I started at Missile Master in Pedrictown, NJ then moved to the battery at Edgemont, PA after I screwed up. I enjoyed my time there and finally molded into a good soldier.

This sure did bring back memories. I was a 24Uniform from 74-77 stationed in Greece. Thanks for the look back.

My father was a 23G20 Integrated Fire Control Tech with the PA National Guard. On at least one occasion, he didn't have a sitter for me (single father) so he took me to a drill. I remember vividly sitting at the console and turning those big dials that controlled the target acquisition radar and spotting flocks of birds. At least, that's what he told me they were ;-) As an adult, I visited SF-88 in Marin County near S.F. and got to sit at the console and do that again, thanks to a very kind docent and former Nike battery commander. What great memories!

I am a Nike veteran. Site Summit Alaska 1975 and 1976. I was an MP. I know all about limited and exclusion areas.

I am a 24U20, enlisted in Jul74, I too did not know of the salt and start treaties impact on my enlistment. I was from Annapolis Md, we had at least 5 batteries within a 40 mile radius. I was stationed Korea, Ft Bliss and Germany. I did 6 years and got out. Kind of wished I finished 20, but.... I find and watch these videos and get the warm and fuzzy. Thanx for posting and reminding.

Woody, I really enjoyed your explanation of the Nike Hercules operations. If I may, I would like to add a few insights from the BCA. I was the Commanding Officer of 'C' Battery, 52nd ADA in 1970 to 1971, which was located in the vicinity of Opa Locka, Florida. The Battery had been moved there during the Cuban Missle Crisis, and became a permanant fixture, until decommissioning. I have been unable to find much of anything about it, so when I stumbled on your account, I was very happy. First, unlike many US based Nike Herc sites, we had a real mission, tracking everything out of Cuba. Our Battaliion was linked with a Hawk Battalion through NORAD. When we were hot, we would literally track everything breaking the ground barrier in Cuba. This was during the Cold (almost HOT ) War, and occassionally things got very interesting. On to the Battery Control Area. First, I want to emphasize that the 'two man rule' applied not only to the Launch area, but in the Battery Control van, it was highly enforced any time we were in an operational status. I can't begin to tell you how many rules the BCO, any launch qualified Officer, and support personnel had to memorize. Everything from Battery release in a 'pop-up' status, to AC signature recognition. On more than one occasion things were fairly intense. I remember one time, when President Nixon was on Key Biscayne, and an aircraft was acting hinky just outside the air limits ( I want to say 200 miles, but its so long ago). At any rate our battery and a HAWK battery were brought to just short of 'install arm plugs' by NORAD. Lord only knows what similar incidents happened all over Europe/Asia at one time or another. Again, thanks for your explanation, which I am sending to my grand children, so they will know what we did.

My father was a missile maintenance tech for Ajax, Hercules and later Chaparral-Vulcan and Redeye systems. He retired in the 70s as a GS-13, and was a WO 4 before retiring from the Army. He gave me a tour of an Ajax storage and launcher area when I was still very young. He worked on Hercules at Fort Richardson while on assignment to Alaska. He last worked on Redeye and Chaparral at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs.

I served as a Fire Control Crewman from 1971 - 1978. Computer Operator and Crew Chief. Site NY-56 inside Fort Hancock on Sandy Hook NJ 71 - 74 Battery A,/5/6 ADA in Schoenborn West Germany 75 - 77 Site HM-69 inside Everglades National Park in early 78 My only personal experience inside the Launcher Area was as the occasional Sergeant of the Guard. Though he didn’t mention it, physical security at a site with nukes is tight. Where the launchers and missiles were was an Exclusion Area with a 2-man Rule. No one was allowed to be alone anywhere inside it. The presentation was very informative and I learned some things from it. There were some small factual quibbles. 11:00 He incorrectly downplays the LOPAR’s range capability. It could Acquire targets out to 250k (142 miles). The HIPAR increased Acquisition Range to almost 200 miles. The distance between the IFC and Launcher Areas was 1000 - 6000 yards, limited by the MTR’s angular tracking rate up close and the cable length connecting the two areas. The tale about the missile breaking the sound barrier almost immediately upon launch is false. It was fast but not that fast. Maybe the Sprint anti-ICBM missile could do that on its way to Mach 10 but not Hercules. And the boost phase was about 3.4 seconds, not 6. The second stage sustainer motor burned for only 30 seconds, so the rest of what could be almost 3 minutes of multi-Mach maneuvering flight was done under sheer momentum.

Spent about 9 months at Ft Bliss with the 4/62 as a OJT truck driver after BCT back in 70-71. Got to pull a "practice" Nike through El Paso on a Ready Round trailer for Veterans day. That was one big ass rocket on a 50ft pull trailer. Good stuff !

My Dad Lloyd Frei worked on that system in about 1958-1961 at White Sands missile.

Awesome video! I started out at Pforzheim, Germany as the elevation operator on the TTR, then eventually as Tracking Supervisor running the TRR. I was also lucky enough to fire twice at Crete in '77 & '78. Top score both years! Awesome job to have in the Army! D-3/71st! The hottest Nike Herc Battery in Germany at the time. Hot meaning vigilant on 24 on/ 24 off duty. I think our maintenance chief, WO4 Versaw and his stogie practically wrote the book on that system!

Huntsville,Ala...."Rocket City,USA"......Good ol' Redstone Arsenal. My late father was a Nike/Pershing Man,every stateside tour we had from 1968-81 was at Redstone. Plus he was posted there before this,but I wasn't born yet?? (5th of 5, born '66) Good duty station,actually one of our family's favorites?? And the rest during 'my' lifetime....West Germany....which we also really enjoyed? (Dad served 1949-83....'Final PCS', 04-16-13)

Served in Nike-Hercules as a 24U. Spent most of my time at Ft. Bliss, Texas. McGregor Range was actually where the testing and training took place for NG and Reserve, stateside. Living in Detroit all my life, I was aware of three sites in the neighborhood...Rouge Park, Belle Isle(north side of island), and on the south side of Metro Airport, where the Air National Guard had facilities before the expansion of the present day airport. The missile actually reaches Mach 1 by the time it leaves the launch rail. The ability to be equipped with a nuclear device entailed the use of a barometric pressure switch at the nose of the missile. When I ETS'd the Nike-Herc was being made obsolete by the Safeguard program, which didn't last long. First time posting here. Good videos.

Oh thank you for your service. I loved/love this missile! I rode more than 20 miles on a schwinn 1 speed bicycle at age 14 in and around the San Fernando Valley's flood control basin looking for the Nike base to see these missiles. (about 1974) My timing sucked, they took them out by then. I cried my ride home, as I was the most disappointed I had ever been to that point in my life. Thank you ALL who served in all branches of the services, to let us civvies sleep well at night. Knew about San Francisco Nike base, hope to see it in person some day, been all over it on the internet! Please make more videos, they are gold nuggets of our history.

While looking for the haunted house featured in the finale of The Blair Project I literally stumbled across Granite Nike Missile Site BA-79. All that remains of the control site is a basketball court while the launch site still has buildings and magazines in place. Other sites I recall are the ones south of Bremerhaven, Germany and near Seal Beach, California.

Thank you for this video. I was at Huntsville/Red Stone Arsenal in 1980. It was the last training course of the German Air Force at Huntsville. All other courses were at El Paso/Fort Bliss. I left the Air Force in 1989 after 12 years. Went back to Huntsville in 2010 for a visit.

Thanks for putting this together. I was and Internal Guidance Repair Person, Ordnance in Korea and Loring AFB in Maine. Right at the North East part of Maine and north west part of Korea. There where two sites we supported in Maine and one in Korea. I loved my job, MOS 254.10, 1962 to 1965. The sites we supported had 6 missiles in each battery and of those two sections of 6 each were Conventional war heads and the other 6 were Nuclear. I have been to SF88 about 4 times but the last time was about 12-15 years ago. The site in Korea was above ground and the two in Maine were underground like you showed. Thanks Woody for putting together. The guidance package that was shown had back cover removed and the delay line box was missing. Without those the sites would have had conflicting problems as each site used a different delay line. Visit the site north West of San Fransisco. Well worth the time. I believe site only open on Saturdays.

16C here, worked in the tracking station for Nike Herc in Germany, late 70's...hell of a missle.

Cool vid. Amazingly insane invention. Isn't it great none of you guys never completed your mission? Big thanks from everybody else in the world! 🤘😎

Lots of videos about the missiles and the launch sites. But at least as interesting were the BCA, with its analog computer and classic radar systems.

I was in Seigelsbach germany right there with you in the 80s we stored them.

Thanks Woody for the video! Served as a 24U NH electronics mechanic, Bovolone Italy 1983-1988, 2/47th USAAD, 559th. Great times and memories in Italy! Then went to work at the Davis Dome at McGregor Range for range control in New Mexico across highway 54 from White Sands from 1988-1989 Was fortunate to participate in a live fire of Nike Herc at Sardegna Island in Italy 1986?

awesome.. so glad YOU SHARED THIS WONDERFUL PIECE OF previous U.S. Air Defense Command technology !!.. i ordered AND received my U.S. Army Air Defense Command patch..gonna have it sewed on my Army Field Jacket !!

i was in Germany 79-80, our mission was tank battalions in the gap or bomber formations as well as protection provided for the air force to the west of us. Best of my knowlefge

Woody. Thanks for sharing. It is interesting to hear about the missile technology of the 50s and 60s

Hi Woody, nice job on the video!!! Looks like this video has been up for a while, but I just found it. Always good to hear from a fellow 501st USAAD alumni!

ADA brother from a different mother. 24C IHAWK firing section mechanic. Thanks for the video.

Nike Hercules Ordnance veteran, 1967 - 1969. Server at McGregor Range, Ft. Bliss Annex D Battery Support Group GM/GS where I saw numerous ASP launches and made repairs to the launchers after some of the launches. I also served on Okinawa, 30th Artillery Brigade 44th Ordnance, keeping the launchers operational ready.

Periscope films has a Nike herc film. I also was a 16B

Great presentation, Mach 2 on the rail WTH. Talk about getting it! How do I get one of those books?

Tim Haszard 24P acq. Radar repair. 1968 -1971. BA 18, Edgewood,Md and W92 Rockville, Md., Missed Vietnam.

I was a 24P and Nuclear Surety. Key Largo Florida and Dallau West Germany. I went into medical after that as a 35U. Crazy times in the Cold War.

I’ve never been in the military but that “Active duty wasn’t smart enough to run it” cracked me up. 🤣

Old Lance missile guy here myself

16 C 20 at Danvers Ma. 72-75 Great duty !

At one of the Nike Hercules Museums you can watch them erect a missile to launch position after bringing it up the elevator. It only takes about 30 seconds.... Is the faster speed due to the test round they use having no warhead or propellant?

We were told it was the french that would nuke the Soviet access points along the border . Never thought it would be our own guys that would fry us

More info on the radars?

hello woody ft bliss 1965 trained for ifc area but worked in launching area till 72 in MARYLAND.card game of choice pitch thanks for the memories

I am not sure you will see this post but if you do I have a question about something you mentioned in the video. I lived in Painesville, Ohio which was a Hercules Site and I now live next to a Nike Site in Lansdale, PA, just a coincidence. You mention the control area and the launch area needs to be separated by 5 statute miles. The site in Painesville is maybe 1/2 mile apart but the Lansdale site is about 2000 feet apart. The lansdale site was always an Ajax site and never upgraded. Am I missing something? Thank You and your video was very helpful.

I am a Nike Vet also...... Germany..

Antique Shitbird Only transistor were for the power supply In the mushroom guidence system Used a pulse position delay line into a and gate. All Vacuum tube Good for EMP MTR TTR TRR LO PWR radars

Radar Operator Battery F 4th of the 44th 1965-66 near Inchon South Korea.

Missile/warhead assembly 62-65

16b20 everglades national park A battery 2/52

You would have to be pushing 70 or older to have worked on NIKE they where all gone by the end of 1974.

And the recruiter said it was a good system LOL

NY 49. 68-69

Never heard of it before LOL

懐かしい　１９６６年　マクダネル製造機　私は当時の２２５　ベトナム戦　当時のニクソン政権　対露西亜機迎撃専門　Bｙyokosuka　Takeyama Post

we found a mason! 4:57