hokoglowko
Location: Wisconsin Gender: Male
| | Nike Missile Site, Waukesha, WI < on 11/8/2009 11:04 PM >
| | | The Nike Missile program was developed at the end of World War II. Its purpose was to defend U.S. urban areas from enemy aerial attack during the Cold War. Within the continental United States, Nike missile sites were constructed in defensive "rings" surrounding major urban and industrial areas. A typical Nike air defense site consisted of two separate parcels of land. One area was known as the Integrated Fire Control (IFC) Area. This area contained the Nike system's ground-based radar and computer systems designed to detect and track hostile aircraft, and to guide the missiles to their targets. The second parcel of land was known as the Launcher Area. At the launcher area, Nike missiles were stored horizontally within heavily constructed underground missile magazines. The particular Nike site featured here is located in Waukesha, WI. Designated M-74, this was one of eight sites that protected Milwaukee, WI. It was in operation from 1956 – 1971. The map below shows the two locations that made up M-74 Nike Missile site. The launcher area is located one mile south of the IFC area. Milwaukee, the area that the missile site was designed to protect, is approximately 15 miles east.
The IFC was located in an area that is now known as Hillcrest Park. Photos of the IFC are below.
Entrance to the park
| Dedication marker
| View from park
| Radar tower
| Radar tower
| Radar towers
| Radar towers & Blast building
| Radar tower
| Hipar radar tower
| Radar towers
| Concrete slab where barracks were located
| Concrete slab where barracks were located
| Flag pole, dedication marker, & mess hall
| Flag pole
| Flag pole, dedication marker, & mess hall
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Below are photos of the launcher area. Not much to see here. Probably the most interesting thing to see at this location is an old guard shack, which is located next to the area's entrance. The underground magazines, where the missiles were located, are still there but are buried under concrete slabs and piles of wood chips.
Entrance
| Guard shack next to entrance
| Light pole along driveway
| Driveway past the entrance
| Missiles were located underground here
| Missiles were located underground here
| Missiles were located underground here
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