Pacific Beach GCI (L-35), WA

635th AC&WS

- Excerpts from command histories

27 Mar 48 - Fourth Air Force directed the 505th Aircraft Control & Warning Group at McChord AFB to begin immediate 24-hour operations with a view of providing an "air defense radar net" in the Pacific Northwest. A subsequent TWX stated:

The Arlington detachment will go on immediate 24 hour operation, and immediate action will be taken to locate and operate radar installations near Neah Bay, Spokane, Hanford and Portland which will be integrated into an aircraft control and warning system covering the Seattle-Pasco area.1

31 Mar 48 - The 505th AC&WG commenced operations at multiple locations through the northwest using AN/TPS-1B radars and SCR-399 radios. The 635th AC&WS, McChord AFB, tasked with manning and operating direction centers at Arlington and in the Pasco area as well as Early Warning Stations at Neah Bay, Spokane and Seaside2

Aug 48-Sept 48 - During Exercise Moby Dick II in early August 1948 aircraft regularly snuck through the radar coverage gap between Fort Stevens and Neah Bay. Subsequently the 505th AC&WG fielded a series of site survey teams to identify possible long-term radar emplacements that could cover the gap. Comments:

21 Sept 48 - The 635th AC&WS dispatched a detachment to Pacific Beach and "officially opened" in a hotel formerly used by the Navy as a training center.

14 Oct 48 - AN/TPS-10 shipped from McChord AFB to Pacific Beach. It arrived 19 October.

21 Oct 48 - The Pacific Beach EWS commenced 24-hour operations.

29 Oct 48 - The Pacific Beach facility is fully up and operational; described as "vitally important to the 505th Group in that it filled the one remaining gap in the Group`s coastal radar chain…With this station in operation, there remained no gap along the entire coast through which enemy planes might approach the vital Northwest area."4

6 Dec 48 - Over the protests of the 635th AC&WS commander, the dets at Neah Bay and Pacific Beach transferred to the 531st AC&WG for training purposes. The squadron`s detachment personnel transferred to Fort Stevens and Arlington. 6

23 Mar 49 - 531st AC&WG operations at Pacific Beach (Detachment D) concluded. The 635th AC&WS re-manned the site and commenced an Operational Readiness Test. At the time the squadron operated multiple relay sites for communications with its detachments at Fort Stevens, Pacific Beach and Neah Bay: Capitol Peak (Olympia), Blyn Mountain (Sequim); Fort Lawton (Seattle) and Arlington.6

2 May 49 - The squadron reported the removal of its personnel and equipment from Fort Stevens with the radar sets going to Pacific Beach.

14 Jun 49 - Installation of the AN/CPS-5 from Fort Stevens at Pacific Beach completed and operation. 7

31 Aug 49 - Updated detachment listings for the 505th AC&WG, including the following assigned to the 635th AC&WS:

26 Sept 49 - The 635th AC&WS formally transferred from McChord AFB to Paine Field. The squadron`s detachments at the time of the transfer were:

Oct 49 - AN/TPS-1D at Det D, Pacific Beach, shipped to squadron headquarters at Paine Field for repairs and refurbishment in October 1949. Returned to Pac Beach afterwards for use as a backup radar.10

30 Jun 50 - 635th AC&WS detachments now identified as:

20 Sept 50 - The 635th AC&WS transferred from Paine Field to McChord AFB for operation of a new AN/CPS-6B facility. 12

30 Sept 50 - The Neah Bay and Pacific Beach detachments swapped numbers, becoming Det 3 and Det 2 respectively. 13

23 Oct 50 - Pacific Beach GCI Station assigned station number 124 for divisional communications purposes. Identified as occupying Building 50. 14

20 Nov 50 - The detachment at Neah Bay transferred to the newly activated 758th AC&WS while Det 1, 636th AC&WS at Fort Stevens transferred to the newly activated 759th AC&WS. There are no further mentions of operations at Pacific Beach in the group or 25th Air Division histories. 15

Dec 51 - Site P-57, Naselle AFS, WA achieved operational capability in the Manual radar network. The facility served as the replacement for the Fort Stevens and Pacific Beach GCI Sites. 16

Feb 52 - Lashup site L-35, Pacific Beach, ceased operations. 17


1. History of 505th Aircraft Control and Warning Group,28 March thru 30 June 1948 (formerly secret; downgraded at 3-year intervals, declassified after 12 years. DOD DIR 5200.10).
2. Ibid., Ch. II, "635th Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron," pp. 42-46.
3.History of 505th Acft. Control and Wng. Group,1 July to 31 December 1948 (formerly secret; downgraded at 3-year intervals, declassified after 12 years. DOD DIR 5200.10).
4. History of 505th Acft. Control and Wng. Group,1 July to 31 December 1948 (formerly secret; downgraded at 3-year intervals, declassified after 12 years. DOD DIR 5200.10), Ch. IV, "Narrative," pg. 80.
5. Ibid. The 531st Aircraft Control & Warning Group activated at McChord AFB on 21 June 1948 - per HQ Fourth AF GO-44, n.d. - for training under the 505th AC&WG. It transferred from McChord on 5 July 1949 and transferred to Elmendorf AFB, TA on 17 November 1950.
6. Unit History - 505th Aircraft Control & Warning Gp, 1 December 1949 to 31 March 1949 (formerly secret; downgraded at 3-year intervals, declassified after 12 years. DOD DIR 5200.10).
7. 505th Aircraft Control & Warning Gp,1 Apr. - 30 Jun 49 (formerly secret; declassified DOD DIR 5200.30, by USAFHR, n.d.).
8. Historical Data of the 505th Aircraft Control and Warning Group, 1 August 1949 thru 31 August 1949 (formerly confidential; declassified per DOD DIR 5200.30)
9. Historical Data of the 505th Aircraft Control and Warning Group, 1 September 1949 thru 30 September 1949 (formerly secret; declassified per DOD DIR 5200.30 by USAFHR, n.d.).
10. 505th AC&W Group Historical Data, October 1949 (formerly secret; declassified per DOD DIR 5200.30 by USAFHR, n.d.)
11. 25th Air Division (Defense) Historical Data, Quarterly Edition, 1 April 1950-30 June 1950 (formerly classified secret, declassified by Dep Sec Def Memo 12 Apr 74, by AFSHRC, dtd 7 Mar 80).
12. 25th Air Division (Defense), Everett, Washington, Quarterly Historical Data, 1 July 1950 - 30 September 1950 (formerly secret; declassified AF/1GSPB ltr, 13 Dec 73, by AFSHRC, Dtd 7 Mar 80).
13. 25th Air Division (Defense), Everett, Washington, Quarterly Historical Data, 1 July 1950 - 30 September 1950 (formerly secret; declassified AF/1GSPB ltr, 13 Dec 73, by AFSHRC, Dtd 7 Mar 80).
14. Memorandum, "Communications Operations Instructions - Code Designation of Air Defense Facilites, COI 17-4," HQ 25th Air Division (Defense), Everett, Washington, 23 October 1950 (formerly secret; declassified AF/IGSPB ltr., 13 Dec 73, by AFSHRC, Dtd 7 Mar 80).
15. 25th Air Division (Defense), Everett, Washington, Quarterly Historical Data, 1 October 1950 - 31 December 1950 (formerly secret; declassified AF/1GSPB ltr, 13 Dec 73, by AFSHRC, Dtd 7 Mar 80).
16. Historical Data of the Aerospace Defense Command (U), 1946-1973 (Ent AFB, CO: Headquarters, Aerospace Defense Command, n.d.), 129.
17. Ibid., 39.