Bill Robinson: Re Calumet AFS's closing, indeed it was originally slated to close in 1979. At the last minute (literally), a decision was made to keep it open, with only the AN/FPS-27 search radar in operation initially. The AN/FPS-26A height-finder radar had already been removed, and it would be another year or so before a replacement (AN/FPS-116) would be installed. Also in that time frame, an AN/FPS-91A search radar replaced the AN/FPS-27. The maintenance of the radar equipment was turned over to civilian contractors (the same as at Port Austin AFS, Point Arena AFS, and Lake Charles AFS). Calumet AFS (and Port Austin AFS) finally closed for good in 1988.

This posting was suggested by one of our members regarding donating private photographs of early AC&W radar stations.

As many of you will recall, Squadron Commanders typically instructed the assigned troops at many of the AC&W radar stations not to take pictures of the radar installations. As best we know, there was never an "official" Air Force restriction on photographing any of the AC&W / SAGE radar stations. True, photographing the sites was generally frowned upon. And there were certain classified items that could not be photographed -- just not the buildings and radar towers themselves. As we understand, any civilian passer-by could legally take photos from outside the fence, and (technically) the assigned troops could, too. Since there were no known "official" restrictions, there are no known statutes of limitations.

The point of this posting is, if you or persons you know have vintage photographs of any of the AC&W radar stations, and you would like to donate copies to our on-line museum but have been reluctant to do so because you thought having such photos might get you in trouble, fear not. You may share your photos with complete impunity. Even if there had once been restrictions, those days are long since past.

So, if you have photos of the old radar sites, please send copies our way. They will help document the history and preserve the memory of this once-important air-defense system and the people who served. Thank you.

Request for Information:

Some of you might have prior U.S. Army experiences from the early Nike missile days. We are seeking information about the Army's Nike "early-warning" radars (also called "gap-filler" radar) sites. These were different from the U.S. Air Force's gap-filler radar sites. If you (or someone you know) have any information whatsoever regarding locations, dates of operation, and types of equipment used (e.g., AN/TPS-1D, AN/FPS-36, etc.), please contact me. Thank you very much in advance!

-- Tom

Where are the airmen who were stationed at Fortuna from 1956-1957? Have they all passed away?

Stationed in Calumet as a 30574 Q-47 Tech in 80-82.
I didn't know that it stayed open until 88 as they were always talking about closing, we removed the BUIC when I got there, I remember going to minn and raiding a site that was closing, we moved two lanes of a bowling alley and a 50 foot long Bar up to calumet where we had leagues every night in the winter, it's difficult to imagine the amount of snow in the Keewena until you go through a winter. It was a real family of people.

What a site! Been trying for 40 yrs to find out about the 801st ACW at Malmstrom AFB. Your site helped with some of the questions. Thanks for what you did & the research/work you put in to make this so great.

More on FAA. Wen I was stationed at the 612th in Ajo, AZ, circa 58-60, I remember a scope console in operations that was like a "Transformer Robot". If it needed maintenance it pulled out, then pulled out left and right, then folded out, then some other things pulled out. It even had a built in cigarette lighter on the front, bottom right. During that time, a set of FAA Operators appeared and manned at least one of these scopes. When did the CAA become the FAA? About that time?

Does anyone know what happened to the site rosters? I tried to find one for the 777th and Viet Nam, no joy.

Re: Bill Schroeder & others having a problem with the rosters. This was due to an oversight in the new software. It's now fixed (fingers & toes crossed...) - Gene

Grad Keesler ACW 53. Stayed as instructor. Shipped to Japan,det 29, 511 ACW Gp. Transfered to Depot thento 16 Comm Const Sq spent over a year TDY to sites all over Japan. Rotated stateside Barkesdale AFB,SAC. Got out went to college two yrs re-enlisted to Bellefontaine, Ohio. Keesler retrained auto-track (Maditor Missle), Orlando AFB.instructor till program close out. Germany 60l Tac Con. Sq.OL5. Pruim Det 0300, Det 0400 Sembach, until Hqs

I was a BUIC III technician at Tyndall AFB from Oct.1978 until Nov. 1981.

I was a radar operator. I arrived Fire Island in April, 1969. Due to the closing of Fire Island I was transfered to Tatalina in June. I left Tatalina in April of 1970.

NEW YORK TIMES, November 20, 2009; U.S. Reviews Air Defenses to Thwart Terror From Skies, By THOM SHANKER and ERIC SCHMITT; COLORADO SPRINGS — The commander of military forces protecting North America has ordered a review of the costly air defenses intended to prevent another Sept. 11-style terrorism attack, an assessment aimed at determining whether the commitment of jet fighters, other aircraft and crews remains justified. Senior officers involved in the effort say the assessment is to gauge the likelihood that terrorists may succeed in hijacking an airliner or flying their own smaller craft into the United States or Canada. The study is focused on circumstances in which the attack would be aimed not at a public building or landmark but instead at a power plant or a critical link in the nation’s financial network, like a major electrical grid or a computer network hub. The review, to be completed next spring, is expected to be the military’s most thorough reassessment of the threat of a terrorism attack by air since Al Qaeda’s strikes on Sept. 11, 2001, transformed a Defense Department focused on fighting other militaries and led to the Bush administration’s “global war on terror.” The assessment is partly a reflection of how a military straining to fight two wars is questioning whether it makes sense to keep in place the costly system of protections established after those attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Though the last of the air patrols above American cities were discontinued in 2007, the military keeps dozens of warplanes and hundreds of air crew members on alert to respond to potential threats. “The fighter force is extremely expensive, so you always have to ask yourself the question ‘How much is enough?’ ” said Maj. Gen. Pierre J. Forgues of Canada, director of operations for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, which carries out the air defense mission within the United States military’s Northern Command. NORAD, based here in Colorado Springs, will try to determine in its review whether the United States is safer today. Military strategists and operations officers have been asked to address whether the security measures put in place since 2001 have diminished the threat of terrorist attack by aircraft to such an extent that a smaller commitment of combat jets and personnel is now warranted ...

Link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/us/20terror.html?_r=1&hp=&pagewanted=print

in regards to qk 327 magnetrons. the qk 327 was a tuneable magnetron. we had them installed in both radars at Lompoc AFS Ca in 1963. due to the numerous electronic items in the area we were not allowed to change the frequency of our transmitters. if we had to change one we had to call the fcc (I beleive) and get their permission to transmitt on an unknown frequency. they would then assist us in adjusting it to our assigned frequency..

The FAA computer problem at Atlanta/Utah/whatever. A circuit board was the first domino? I know their system is somewhat antiquated, but give me a break!. If I remember correctly, the FPS-14 Gap Filler had a dual circuit board system with one on standby. If one failed, it switched to the backup, the failed one popped forward an inch or so and the unit alarmed. You replaced the faulty unit and the new one became the standby. That was in the 1950's. Hello. Luckily they didn't throw away their lighted plotting board and grease pencils. ey?

A reunion of all former occupants of Mt. Hebo AFS, Oregon is being planned for the Fall of 2010 in the vicinity of the former site. Any former Heboites (any grade, any job, even Dependents and civilians) who might be interested in attending this reunion, please contact me. I am also creating a database with information on Heboites, so I'd appreciate knowing your full name, mailing address, e-mail address(es), phone number(s), years at Mt. Hebo (19xx), occupation, AFSCs, and spouse's name. You have my assurance that this database will not be used for any purpose other than contacting about future reunions--it will not be widely distributed. A notice such as this has been placed on a number of other web sites--if you have responded to one of those requests, don't bother to respond to this one.

I was a member of the 552nd AEW&C Wing at McClellan AFB from 1961 until 1971. I was a radar tech and worked in the radar field maint shop and on the flight line. I also was a crew member on the connie. I went on blue straw, expert vehicle, big eye and Gold digger missions on the ground and inflight. I retrained into flight sims in 1971 and retired in 1981. Worked on AF Flight Sim contracts after retirement and finally to work for the USPS in maintenance.

Now with the following I do not want to get political. In fact, I found the tone of the NY Times book review incendiary and unnecessarily so. What was of interest to me was the radar stuff. I have not yet seen this book or read it. The review makes me want to. What struck me on the 9/11 coverage was how simply turning their transponders off flummoxed efforts to find the hijacked aircraft. (I could be wrong.)

The book, "The Ground Truth," The Untold Story of America Under Attack on 9/11, by John Farmer, 388 pp.,Riverhead Books. $26.95. From the Nov. 15, 2009, review:

When Sept. 11, 2001, dawned, the Northeast Air Defense Sector in Rome, N.Y., went on full alert — to prepare for a training exercise that envisioned a sneak attack by Russian planes flying over the North Pole to bomb the United States, a prospect that Defense Secretary Robert McNamara had dismissed as outdated in 1966. Later that morning, after American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 had hit the World Trade Center and American Airlines Flight 77 the Pentagon, three F-16 fighter jets were scrambled from Langley Air Force Base to form a combat air patrol over Washington. But degraded radio transmission quality meant that the pilots were left clueless about the nature of their mission. On seeing the Pentagon in flames, the lead fighter pilot later explained, “I reverted to the Russian threat. . . . I’m thinking cruise missile threat from the sea. You know, you look down and see the Pentagon burning, and I thought the bastards snuck one by us. . . . You couldn’t see any airplanes, and no one told us anything.” …

… Farmer focuses minutely on newly available transcripts from the Federal Aviation Administration and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. He shows that, perversely enough, the one defense agency that had suffered draconian budget cuts was NORAD, which had seen its alert sites reduced from about two dozen to a pitiful seven and, in any case, was unable to view large areas of the continental United States owing to its antiquated radar system. In addition, local commanders bypassed established protocols for reporting and requesting assistance for a hijacking, in part because they had so little time in which to act. Farmer superbly renders the knuckle-biting tension and confusion engendered by the hijackings, and says the leadership of the FAA and the Defense Department “would remain largely irrelevant to the critical decision making and unaware of the evolving situation ‘on the ground’ until the attacks were completed” …

Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/books/review/Heilbrunn-t.html?_r=2

P.S.: My recollection is the old Steve Canyon comic in the 1960s had a Chinese Communist airliner, really a bomber, heading for the U.S. with all the markings and such.

P.P.S., I had forgotten an FPS-26A radome light bulb heater event like that listed below with similar results. Unknown to me, working in the dark, there were two removable parts of the connector. Thus I slowly screwed three live wires together between my hands. A loud pop, blinded, I threw myself back and away. It knocked off the main breaker to the entire radar and I think knocked off a generator.

re the 1960s Steve Canyon (I went out as Steve on Halloween one year in the 60s) .. Seriously folks.. When I was working in the NEADS Exercise and Analysis in the 80s more than once I scripted a scenario much like 9/11 only without the political terrorism aspect. They were in effect hijackings where the hijacker A) had a larger agenda and B) Knew how to fly a plane and did NOT need the aircrew. In most hijackings up to 9/11 the one trump the good guys had was they bad guys needed the aircrew and that bought time and opportunity on the ground. The Establishment only wanted to deal with a quickie escort and hand-off and follow the plane to Cuba or simply land at Wash National and the cops arrest everybody. Strictly "Check List" stuff. They didn't like my "What if?" scenarios.

I visited this site a few days ago. This is so great! I was stationed at North Charleston AFS, SC, from 1966 to 1968. I was at the GATR.

I saw the recent photos at this website and have some old photos if anyone wants to compare. Glad to share them; just let me know how.

Assigned to 778th Radar Sq, Havre AFS, MT Oct 1963 to Oct 1966, worked as a 30551 in T-2.

Regarding the document posting of 10/24/09 on the offering of the Havre AFS property.....Use this link to see the complete offering. The entire 95 acre property has been offered for sale http://www.sonnytoddrealestate.com/property_listing/?PROP_ID=225
HankB

Happy Veterans Day.

Houston is having a big parade with 140 units. The local news said it starts at 11:45 AM, so I went to the cable menu to see what time coverage began. NOT LISTED for channel 13. I went to search and entered parade. NOTHING!

Very interesting site! I spent some time in the 620 Tac Con Sq at Monkey Mt, RVN and supported operations at the 26 AD block house, when it was at Luke AFB, as a crypto technician (306x0) back in the 70s. I remember many of my "scope dope" friends .... and the computer that took up the entire first floor of the block house at Luke. After all, a single flip flop circuit was about the size of my old desk top computer. LOL Thanks for the history lesson and the memories.

Osceola-1958-61, Comm Center, retired CMS from AFRES in 1992, 934th TAG Mpls, MN

Re Gary Jacobs' comments, at my three active-duty assignments, safety was taken quite seriously. I am pretty sure it was taken just as seriously at other locations, too, since the Air Divisions' periodic newsletters always had safety-related articles discussing accidents around the division, and how to prevent recurrences.

Nonetheless, I heard about a couple of mishaps that fortunately had non-fatal endings. In each case, the incidents occurred during scheduled preventative maintenance inspections (PMI's), and I was told that the proper safety warning signs were posted. Apparently in both cases, someone thought the safety signs had inadvertinently been left in place after the PMI's were finished, and didn't bother to check.

One tale came from a height-finder radar troop when he was stationed at Cape Charles AFS, VA. He said he was working on one of the two AN/FPS-6 radar sails one day when someone turned the antenna nod motor back on. The AN/FPS-6 antennas at Cape Charles AFS were atop very tall temperate towers, and the technician said he was literally clinging to the antenna for his life. Fortunately, someone heard his shouts, and turned off the nod motor. He said he was scared sh**less.

Another story also came from a height-finder radar troop when he was stationed at Benton AFS, PA. I don't know if this involved the /FPS-6 or the /FPS-26 radar, but he was likewise on the antenna sail doing PMI's. In this case, though, someone turned the RF transmitter back on. The technician said he was unaware until he noticed sparks jumping from his wrench to the sail. He said he almost killed himself scrambling to get off the antenna. The tech was taken to the hospital with serious internal RF burns, and was given whole blood several times, as apparently his bone marrow had been compromised. He recovered okay, and later fathered two normal kids, but said could never again donate blood.

While stationed at the 685th in Las Cruces, NM during the mid 50s, during a PM procedure, one of our techs was working on the MPS7 tower, in the modulator cabinet I believe. It''s the cabinet with a space built in just below the tubes to store a maintenance manual. A stupid design. He was standing on the metal rack we used instead of a ladder. He was looking at a meter in his hand, and without looking he reached for the manual. He reached one shelf too high and put his hand right on the tube plates. It was as if he'd been struck by lightning. He never fully recovered. H walked around slowly as if in a daze. Like someone who'd survived rheumatic fever. He was given a medical discharge. He was a good friend.

Safely or lack thereof:
While stationed at the 660th at MacDill AFB we had a fatality in the 26 tower just before Christmas '65. It was our Wednesday afternoon PM time and I was doing PM on an RHI behind MCC when MCC got a call from the tower that there had been an accident. I knew that 2 of my buddies were working on one of the transmitters. There was a problem with the reverse current diodes in that they did not always make good contact with the socket because the sockets were worn out. I had arrived at the 660th only 2 monthe before and there was a procedure already in place to get the tubes to make contact. CHEAT THE INTERLOCKS ON THE CABINET DOORS and while doning a leather glove with a rubber glove inside grip the glass envelope of the very large diode and wiggle intil it made contact. My buddy (who was going to take me to a friends house in Miame for Christmas the following weekend) must have reached too high and got electrocuted by the anode connector. My other buddy attempted CPR to no avail. They were alone in the tower because we were on a skeleton crew for the holidays. Interestingly, or I should say sadly, the tube sockets that we were told were not available and had been backordered for months arrived the next day by special delivery. Wayne (the buddy who attempted CPR) and I spent the next 2 days replacing all 12 (6 in each transmitter) tube sockets. I was not comfortable with the practice of cheating the interlocks but I was new... not even a 5-level yet. In fact there were 4 of us on duty that day, 2 3-levels and 2 5-levels and it was one of the 5-levels who was killed. Fortunately and sadly, that was the only experience I had with lax safety procedures.

In Iceland at the 932nd, three of us were in the radome of the FPS-20 tower doing routine maintenance in preparation for cold weather. One chore was to plug in the infrared heat lamps that would keep ice from forming on the outside of the radome. Being heaters, they drew a lot of current. To this day I don't know what caused it, but as I plugged in a power cable (they were as big around as my wrist)it exploded and vaporized in my hand. I did not receive a shock, but I was temporarily blinded, and my hair and uniform got scorched. The cable connector had disappeared. It was made of cast aluminum, and had four copper conductors the size of pencils inside of it. I had a few other "shocking" experiences in the Air Force, but that one was the worst.

In 221/2 years as a radar tech worked on every set from SCR-270A to space tracking ad Sat tracking. Including TAC radar in Ger. and at 729TAC at Eglin.

A small thing, yet a big thing for radar types comes to mind. That is, the "safety" aspect. I appreciated this more as I've gotten older. There you had all that complicated equipment, high voltages and yet the number of accidents and injuries were relatively few. The safety procedures were taught early on and stuck. I saw in my four years (I would be interested for you with longer careers to comment) only two electrically related mishaps. One was miscommunication, I asked twice if the circuit in question was off, was assured it was, put my screwdriver on an item and felt current going up my arm. I threw myself back and away. Went to visit the guy on the other end of the intercom. (Long story, involved interlock voltage and he indeed thought it was off.) The other was either a guy leaned into an oil capacitor with his head, or it chose that time to blow up. I could only see his feet and lower torso. When he started jerking around and yelling (this in a 26A tower transmitter) I first froze, then ran down to shut it off. He came out with a faceful of oil, ashen and scared. Memories come back, a tech sergeant who over-rode the antenna interlock and went up in the 26A antenna when radiating. I was in the makeshift office and heard the airlock thump closed. Looked over and saw the white "radiate" light (I could be wrong on color, been a long time). I ran out and shut it off in some way I cannot recall, but was only a short distance. I don't think it was the main breakers. He came down and told me, "It's no worse than a hot bath." I was an E-4. I think he was a tech sergeant. Maybe a staff. Same later with the TPS-44 mobile radar. Once I was inside the transmitter receiver van and heard banging on the outside, really loud. I shut it off. Opened the door and a raging thunderstorm with winds had caused the camouflage netting to wrap around the antenna, which pulled it around itself. I cut my way out. The wind took my steel helmet and liner over a cliff, for which I was later billed(!). Got a call from ops, hey, the radar went down. I said, "No stuff!" Not exact words. In those days to get everyone up in the early a.m., I had to talk with some senior NCO and we did just that. I had to cut the camouflage netting off by climbing up on the antenna in the driving rain, high winds and electrical storm. I don't know if I was ever so scared before or since. No one was hurt or injured that night, a testament to our training and looking out for each other. No panic, which really irritates me in emergencies, when someone can't control himself and you basically tell him, "Go stand over there. Now," so you can think about what to do.

Of course, the AF took safety to laughable extremes sometimes. I recall metal "footie" boots to wear while mowing lawns, along with plastic goggles. Or at Keelser being told going shirtless and getting a sunburn was Article 15 material, so if we played football there was no "shirts and skins."

Gentlemen, (whoops, and ladies), observations and comments on radar safety?

I was an Electronic Technician at Kelly AFB from 1952 to 1960,I was assigned to an organization called "On Site Maintenance " . Each Depot of the Air Force had such an organization, I attended many Training locations At AFB Bases or at factory schools to learn various Electronic Systems, including Rome AFB .(Height Finder Radar Training).
I helped Install numerous AC&W Radar Systems Thruout the southwest and Midwest. We maintained, Repaired overhauled and installed complete systems. I am glad to have learned of your organization. just a hello.

The FPS-6 was made by G.E. in Syracuse, NY.

Perhaps a technical supply catalog for that period will provide an Air Force or Federal stock number for the magnetron. The change over from Air Force to Federal Stock Numbers was going on in 1958. I know because I had to help out in tech supply redoing all of the Kardex (Cardex?) stock record cards on literally thirty thousand electronic parts. This was when we first opened the 612th AC&w Squadron in Ajo, Arizona. I had all of that free time because the FPS-20 and the FPS-6 were in the process of being installed by Contractors and Civil Service.

Also, the tech manuals for the FPS-6 should have the stock number and description. Maybe someone has an old manual? Knowing that number should provide access to various records collections from Rome Air Force Depot,Tinker, and perhaps the GSA?

Who made the FPS-6, Bendix? I don't remember.

We recently received this inquiry, and are hoping at least one of you can provide the requested information. If so, please post a reply here, or shoot me an e-mail. Thanks!

With regard to the FPS-6 Height Finder, when did the Air Force change out the initially installed Magnetron QK 338 with the replacement by Varian the QK 327 Magnetron? The earliest reference I can find is in an FPS-6 -4 Illustrated Parts Breakdown page change dated 1 June 1966. Based on this, I'm assuming the QK 327 hit the field in late 1965 or possibly earlier. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I love the site and all the history.

I'm a current radar maintainer in the USAF, 2003-present. I had the opportunity to help dismantle the OTH-B FPS-118 in Moscow/Bingham, Maine on a volunteer TDY. Taking apart the 12 transmitters and their associated power supplies was a lot of fun. Hopefully I can dig up some pictures for the site.

Take care and keep up the great work!

Gage is also an oft misspelling of gauge. How's that for sentence structure?