Topic: Nike Hercules

Missileer · September 1st, 2006

Actually, Chief, I was taken back to the 60's when I served almost three years on Herc bases, one was LA-55 near Point Vicente, California. That one was, I think Btry D, 3rd msl bn, 47th Artillery, later Air Defense Artillery. When we turned that one over to the NG, I was sent to Btry A, 1st msl bn, 56th Artillery, which moved to Fort Bliss as Headquarters. I think that site was LA-94 at Newhall, Calif up in the mountains. It was still going strong when I left the service in `65.

I was in IFC all of my tour as Acquisition Radar operator as well as the Computer. I locked onto and queried aircraft with the IFF system. After an aircraft was considered hostile, the TTR locked on with a smaller, more powerful signal. Then when the pits had a bird on the launch rails and reported to the BCO, the MTR locked onto the missile and sent and received flight instructions via the computer.

In 1963, we had a few high yield warheads installed on some of the missiles. One way to tell one of those was the nose probe which was a barometric arming device with a shield over it which was removed during launch preparations. As they say, I can't confirm that any nukes were ever on a Nike site. Different Arm Plugs were installed depending on the mission.

Few people know that a Herc knocked down another missile at White Sands, I believe it was a Corporal.

This is a good site for info and history. http://ed-thelen.org/

September 1st, 2006
Missileer Nuclear Duck Hunter Gear	Actually, Chief, I was taken back to the 60's when I served almost three years on Herc bases, one was LA-55 near Point Vicente, California. That one was, I think Btry D, 3rd msl bn, 47th Artillery, later Air Defense Artillery. When we turned that one over to the NG, I was sent to Btry A, 1st msl bn, 56th Artillery, which moved to Fort Bliss as Headquarters. I think that site was LA-94 at Newhall, Calif up in the mountains. It was still going strong when I left the service in `65. I was in IFC all of my tour as Acquisition Radar operator as well as the Computer. I locked onto and queried aircraft with the IFF system. After an aircraft was considered hostile, the TTR locked on with a smaller, more powerful signal. Then when the pits had a bird on the launch rails and reported to the BCO, the MTR locked onto the missile and sent and received flight instructions via the computer. In 1963, we had a few high yield warheads installed on some of the missiles. One way to tell one of those was the nose probe which was a barometric arming device with a shield over it which was removed during launch preparations. As they say, I can't confirm that any nukes were ever on a Nike site. Different Arm Plugs were installed depending on the mission. Few people know that a Herc knocked down another missile at White Sands, I believe it was a Corporal. This is a good site for info and history. http://ed-thelen.org/ __________________ “War is an ugly thing but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.” —John Stuart Mill Last edited by Missileer; September 1st, 2006 at 20:20.