, which seems like only a few days ago rather than 30 years. Trained at Redstone's Ordnance Guided Missile School as a LOPAR, track and computer repairman, I spent the rest of my active duty at White Sands Missile Range. I graduated from Redstone in October l965 (104-F2/8) and was discharged from White Sands as a SP5 August l967. My time at White Sands was spent on the Redeye project, however most of the people on our firing team had Nike MOS's.
This is a great web site and I am pleased to be a part of an exciting group of professionals. I initially served as a firing battery officer 2-1st lt. 526 Missile Bn. Ft. Hancock NJ. (Jan. 1956-57) IFC PLATOON LEADER, Nike Ajax set nr. 18 oldest in the US defense system later replaced by set 515. I was the first commander of the 96th Ordnance Detachment, activated at Huntsville Alabama (58-61)and deployed the unit to Okinawa, Later I assummed command of the 207th Ordnance Det.and held command of both units untill departing Okinawa on 1 April 1961. We had a great team of which I will never forget.
Email comments and/or suggestions about this web site to Doyle Piland at webmaster@nikeordnance.com
