Organization
Comments about acquisition of materials for museums
And via Frank Martinez
The museum has a Nike-Hercules, a Nike-Zeus, a Spartan, a Sprint (not
currently on display), and an I-Hawk launcher w/three missiles on it. The
museum to my knowledge does not have an Ajax, I've been to the
archival/storage warehouses and there is nothing out there like that.
Perry Hubbard
I was in the period 1970-1972 a signals sergeant (TTR) in the Belgian
army's 62A Hawk Battalion situated in Essentho near Niedermarsberg
(Germany) about 40 miles from the then GDR border.
The airforce had the Nikes.
In the Royal Museum of the Army and Military History here in Brussels
they have an a couple of Nikes on display. If you go to:
Yours,
Unfortunately neither the Camp's web page nor its root
The California State Military Museum say where Camp San Luis is -
it is definitely not in Sacramento ;-)) You can get driving directions from
GOOGLE MAP.
How to Visit SF-88, the Nike Site being restored
The New England Air Museum at Bradley Field
(Brady International Airport, Windsor Locks, CT) -
Nike Anax
Attached are pictures I took today of a AJAX and booster. I can only assume they
came from a local collection because there was no info about the system. The museum
is very well kept... and fine collection of aircraft and related and I was surprised
and glad to see an fine example of my Father's past right before me.
Two Nike-Ajax frame the outside of the exhibit building, one on the right &
another on the left. I looked across the gigantic field of well over fifty
various missiles & rockets, and instantly spotted the Nike-Hercules.
eMail: info@luftwaffenmusem.de
The entrance is free. The Museum is open: Tuesday - Sunday from 10:00 - 17:00
(last entry 16:00)
from Alex (August 2012)
(previous) VFW in Cedar Lake,Indiana (suburban Chicago) has a full size
Nike Ajax, and a full size Nike Hercules missle on
display in front of their place. They are located on the north side of the lake.
- reported July 2006 by
Bill E.
There is a Nike Hercules on display on its launcher
at the Selfridge Air Museum, which is located on base. You can plainly see
it from M-59 (Hall Road). Also, until about 5 years ago there were a Ajax
and Hercules on display (vertical) in front of the Michigan National Guard
Armory on 8 Mile Road near Greenfield in Oak Park. The armory closed and the
missiles...? "
Jan 2016 -
Flicker picture,
Excellent YouTube,
Nike Missile site MS-70 Launcher/Control
(YouTubes by Eighth Air Force Historical Soc of Mn ),
spotted by Thomas Page,
(Missile still great condition in Jan 2016, better than
SF-88
from BenignNeglect)
For more information about NY-56, Ft. Hancock, see site info
"Your POC would be LTC Dean BROWN, (Facility Manager) 614-336-6280
ext 6201 -
From Doyle Piland
Nike Ordnance Website
to Tom Lundregan - April 5, 2010
From Al Harvard < alanndee@cox.net > May 9, 2012
The pix below are partially representative of their inventory, which by the way, included boxes and boxes of mannequins....they are doing some serious planning. What caught me off guard was the immaculate condition of the Hercules IFC equipment, as you can see. RC & BC Van, LCT, MTR and TTR. I did not see the Acq. Equipment was provided by Ft Bliss and was refurbished by Letterkenny Army Depot in 1983 and apparently never used. The missiles, not including my grandson, were recently repainted. They have a Spartan and Sprint in the paint shop now. They did a great job on them. Last year I remember rust, chips and dents...all gone.
Two personnel have been assigned to develop plans for the museum, JONATHAN A. BERNSTEIN, jonathan.a.civ@mail.mil 580-442-0424 cell: 580-917-1787 Director for the ADA Museum, and DAVID A. CHRISTENSEN, david.christensen@us.army.mil 580-442-4538 cell: 580-583-6792 Command Historian. Jon tells me there is more Nike equipment, including missiles (?) at Bliss. I believe he and David are planning a trip back next month. I suggested they look into securing the Acq, a couple of 45KW, 400~ generators and maybe a set of cables. Ambitious, but certainly worth while. Seems that transportation cost is an issue.
On a good note: I met with the Deputy ADA Commander, Col Spillman and he said that Col (P) Dan Karbler is a fan of the wonderful Oozlefinch. I was not able to meet with him, but I am now very interested in creating a "Life-Size" Oozie, whatever that is, for presentation to the ADA School......thoughts?????
If you are traveling either Soutbound or or Northbound on Interstate 83
[I-83] you will see exit signs for the Fort. Exit, travel through the Fort,
see the missiles, and the road you are on will carry you back to I-83.
Links to photos of markers and missiles, and descriptions -
Nike Ajax,
Nike Hercules, from
Craig Swain
[Maybe] missile is one of the former Nike Batallion in south Spain.
This is the website of the museum (In Spanish)
http://www.ejercito.mde.es/ihycm/museo/aaafuencarral/anti3.html
Comments about acquisition of materials for museums by Ed Thelen
I tried to obtain some sets of
launcher cables (heavy, bulky) from a nation that had phased out their Nike Hercules
systems. National defense forces also operate on limited budgets and were reluctant
to expend time and money to packup and transport equipment back to the U.S.
Insurance was also a question - for how much would you insure tons cables that are
basically scrap, but no longer manufactured and practically irreplaceable?
Shippers are used to insurance - they want to be protected if there is trouble.
Trying to convince a shipping concern to help load, transport, unload four tons of
equipment with no insurance, for free, with no visible reward, is an interesting challenge.
It was believed that there would be no problems with U.S. customs.
I got to meet very interesting people, but after a year requested that others give it a try.
Site Recognition
Kenneth A. Turner asked
and later - Feb. 7, 2000:
Tom Vaughn responded to the original question
A group including
Eugene McDonald,
Gene McManus,
Mark Morgan,
Scott Murdock,
Ron Plante,
Thomas Page,
and
Doyle Piland
were proposing interesting not necessarily Nike museums.
Included were:
Return to beginning of "Museums"
- Sorted by Locality
- Sorted by Region
- Others - related to defense
A Alabama
B Belgium
C California, -
Colorado -
Connecticut
F Florida
G Germany, -
Greece
I Indiana, -
Italy
K Kansas
M Maryland, -
Michigan, -
Minnesota, -
Missouri
N Netherlands, -
New Mexico, -
New Jersey, -
New York, -
Norway
O Ohio, -
Oklahoma
P Pennsylvania
S South Dakota, -
Spain
T Texas
V Virginia
W Washington, Wisconsin,
Washington, D.C.
Site Recognition, Plaques etc.
Museums
Alabama
Space Camp is a program that introduces children to a Nasa experience.
Includes mock shuttle flights, flight and ground missions. It is quite
impressive. The property also has a Missile Park which has a Titan Booster
on top of everything else on display. This park also has a number of other
missile displays which include a Nike Herc, Ajax and Hawk. Dr. Werner Von
Braun and his scientists were transferred to Huntsville from El Paso. They
developed our space program from there. It was close to Cape Canaveral.
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999
From: "Hubbard, Perry, (PERRYH@SPACECAMP.COM)
Simulations Manager
U.S. Space Camp/U.S. Space and Rocket Center
(256) 721-7197
Belgium
from Frederik Cheeseman (frederik@minf.vub.ac.be)
and you will see them. The Ajax is in the background
to the left and hard to see. But the Hercules is clearly visible to the
right.
Thanks to Tristan VANDER AUWERA for the updated link :-))
California
"There's an old never-used Nike at
Camp San Luis Obispo, first home of the California National Guard
not to mention one of the last Army(CNG)
Hiller helicopters."
Colorado
Peterson Air and Space Museum - see "Missile Displays"
Connecticut
from Stephen Desautels
Florida
Cape Canaveral Space & Missile Museum
@ Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral, Florida
Location
Call for volunteers
[{Page, T} (Jan 2010) Everglades National Park To Offer Second Season of Nike Missile Base Tours - seen
here and
here
Charles Carter's South Florida Web Site Sept 2009 - A Battery
Newspaper article of site
open, via {Page, T} Mar 8, 2009, 450 K Bytes - the reporter
didn't bother to find much info - nice picture of above ground magazine
Germany
-Geschäftsstelle Berlin-
Postfach 45 02 22
D-12172 Berlin, Germany
Tel: 030-8110769, Fax: 030-8122553
Homepage: luftwaffenmuseum.de
AUTO & TECHNIK MUSEUM Tel: 07261/61116 or /92990
Obere Au 2 Fax: 07261/13916
D-74889 Sinsheim
Germany
Greece
Indiana
- 1) there is no VFW post in Cedar Lake, and
- 2) there IS an American Legion post there,
at 13050 Washington St, Cedar Lake IN 46303, and that's where the
missiles are. Both missiles are clearly visible when using Google maps,
the Ajax is even on a launcher. - reported Sept 2013 by
Joe Starns
My goodness - look at that!! Amazing world!!
Italy
Several NIKE Hercules standing tall from
Ramiro Carli Ballola
Italian sites (including Base Tuoro) Google Earth
A GREAT Nike Hercules museum -
{Folgaria, TN, Italy } (Base Tuono)
via Mark Morgan
From Michael Binder October 2013
I was recently apprised of the existence of a restored Nike site in Italy, ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTShucyQwko
https://www.basetuono.it/en/
Kansas
Maryland
Jan 2008, T Page found the Ft. Mead Nike web site, and a photo.
John K. Scoggin, Jr. reports (Jan 2005)
" ... two old missiles mounted vertically outside the museum - they are relatively
small (Nike Ajax maybe?). ... It's a shame - there is VERY little in the museum regarding
the Cold War era other than some pictures of personnel in different uniforms.
... It is difficult to get on-post without government ID. ...
There is a Nike Hercules in the launcher outside the Post fenceline on Rt 175."
[Dead Site? - As seen on
the Bill Evans NIKE
web page. ]
Michigan
[Dunlap, Ken (Jan 09) now a park and has a missile on display. I took the photo
attached (63 K Bytes)
and was pretty happy with it. Hope you like it too. fyi- the those are model sailboats in the water. ]
Minnesota
I have located a Nike-Herc shell in a playground in a small Minnesota
town called St. Bonifacius which was the former site of MS-70. The
missile is in incredibly good condition.
St. Bonifacius is about 35 Km west of Minneapolis or 12 Km west of Excelsior.
Missouri
Netherlands
Update: from Ronald Dorenbos - May 23, 2018
The image is a Netherlands Annual Refire shot from Crete, note national colors -
There are two museums:
New Jersey
Ft. Hancock Nike Association the volunteers
who restore the Nike artifacts ( missiles, vans, ... ) and give the tours :-))
chipthebull@juno.com says (2002)
"There is a Nike-H on display in Sandy Hook NJ at an old base.
Sandy Hook is now a national recreation area in the past it has
been military reservation Since the revolution."
Fort Hancock Historic District a web site
New Mexico
Hal Behl says (September 1, 2000)
"The [Hercules] launcher/rail is visible in our outside area, but not where people
can touch it - The missile components are also visible, but not yet
assembled on the rail."
Nike Ajax
New York
Norway
Location details at Nike in Norway
Ohio
Anonymous says
"The HERCULES is displayed along the west side of the main roadway into
Camp Perry. I think it's Niagara Road. You can't miss it.
[The camp] is one square mile, not very big. The two AJAX are displayed
in front of the Bataan Armory. Building 3 on the east side of the main road,
just before you come to Lawrence Road, which passes east to west behind the ranges."
Mike Emich send images of both the Hercules and the Ajax at Camp Perry,
looking good :-))
Oklahoma
- "This one is gone, scrap heap several years ago.
Fair board removing all artifacts to make room for new building" reported Jan 4, 2015 by
Tracy Dungan
A couple hours ago, an individual who lives in Canada forwarded an e-mail to me
from the Director/Curator of the Fort Sill Field Artillery Museum. Part of that
e-mail is below:
"Here the artillery/field artillery and air defense artillery are two
separate museums. The ADA Museum is planned to move here in the relatively
near future but to date only a few outdoors missiles have moved. I have
cc?ed Pete Poessiger, Director of the Fort Bliss Museums (which still has 98%
of the ADA artifacts and Dave Christensen, ADA Historian."
I recently attended my 28th OCS reunion at Ft Sill, OK. I was able to secure a one-on-one tour of the ADA equipment storage area and pseudo museum. They are still in the funding crunch (who isn't) for proper exhibit space and maintenance support, although they have erected some early artillery ADA systems and a HAWK diorama.
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Spain
Texas
{Ft. Worth,, Texas} from Tom Tessier, e-mail tessierthomas@yahoo.com
Nike Hercules at VFW Post 8911
4937 Mansfield Highway, Fort Worth, TX 76119. Photo taken Jan 2020.
Virginia
& Nike Ajax, standing tall :-)) With Space Shuttle in background, (Feb 2005)
see photo
Thanks to George Evans.
Washington (state of)
Wisconsin
Acquition of materials for museums is a difficult and subtle art, especially if you are dealing
with limited (zero) funds and limited ability to reward donors (with publicity).
re: R-88
By the way, are municipalities good with honoring Nike sites?
I know it isn't like the Washington Monument but do you think
they will spring for a plaque? The governing municipality is the
Peach County Commssion. It is out of city limits of Byron but
I know the city attorney there.
Preservation:
I have sent a letter as of a few weeks back to the Peach County Commission chair
per seeking a declaration of R-88 as a historic site or at least the erection of
a plaque. Thus far nothing has been heard from the chair or the newspaper
reporter who sought me out about a story on the missile base.
Hello Ken,
Here are some ideas to help get some kind of recognition for or at R-88.
Contact the following organizations:
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Tom Vaughn, La Porte, IN
A list of Military MUSEUMS with radar on display
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Updated August, 2019
If you have comments or suggestions, Send e-mail
to Ed Thelen