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Locations of Former NIKE MISSILE SITES (text)
.
California
Los Angeles -
LA-04 Mt. Gleason /Palmdale
LA-09 Mt. Disappointment /Barley Flats
LA-14 South El Monte
LA-29 Brea/ Puente Hills
LA-32 Garden Grove
LA-40 Long Beach Airport /Lakewood
LA-43 Ft. MacArthur (Upper Res /White Point)
LA-45DC Fort MacArthur (Lower Res)
LA-55 Point Vicente (Palos Verdes)
LA-57 Redondo Beach/ Torrance
LA-70 Hyperion /Playa Del Rey
LA-73 Playa Del Rey /LAX
LA-78 Malibu
LA-88 Chatsworth/ Oat Mtn.
LA-94 Los Pinetos /Newhall
LA-96 Van Nuys / Sepulveda
LA-98 Magic Mountain /Lang /Saugus 		San Francisco -
SF-08,-09 San Pablo Ridge
SF-25 Rocky Ridge
SF-31 Lake Chabot/ Castro Valley
SF-37 Coyote Hills/ Newark
SF-51 Milagra /Pacifica
SF-59 Fort Funston/ Mt. San Bruno
SF-77H Presidio of San Francisco
SF-78H Presidio of San Francisco
SF-87 Fort Cronkhite/ Sausalito
SF-88 Ft. Barry /Sausalito
SF-89 Presidio of San Francisco (Fort Winfield Scott)
SF-90DC Mount Tamalpais
SF-91 Angel Island
SF-93 San Rafael
Travis AFB -
T-10 Elmira
T-33 Vacaville - Dixon/Lambie
T-53 Fairfield - Potrero Hills
T-86 Fairfield /Cement Hills
Designation General Location Detailed Location (Current Status)
. . Click for updated TerraServer links
Map of past Nike Sites around Los Angeles - courtesy Rick Rather
- Rick points out that his map is launcher-centric
Nike info - Fort MacArthur Museum
Fort MacArthur Museum mostly Seacoast Artillery
San Francisco Bay Area Nike Missiles by Jeff Poskanzer spotted by Mark Morgan
LA-04 Mt. Gleason /Palmdale C - Mount Gleason, 9.8 W Mill Creek Forest Station ((P) abandoned)
[{"Tim"} I found the radar location, nothing there. It looks like the area is being replanted with pines. The barracks is LA County fire camp. ]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer ]

L - Mount Gleason, 6.8 W Mill Creek Forest Station ((P) Los Angeles County prison camp)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer ]

LA-09 Mt. Disappointment
/Barley Flats 		C - Mt. Disappointment ((P) radio relay site)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer ]

L - Barley Flats. 4 N Amgeles Crest Hwy ((P)LA County Sheriff Air Station)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer ]
[(Murdock, S) GPS=34-16-42 118-04-32 ]

LA-14 South El Monte C - 3600 Workman Mill Rd ((O) radio relay site)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer ?????? ]

L - 1201 Potrero Rd. ((P) LA County parks workyard)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer ]
[(Murdock, S) GPS=34-02-37 118-03-32 ]
[{Kamienski, R} (via Dean.Willoughby@usarc-emh2.army.mil Feb 2001) I explored the El Monte launcher area. Magazine elevator pit has water up to the brim. Otherwise, it could be restored with a lot of effort. It is in a city construction yard next to a park. A good location for a war museum. ]

A - ((P) USAR Center)

LA-29 Brea/ Puente Hills C - Site Dr, off Central Ave, N of Brea Blvd ((O) Shell Oil Company; oil field)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer ]
[{Kamienski, R} image of IFC area from Redstone WWW site. This Nike site is currently (August 2000) being destroyed, see http://www.latimes.com/news/state/20000807/t000073898.html ]
[annotated image 47 K bytes, by Rick, who also says "the closest public street (Vantage Point) ends in a gate with the water districts sign on it. About half way up the hill from this gate to where the radar installation was located is a large fenced-in water tank. If you zoom out on Terraserve it shows as a white circle north of the site toward the housing tract (that in the 1995 photo looks to be under construction)."]

L - Site Dr, off Cenntral Ave, N of Brea Blvd ((O) Shell Oil Company; oil field)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer ]
[{Kamienski, R} image of launcher area from Redstone WWW site ]]
annotated image 72 K bytes, by Rick
[{Kamienski, R} (via Dean.Willoughby@usarc-emh2.army.mil Feb 2001) The launcher area is now a flat dirt area. Magazines completely removed. They worked on this for about 3 months. I got a few low resolution pictures if your interested. ]

LA-32 Garden Grove SE corner Knott & Peterson ((O) industrial park)
[{Maxey, G} - picture Was doing research on LA-78 Malibu site and came across this picture that shows LA-32 very clearly.
Since LA-32 was destroyed before any of the current Terra Server images, thought you might like to see it.
The original caption dated it as 1965, which means the site had been converted to Herc. If you look closely you see the HIPAR dome in the upper left corner of the IFC. This is correct, because I grew up in this area and actually saw the site when it was in operation. ]

L - 11751 Western Ave ((P) CAArNG; 485th MASH)
[{Page, T} June 2007 - I have been revisiting the U.S. Nike Missile sites in "Google Earth" aerial imagery, and discovered that part of LA-32L is still intact. Go to 33°47'33.85"N, 118°00'09.07"W to see the T-shaped building that is seen in the vintage aerial photo at http://ed-thelen.org/LA-32-G-Maxey.jpg (the launch battery is in the lower right corner). ]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer (stanton {garden grove}, obliterated) ]

LA-40 Long Beach Airport
/Lakewood 		C - SW Spring & Clark ((O) Hotel and commercial development)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer]

L - SW Spring & Lakewood ((I) CAArNG center)
[{Hiscox, George} September 2007 - Long after runway 30 was built, the old missile battery was used by the City of Long Beach for an EOC until almost 1980. The launch doors were covered over with mounds of asphalt covered dirt, but the facility remained accessible from a small blockhouse leading to a long steep stairway. There was a second point of egress via a vertical ladder to a hatch. I am a retired police sergeant from Long Beach PD and attended many training sessions in that old facility during the late 60's and 70's. Our Air Support (helicopter) Unit was also located there and was serviced by an above ground hanger built on the property. In 1976, Long Beach ... city manager by the name of John Dever ... sold off the land to a developer who built a business park on the property and we lost a really great EOC facility, complete with underground diesel storage, huge generator, kitchen and living facilities. ]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer (obliterated) removed for construction of runway 30 [?? see above)] ]

LA-43 Ft. MacArthur
(Upper Res
/White Point) 		Three Ft. MacArthur Nike oriented web pages 1, 2, 3
update on preservation (page 4),
C - Battery Leary - Merriam, Upper Reservation ((I) City of LA; Angels Gate Park, Angels Gate Cultural Center)
[{Janesic, J} (Jan 2008) Old picture of Battery Leary 37 KB) the green tinted buildings are from the Nike period. The building in the foreground is the Maintenance and Service Building. In the background is the former HIPAR Generator Building. The same picture shows the steel structure of the Target Ranging Radar to the left of the M&S building. Between the M&S building and the Generator Building and on top of the original battery parapet is the pad for the MTR.
In the center of the middle picture on the page, The Marine Exchange has been expanded from the original HIPAR Building The original building was one story and the Marine Exchange added the second. The pad for the HIPAR dome was located to the left of this building; you can just make out the outline of the concrete foundation.
GoogleEarth image, annotated (112 KB)]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer, (historical) ]

L - White Point, Below Battery No. 127 ((I) City of LA; White Point Park) A Web Site
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer, (historical) ]
[{Page, T} - big image "... White Point Nike launch site, LA-43L? A couple of structures that look like WW-II coastal artillery positions can also be seen behind the launch strip. "
- confirmed by Mark Morgan Yup, that's it; LA-43L Fort MacArthur (Upper)/White Point, two B-type magazines, eight launchers, operational from 1955 through March 1974. The Fort MacArthur Museum is hammering out a deal with the county (I think it's the county; it may specifically be the county parks department) to preserve and interpret the site in and around its use as a nature preserve.

According to Mark Berhow's The Harbor Defenses of Los Angeles - A Reference Manual (San Pedro: Fort MacArthur Military Museum Association, 1992), the guns at the White Point Military Reservation were Battery Paul D. Bunker, two 16-inch MkIIMIs, built in 1942, armed in 1944 and disarmed in 1948. The reservation also included a Post-World War I AA battery with two 3-inchers on pedestal mounts (built in 1920, no word on when they came out) and Battery 127 with four 40mms and four .50 cal machine guns. Great photo! MK ]
LA-45DC Fort MacArthur
(Lower Res)		AADCP
Nike Missile-Master AN/FSG-1
Missile Mentor AN/FPS-27
- long-range radar installation (which was shared with the Air Force and the FAA) at San Pedro Hill AFS.

LOC: Pacific Ave. between 22d and 36th Streets
CUR: Los Angeles AFB Annex: housing/support activities
[{Page, T} (Jan 2008) Found at the California Coastline website, http://www.californiacoastline.org/, image 7951043, dated October 1979. The enclosed image was cropped from the large one.

The Ft. MacArthur Missile-Master building (130 KB) would be torn down a few years later (~mid 1980's) to make room for Air Force housing for Los Angeles AFS (now AFB). ]
LA-55 Point Vicente (Palos Verdes) a web site
C - SW Crenshaw & Seacrest ((O) City of Rancho Palos Verdes; Del Cerro Park)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer

L - between Hawthorne & Palos Verdes; Dr. ((I)City of Rancho Palos Verdes; city hall/admin
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer

LA-57 Redondo Beach/
Torrance 		C - 1102 Camino Real ((O) City of Redondo Beach; Hopkins Wilderness Park)
[{Larish, J} TerraServer Image

L - 30940 Crenshaw Blvd ((P) City of Torrance; Torrance Airport/ Civil Air Patrol Torrance Nike Site
[{Larish, J} TerraServer Image

LA-70 Hyperion
/Playa Del Rey 		C - W of Pershing, off LAX ((O) private owner)
[(Anderson, T} The IFC for LA-70 is now the Cross Creek apartment complex.]

L - 9014 Pershing Dr ((P) Los Andeles Airport Authority

A - ((P) Jep Pets)

LA-73 Playa Del Rey
/LAX 		C - Manchester Ave & Redlands ((O) commercial/resdential

L - *Shared launch/admin facility with LA-70
[(Anderson, T} ... launcher area for LA70 and LA73 was destroyed/obliterated in the early 1990's when Westchester Parkway was constructed. The administration area is currently Jets Pets. The flat roofed buildings are painted white and blue, but on some missed spots you can see the original green. A double insignia sign sits on the side of the area. It is badly weathered but you can make out" AAA" and "CAARNG" as well as the California bear. These cone shaped signs are all that remains untouched and they are surrounded by barb wire (thank God). It sucks to see how quickly LA can swallow up such history. ]

LA-78 Malibu C - [at the end of Saddle Peak Rd] ((O) National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains NRA
June 11, 2007 - a concensus seems formed between all concerned - based on all preceeding and two more images.
from Page, T June 11, 2007 1:19 PM to 12 people
Update -- Based upon the vintage photos at http://george.smugmug.com/gallery/418537/1/16759653#16759659, [local copy] as well as the elevation data on "Google Earth," the LA-78 IFC site must have been at either location A, B, or C as depicted in the enclosed image file. All things considered, I'd now have to say that location C seems to be the most likely spot. If correct, then all Nike structures have been removed.

Who agrees? Who disagrees? Comments are invited. (I just want to get it right.) Thanks once again.

from Doyle Piland, web site, June 11, 2007 1:52 PM to the same 12 people

Yes, C is the location that everyone agreed upon. This included 4 or 5 people who had been stationed at LA-78 IFC and included Col. George Evans, who put up the smugmug.com photos. Col. Evans was battery commander of LA-78 as a Captain. Plus, if you look at the directions contained in the USGS information I referred to, you will see that the directions to the "Nike Site" lead you to the "Easterly" peak of two peaks of the Saddle Peak. "C" is also the locations for the Lat-Lons in the first four USGS documents. You will also note that A and C are essentially the same altitude, while B is somewhat lower. Those stationed there indicated that on the way to and from their site, they passed the FAA radar on the other peak. They also said their IFC was the end of the road.

So, all these things lead everyone that was dealing with it at the time to conclude that the location was "C." I think everyone would agree that all the Nike Structures have been removed. I think there may be some concrete pads/blocks there from what the USGS documents show as having their markers in them.


Dec 2004 - there has been an intensive discussion among the Terrraservants ;-) and Doyle Piland including exchanges of old site pictures. The information below from Hirose seems correct and a listing from a 4th person, whose e-mail address no longer works, has been removed from here.
[{Hirose, P}When I click to view the Saddle Peak portion of the installation and overlay the coordinate grid on the image, the numbers are consistent with Oat Mountain. That's about 18 miles from Saddle Peak.
Using the coordinates from National Geodetic Survey records, the location of the old radar platform is about 150 meters northwest of center in this image: TerraServer. See:
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds2.prl?retrieval_type=by_pid&PID=EW7447 http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds2.prl?retrieval_type=by_pid&PID=EW6472
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds2.prl?retrieval_type=by_pid&PID=EW4145
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds2.prl?retrieval_type=by_pid&PID=EW4144
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds2.prl?retrieval_type=by_pid&PID=EW6471
The first mark is on the old radar platform at 34-04-42 118-39-21.

The last point is on the neighboring peak, but is interesting because the 1959 description mentions a sign to the Nike site and a roadside phone where surveyors would have to call to get clearance to proceed. ]

L - 1900 Rambla Pacifica ((I)National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountaions NRA; LA County Fire Camp No. 8
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer, (GPS), TopoZone
[{Hirose, P}The image of the other half of LA-78, the launcher area, does appear to be correct. If you bring up these datasheets:

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds2.prl?retrieval_type=by_pid&PID=EW6827
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds2.prl?retrieval_type=by_pid&PID=EW6828
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds2.prl?retrieval_type=by_pid&PID=EW6829
they all describe survey marks set in the former launch area. The average coordinates are 34-03-36 118-38-47. ]
LA-88 Chatsworth/
Oat Mtn. 		Foster, R (April 2005) The new parkland doesn't go all the way up to the IFC, the parkland doesn't reach the ridge of Oat Mountain and doesn't go far enough east to get you there. A map of the parkland can be found here. The IFC is dead south of the L in trail in 'Rim of the Valley Trail'.
The IFC site currently houses several gov't radio tenants including the county of Los Angeles (And a few federale's). ]
Rollins, B (March 2005) LA-88 Oat Mountain Nike site now sits in the middle of the newly created Michael D. Antonovich Regional Park. You can legally drive right up Browns Canyon right up to the area outside the launch pad. Although LAPD still keeps the gates locked to the barracks and the launch pad, the surrounding area is apparently open to the public. From what I've heard this new public park continues all the way up to the IFC at the top of the mountain.
There is a gate on Browns Canyon Road north of the launch area that was locked with a sign that said closed due to the weather. Apparently, when it isn't raining this gate is open and you can drive right up to the top of the mountain.
There are still a lot of "No Trespassing" and "Private Road" signs all the way up Browns Canyon but they have taken down the ones on park property. ]
[{Hawkins, J} (October 2003) Dude In The White Truck who keeps running off the people from Oat Mountain. http://www.mybikesite.com/socal/trails/oat_mountain.htm Joe Hawkins www.vaq34.com/ccc

[{Daemke, A} (February 2003)
Anthony said "This specific building does go down one level. If you take the stairs 20 or so feet to the bottom, it is a big empty room with an escape tunnel that climbs the the escape hatch."

I (Ed Thelen) said "I will bet you a nice lunch that the building you are talking about is not part of a Nike firing battery :-))"

And Anthony said "You owe me a nice lunch! Just kidding."
Actually, after one of my trips to the Nike LA / Admin / Launch sites, I went the the Laguna Niguel National Archives and did research on the Nike LA-88. I found 66 or so pages of documents about the site. That building is Nike Building number 302. It is the IFC Oper Fac room / fallout shelter. 303 is the Generator room, 304 is the ready room, 307 is the Hipar, 308 is the Hipar Radar tower and 309 is the tracking tower. Also 300 is the Senry Box.

I also have all the specifications on the square feet, and matieriel used in construction on the IFC/LA/Admin areas. If you would like me to give you the information, please let me know and I will email if over to you. I have lots on information on the LA-88 site if you would ever like to get a cup of coffee and take a look, let me know. I am in Northridge CA, 91325 " ]


[{Daemke, A} (July 2002) I hiked six miles to the IFC. All the buildings remain intact. The electric room remains with all of the original electric boxes etc. Also, the bathroom remains along with the old rusted to nothing water heater. An interesting point is this. In one of the buildings, there is a HUGE steel door. Almost like a bank vault. Of coarse it was open so I went it. Everything is still there but it was dark and hard to see. Goofy me, I brought no flashlight so I could not explore to my full potential. I also forgot a camera!!! There was also what looked like an escape hatch that I was able to open. the ladder went down 1- or so feet with a tunnel. Was it an escape hatch at the IFC? ]
[{Baumgartner, K} (May 2002)I have been interested in the Southern California Nike Missle sites for many years. I live nearby LA 88 (Chatsworth/ Oat Mountain) and have been there over the years to check on it. As recently as early last year the site although on private property has been easy to access,,, the buildings were in generally good shape and the magazines were unsecured and accessible.

Minor vandalism inside the magazine had occurred as a result of apparent teenage beer binges and campfires but most things were suprisingly undisturbed (even the bunks). There is a man named Mr. Hiller who lives there with his brother and father who were employed by the State as Caretakers after the California Conservation Corps abondoned the site in 1993. As of late last year The Los Angeles Police Department apparently leased the land to use as a live fire range and padlocked the Magazines however I have never seen anyone on the property except for the Hillers. I am a deputy Sheriff and I normally check out the site weekly and I rarely see anyone there unless they are from a filming company shooting a movie on leased land north of the site. ]
[{Moore, T} ... National Archives web site ... a film titled "First operational Hercules Missile, Chatsworth, California". It apparently shows "C" Battery, 551st AAA Missile Battalion in action during a media event for the first operational NIKE Hercules missile at LA-88. I grew up near LA-88 and know every inch of the base which, for the most part, is still there and used by the Los Angeles Police Dept.]

C - Oat Mountain ((I) abandoned, radio/communications relay site nearby
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer

L - end of Browns Canyon Rd ((I)State of California; abandoned
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer

A hiking friend of Ed Thelen (Bill Hauser) remembers "from freeway 118, take DeSoto exit, Brown's Valley Road, 4 miles?" Is this a valid hiking map to IFC or to the Launcher area?
[{Moore, T} (July 2002) The map, from what I can make of it, shows the administration area to be basically where it says "abandoned air force NIKE Base" with the launch areas to left of there across the access road where it says " kiosk (abandoned) 2000 ft. level gate". The left side of the map itself shows the climb to the top of Oat mountain where the "tan building" marking notes, I believe, the remains of the IFC area now used as a radio relay antenna site. - The L&A site is now utilized by the LAPD SWAT team for training and I'd be careful about running around in there these days as it is not 'abandoned". ]

LA-94 Los Pinetos
/Newhall 		C - LA National Forest, Contract Point ((P) ITT Gilfillon; radar test site
[(Lagerstrom, S) Dec 2004 picture]
TerraServer

L - ((P) ITT Gilfillon; radar test site
[(Kramer, C) Aug 2007 - I work for the company [ITT] that runs what was once LA-94. We now call it Loop Canyon Test Facility.
[(Lagerstrom, S) Dec 2004 picture The launch area is fenced in, with a "No Trespassing" sign, but seen from the next hill, it seems largely intact, with three buildings standing. At the northern end of the northernmost (of 3) launch pad a 40-foot tower (with a prominent crane for hoisting antennas into place) has been added. Currently bears a planar-array antenna that looks a lot like the SPS-48 that ITT Gilfillan makes for the Navy and others (e.g. Nimitz-class carriers). http://gilfillan.itt.com/sps48.htm (I have been involved with them myself in the Swedish Air Force) Two 40-foot containers on the concrete pad presumably houses the rest of the radar eqp. Almost everything is painted tan. ]
[(Murdock, S) GPS=34-20-51 118-24-32 ]
TerraServer

A - ((P) LA County Fire Department

LA-96 Van Nuys /
Sepulveda 		C - San Vicente Mountain, off Mulholland ((P) San Vicente Mountain Park)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer
Image of radar tower, also as a park, spotted by Thomas Page
also Image of radar tower, in group in another park web site spotted by Howard Price ]

L - 15990 Victory Blvd ((I) CAANG; 261st Combat Communications Squadron) SMMC Stragic Plan
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer

LA-98 Magic Mountain
/Lang /Saugus 		C - LA National Forest, Magic Mountain ((O) microwave relay site)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer

L - Lang Station, CA 14 ((P) private owner; construction company
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer

. . San Francisco Bay Area Nike Missiles by Jeff Poskanzer spotted by Mark Morgan
SF-08
SF-09 		San Pablo Ridge C - Nimitz Way ((O) Wildcat Canyon Regional Park)
[{Page, T} Jan 2008 - Based upon both the Army's official site drawing for SF-08 / SF-09 and the aerial imagery for this double site, we now know with 100% certainty that the IFC sites (as well as the launch sites) both were collocated. That is, IFC sites SF-08C and SF-09C were side by side, and launch sites SF-08L and SF09L were side by side. ]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image not much left except rubble.]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

L - Nike Site Rd ((O) Wildcat Canyon Regional Park)
*shared launch site with SF-09
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

SF-25 Rocky Ridge C - 4 N Crow Canyon Rd, top of Bollinger Canyon Rd ((unk) Las Trampas Regional Park/ microwave communication site
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image end of Bollinger Canyon Rd.]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

L - 5 N Crow Canyon Rd, Bollinger Canyon Rd ((I) Traccor Aerospace/ Calif. Dept. of Forestry/ Las Tranpas Regional Park
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

SF-31 Lake Chabot/
Castro Valley 		C - W of Lake Chabot ((P) communications facility)[blocked access road starts in little parking area called "Fairmont Ridge Staging Area" 100 yards W of intersection of Fairmont Drive and Lake Chabot Road, 0.5 mile hike on road up hill. Buildings boarded up and locked, used for communications - all 4 radar pads on ground, not on towers]
[{Larish, J} TerraServer Image
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

L - SE shore of lake ((unk) East Bay Regionnal Park District; Lake Chabot Park/ Dept of Public Safety service yard 510-881-1833) [go up hill on road marked "17930 Lake Chabot Rd", magazine elevator doors welded shut, buildings being maintained and used by above agencies]
[{Larish, J} TerraServer Image
[(Murdock, S) GPS=37-43-16 122-05-56 ]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

SF-37 Coyote Hills/
Newark 		C - S Red Hill ((P) East Bay Rgional Park District; Coyote Hills Regional Park /Alameda County Sheriffs Dept., radio transmitter)
TerraServer Image
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page
[(Tyler, T) (September 2002) IFC - 37-32.44N / 122-04.99W (Gate) Now an Alameda County public safety radio site - some microwave relays & VHF/UHF antennas. Site is mostly intact in terms of buildings, 1.6 miles to Launch site.
3 pads, and two strange concrete tunnel shelter-type structures approx 40' long/8' wide running to underneath two of the RADAR pads. Nice 'IFC AREA CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD' artwork on concrete berm. IFC is about 270' ASL, and has nice view of San Mateo Bridge across the SF Bay, and salt evaporation ponds. 100 yards W of IFC gate, down hill is large covered Alameda County Water District water reservoir, and a large, primitive shooting range, probably for PD or SO. About 20 yards down the hill more to the N of the IFC compound is a 50'x50' fenced-in compound that also seems to be some sort of water or sewage facility. ]

L - N Red Hill ((O) Coyote Hills Regional Park
A non-quote from Anonymous - Apparently the launcher was at the top of the northernmost hill in the park, which is just south of the Alameda County Flood Control Channel. This is called Red Hill. There is a Coyote Hills Regional Park visitor center which has information about the Nike Trail, which may lead to the now buried launch site at the top of Red Hill.
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page
[(Tyler, T) (September 2002) LAUNCH AREA - Approx. 37-33.54N / 122-05.79W Obliterated. Launch site buildings had been bulldozed, dumped into the magazines, magazines sealed shut, soiled over & the whole area re-graded in the early 1970s to make it look like a natural area again, and they did a very thorough job - the only thing I saw was an area slightly more level than the surrounding area, so I'm not 100% sure exactly where the magazines were on this grassy hill, half a mile WNW of the Admin site. The "Nike Trail" walk goes around it, Red Hawk Trail goes up the hill that 37L apparently was on. ]

A - ((I) Coyote Hills Regional Park visitors center 510-795-9385
[(Tyler, T) (September 2002) ADMIN AREA - 37-33.2N / 122-05.45W Spoke with Supervisory Naturalist Paul Ferreira, who has been with the East Bay Regional Park District ( www.ebparks.org ) since 1974. Two former Barracks buildings, flagpole & two sets of concrete steps (Admin site had multiple up-grades) are all that remain of admin area. Barracks are now mostly a nice visitor center, plus gift store & park offices. Other bldgs in Admin area had trenches dug behind them, then the structures bulldozed into the trenches, and covered over. Area is now a nice, contoured grassy area with benches, BBQ grills & picnic tables. Prior to being obtained by the park in the 1970s, the Admin area buildings were used by the Stanford Research Institute for marine mammal sonar research, with dolphins, etc. being stored on site in the barracks & other buildings converted into labs/storage. ]

SF-51 Milagra
/Pacifica 		C - Sweeney Ridge ((P) Golden Gate NRA; Sweeny Ridge Skyline Preserve
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image not much left except rubble. ]
[{Brown, M} . Going from Peter's annotated map, The "ready room" seemed to be a barracks, judging from the dilapidated shower and "No smoking in bed" sign painted on the wall! There was a lot of poison oak, and I was wearing shorts, so I didn't check out "MTR pad" and "?". Also see Favorite [Bike] Rides, Trip 2 - mile 33.6]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

L - Milagra Ridge, off Sharp Park Rd ((P) Golden Gate NRA; Milagra Ridge
A Web Site,
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image Not much left. Exact launcher positions unknown.]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

SF-59 Fort Funston/
Mt. San Bruno 		C - Mount San Bruno, Radio Rd ((P) communications site)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page
[{Page,T} (June 2003) mentioned here ]

L - 500 Skyline Blve ((P) Golden Gate NRA; parking lot, (www go to "Swords to Plowshares")
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]
[(Murdock, S) GPS=37-42-54 122-30-07 ]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

A - 500 Skyline Blve ((I) Golden Gate NRA; Ocean District Headquarters, Environmental Science Center/ Air Quality Monitoring Center
*NOTE: SF-59L located near Battery Davis (2x16")

SF-77H Presidio of San Francisco [{Morgan, M} Headquarters site, on Kinzey at Ralston, Bldg. 1202. A large three-story building, it was the home of the 30th Artillery group through August 1961, the 40th Brigade and the 13th Group. Current use is apparently as offices (07 May 89). ]
SF-78H Presidio of San Francisco [{Morgan, M} Bldg 1648, adjacent to Battery Bowman overlooking the Pacific. It's a long single story building of newer design than the "standard" Presidio buildings. It served as headquarters of the 740th AAAMBn through September 1958, 4/61st from September 1958 to July 1959, and the CAArNG 1/250th from 1959 until July 1974. Current occupant is the 902d Military Intelligence Group Detachment (07 May 89).
SF-87 Fort Cronkhite/
Sausalito 		C - Battery Hill 129 ((P) Golden Gate NRA;
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

L - Bunker Rd ((I) Golden Gate NRA; Calif. Marine Mammal Center)
[{Morgan, M} Tanks holding assorted seals and the like are built on top of the pads; one of the access doors is locked open and I noted that the B/2/51st artwork and motto are still on the lower door (07 May 89).]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]
[(Murdock, S) GPS=37-49-37 122-31-39 ]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

SF-88 Ft. Barry /Sausalito official web site, until some ding-a-ling changes it again
Nike Site Photo Tour (this web site)
How to Visit SF-88, the Nike Site being restored
[{Michalsky, J} (March 2005) Site SF-88 is a contributor to the "Forts Baker, Barry, Cronkhite Historic District" as thus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. ]
and more photos

C - Wolf Ridge, Fort Cronkhite ((P) Golden Gate NRA; abandoned)
[{Page, T} Jan 2008? Images of SF-88C decaying and falling apart :-(( by John Martini
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]
[{Morgan, M} Control can be reached by a trail; from down below it looks like a couple of buildings and radar supports are still intact.]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

L - Adjacent to Battery Alexander (I) Golden Gate NRA; restored site
Off-site text & photos
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

SF-89 Presidio of San Francisco (Fort Winfield Scott) C - Mount Suttro (Twin Peaks) ((P) TV tower)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

L - Battery Caulfield Rd. ((P) Golden Gate NRA (National Recreation Area))
[{Morgan, M} the pads abandoned and used for open air storage. The adjacent buildings are used by an EOD unit. An Ajax site featured in Nike promotional photos, it closed in 1963 (07 May 89). ]
[{Tufts, P} map - You can almost make out the words "Nike Facility" next to the big red area in the upper right. The env cleanup page ]
TerraServer
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

(T-89) Temporary site elsewhere on reservation
LOC: unknown
CUR: National Park Service Golden Gate NRA

SF-90DC
Mill Valley AFS 		Mount Tamalpais Location - Mount Tamalpias, Ridgecrest Blvd
Current - FAA JSS Facility J-33 Mill Valley, National Park Service, Golden Gate NRA
[{Morgan, M} above Mill Valley and San Anselmo. To get there involves a 20-mile drive up narrow, winding two-lane road, but the view's worth it once you get to the top. The AFS was operated by the 666th Radar Squadron from around 1951 to March 1981, and is now part of the FAA Joint Surveillance System network. Being a remote site, the support area is huge.

Additionally, as SF-90H, the AFS was headquarters for the 40th Artillery Brigade until June 1971, and the 13th ADA Group from July 1971 to August 1974. Equipment included an AN/TSQ-51 Missile Mentor { August 2007 - probably never had a Missile Master} (replacing the earlier AN/FSG-1 Missile Master installation at the AADCP) and radars FPS-7C (SLBM detection, 14th Missile Warning Squadron, Det 3) (07 May 89). ]
[{Page, T) Oh, please list the radars correctly! SLBM radar: AN/FSS-7 (formerly an AN/FPS-26 AC&W Height-finder radar) AC&W Search radar: AN/FPS-7C (later AN/FPS-107V2) AC&W Height-finder radar: AN/FPS-90. added June 2007, It should also be noted that Mill Valley AFS never hosted a Missile Master facility. ]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image, photo image from radomes.org/museum ]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

SF-91 Angel Island Angel Island web site, Nike page, informal map, IFC is on top of Mt Livermore, Launcher area is near bicycle path on south part of island.
[{Vaughn, T}(See Article) (See Photos)]

C - Mount Caroline Livermore, Angel Island ((P) abandoned/ Angel Island State Park)
TerraServer Image
[{Poskanzer, Jef}, detailed web page, News Article May 2002 "The state of California is spending nearly $300,000 to put the top back on Angel Island. What we're talking about is the 15 feet or so that was sheared from the top of Mount Livermore back in the 1960s to make room for a Nike missile site. The missile site is gone -- it vanished long before the Cold War died -- but it did leave behind a road-scarred flat top of dirt stretching about three- quarters of a football field. ..."
as of August 2002 ... from the perimeter road I could see various concrete pads up there, so it looks like the park folks kept their promise to preserve the pads. ]

L - Fort McDowell, Angel Island ((I) closed/ Angel Island State Park)
[{Poskanzer, Jef}, - August 2002 - The fence is 95% gone, you can just walk right in. Last time I was there, 20 years prior, I had to climb over it. Anyway, I got some great photos: detailed web page ]

SF-93 San Rafael C - top of Bayhills Dr ((P) Harry A. Bargier Memorial Park)
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image Two round ground pads, one square ground pad, and one tower with cyclone fence around the top. Nothing else is left. Tower is a round platform on top a cement column that is about 6 feet less in diameter than the platform. Wonderful view of Mt. Tamalpais! Other flat areas on the road going south must have part of the installation.]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

L - end of Smith Ranch Rd ((P) Marin County waste treatment plant
[{Eric} May 2008 http://www.marinij.com/ci_8609303 "The plan is to put the excavated material in the vaults and just cap them," said Eric McGuire, the water district's environmental services coordinator
[{Anton, K} Launch "pits" used for reservoirs for the waste treatment plant]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image Site sits on top of a small hill next to McInnis Park. To the right of his picture is the sewage treatment plant that uses two of the three magazines for (clean) water storage. The buildings in the center belong to the site. Very intact and converted for some other use.]
Jef Poskanzer's detailed web page

A - ((I) Youth guidance center)

T-10 Elmira C - 3 SE Elmira, Hay Rd ((P) low income housing)
[{Raichle, B} IFC ok, every thing there except radars not there.
[(Murdock, S) GPS 38-19-01, 121-52-22, Topozone
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]

L - 2 S Elmira, Hay & Lewis ((I) private owner)
[{Raichle, B} expensive house next to launchers
[(Murdock, S) GPS 38-19-05, 121-53-39, Topozone
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]

T-33 Vacaville
- Dixon/Lambie 		C Lambie Rd & Goose Haven ((P) Calif. Dept. of Health Services /youth correctional facility)
[{Raichle, B} buildings there - & "Youth Correctional Training Facility"
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image (admin buildings at least. Radar pad locations unknown)
[{Murdock, S} GPS=38-13-09 121-50-49 TerraServer

L - Lambie Rd & Rithell Ln ((O) agricultural) [{Raichle, B} ?fertilizer plant?
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image no sign of site, a few small buildings to the north are oriented in the same 45 degree off North orientation as T-10L & T-86L.]

T-53 Fairfield
- Potrero Hills 		C 2.5 SSW Travis AFB, Explosives Technology Rd ((P) Explosives Technology) OEA Hq
[(Murdock, S) GPS 38-12-35, 121-56-38 ]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]

L - 2.5 S Travis AFB, Explosives Technology Rd ((P) Explosives Technology; one elevator operational)
OEA, Inc bought the site, 2 of the 3 magazines assemble explosive charges for air-bags, fighter ejector seats]
[from Tim Tyler - June 2004 - Company web site]
[(Murdock, S) GPS 38-12-14, 121-56-05 (later Potrero Hills Stor Anx, USAF) , TerraServer , Topozone ]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image

T-86 Fairfield
/Cement Hills 		C - N Fairfield, Cement Hill ((P) private ownership)
[{McNeill, R} (April 2004) To get to the site, you take I-80 to Fairfield (between Vallejo and Vacaville) and follow the signs to Air Base Parkway. You will be heading towards Travis Air Force Base. Turn left on Cement Hill Road. As soon as you make the left turn, pull off to your right. Look up towards the hill and past an old grain silo you will see the command elements. Look to your right and in the distance you will see the other elements. The launcher area is where the yellow school buses are parked. ]
[{Raichle, B} no access, no trespassing
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]

L - N Fairfield, Air Base Parkway ((I) Solano County Detention Center /Solano County Animal Shelter / Suisun Unified School) [{Raichle, B} bus parking lot, Nike Administrative Area buildings intact, poor repair]
[{Snowberg, P} TerraServer Image ]

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ColoradoSprings
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Designation General Location Detailed Location (Current Status)
. Colorado Springs,
Colorado
[{Davidson, Marian} Colorado Springs was the headquarters for US ARADCOM and was on ENT Air Force Base. ENT is now an Olympic Training Center. Many of the US ARADCOM buildings still exist, but the HQ building has been demolished. The streets surrounding Ent are Boulder Ave., N. Meade, E. Monument and Union Blvd.
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Connecticut
Bridgeport -
BR-04 Ansonia
BR-15 West Haven
BR-17 Milford
BR-65 Fairfield
BR-73 Westport
BR-94 Monroe 		Hartford -
HA-08 East Windsor /Warehouse Point
HA-25 Manchester
HA-36 Portland
HA-48 Cromwell
HA-HQ New Britain
HA-67 Plainville
HA-85 Avon/Simsbury
Designation General Location Detailed Location (Current Status)
. . Click for updated TerraServer links
US Army Corps of Engineer Report
BR-04 Ansonia Photos Active Army 1963-1964, National Guard, Main Site (new URL) - by Anthony D'Amato
C - Airport, N of Ford ((I)US Forest Service Insect & Disease Lab)
[{Murdock, S} GPS=41-20-24 73-02-42 TerraServer ]

L - Osborne Ln & Deerfield ((P) Copper Ridge Farm; private owner)
[{Make, B} converted for horse farm use and up for sale. Most buildings still there, launch magazines filled. Horses occupy the Assembly building : ) also this is the only site in CT that I have seen a bunker in. At first I thought it was a farm add-on, but it poured 2 foot thick walls and a L-turned doorway, with steel door gave it away. I wish I had plans for it or could have gotten inside : )]
[{Murdock, S} GPS=41-21-02 73-02-57 TerraServer ]

BR-15 West Haven C - US 1, March Hill ((P) Orange ANGS; CTANG 103d ACS
[{Murdock, S}GPS=41-16-05, 72-59-31, (later known as Orange ANGS, USAF): TerraServer]
[{Bender, D} The partially intact IFC Area is used by the CTANG as an Aircraft Control & Warning site. In place of the Nike Ajax acquisition radar, a modern 3-dimensional TPS-75 radar is now in use here. An Operations Module, the modern equivalent of a Nike control trailer, is attached to the original Nike system Interconnecting Corridor. The Administrative Area also remains largely intact at this site. ]

L - Bull Hill Ln ((P) Town of West Haven Park & Rec Dept; Nike Site Park
[{Murdock, S}GPS=41-16-19, 72-58-45, TerraServer]

BR-17 Milford Eels Hill Rd, N of Rt 162 ((P)Town of Milford Board of Education
[{Murdock, S}GPS= 41-13-43 73-00-57, TerraServer]

L - Rock Rd near Quirk ((O) industrial park)
[{Murdock, S}GPS= 41-14-23 73-00-16, TerraServer]

BR-65 Fairfield C - One Rod Hwy, off Reef (Town of Fairfield; fire training and canine center
[{Murdock, S} GPS=41-07-43 73-15-01 TerraServer ]

L - Old Dam Rd, off Pine Creek (South Pine Creek Park)
[{Murdock, S} GPS=41-07-29 73-15-49 TerraServer ]

A - [{Miner, M} The motivation for the article is that the housing area which after the army used it during the NIKE days, the Navy bought and military personal from various services, mostly recruiters have been living there since the late 1980s. The Navy is selling it and the town will close on the sale soon. The houses will be sold for low cost housing. ]

BR-73 Westport C -Bayberry Lane at Merritt Pkwy (... Westport/Weston Health District; Bayberry Spec Ed Center
[{Ojarovsky, J} The buildings at the top of the mountain (3-acres) are leased from the town by the Westport Astronomical Society, a local astronomy club. The remaining buildings at the top of the site have been restored and are used by us as a (1) classroom, (2) office/library, and (3) one of the remaining two 40-ft radar towers is equipped with an observatory dome and a 12.5" reflecting telescope. ... The site is one of the highest and darkest sites within the Town and Westport, and really makes good use of the former radar site. We are on the Web at WWW.WAS.VISIONNET.COM. For recorded info/message, please contact us at 203-227-0925. ]
[{Murdock, S} GPS=41-10-16 73-19-42 TerraServer ]

L - 85 North Ave (Firefighter training center)
School Expansion
[{Ojarovsky, J} As of 11/99, construction crews were in the process of demolishing the entire above ground buildings to make room for the expansion of the public Staples High School. ]
[{Murdock, S} GPS=41-09-34 73-19-52 TerraServer ]

BR-94 Monroe C - Eagle Dr extension (US Gov; storage and maint support for Ft Devens)
[{Murdock, S} GPS=41-19-40 73-11-01 TerraServer ]

L -
[{Murdock, S} GPS=41-18-28 73-10-21 TerraServer ]

Housing -
[{Murdock, S} GPS=41-19-30 73-10-56 TerraServer ]

HA-08 East Windsor
/Warehouse Point 		C - Scantic Rd (US Government)
[(Murdock, S) GPS 41-52-13, 72-35-39, TerraServer ]

L - Phelps Rd (USAR Center)
[(Murdock, S) GPS 41-53-27, 72-36-13, TerraServer ]

HA-25 Manchester Annotated topo map from John McGrath, 140 K bytes. (Temporarily here until someone (not me) more completely documents site HA-25)

C - 110 Garden Grove Rd (Town of Manchester, Recreation Center)
Terraserver of 110 Garden Grove & Hercules Drive, seems 41N 45' 06", 72W 32' 06". The top of the hill seems about 200 yards SE. (A nice place for radar, but I can't see anything in the image)

L - Line St (Hartford Electric Light Company)
TerraServer of Line St. - E-W road at about 41N 44' 24", Hartford Electric yard seems to be about 41N 44' 19", 72W 30' 58"

[{McDonald, M} ... when I saw a sign for a daycare called Nike Tykes I drove up this residential street to find the Nike Site Recreation Area. ... I also believe we found the housing area - Faith Circle (Rainbow Condominiums) built in 1958. Located on the other end of Hercules Road - road closed long ago and blocked by a guardrail and fallen trees. ]
[{Purcell, A} Jan 2004 - ... my school (Loomis Chaffee in Windsor) has a riflery team that I am a part of. We shoot at a range operated by Metropolitan Shooters on the Nike housing site in Manchester. (Our range is a few buildings over from Nike Tykes). ]

HA-36 Portland [{Bender, D} article in Hartford Courant by Peter Marteka, Feb or Mar '98]
C - Reeves Rd (Meshomasic State Forest)

L - Clark Hill Rd (abandoned)

HA-48 Cromwell C - County Squire Rd (Ronccelli Christ Church; housing for the elderly)


[{Polmon, D} (Feb 2003) ... most, if not all, of the buildings of HA-48 are still there! They are overgrown to the point of almost not being able to access them, which probably helps in their continued existence.

They are cement-block shells, with all the glass gone, toilets smashed, most of the electrical wiring stripped out, some holes in the roofs, but still there. When I say overgrown, there is, at most, a 3-foot path through the brush where the asphalt driveways are -- some are completely covered over.
At one point, we were ten feet from a building, and the only way you could tell it was there was to see the roofline!
The flagpole still stands, as it does at the Portland (HA-36) site.
In speaking with teams that were assigned other areas of the search, one handler said that he saw as many as 12 "platforms" or "towers". When I asked him for a better description, he gave me a description of radar platforms similar to the photos of SF-88 on the website.
Most of the perimeter is surrounded by condo complexes, which makes the site's continued existence even more astounding. I spoke to one of the young cops who went out with us and had grown up in the area, and he can remember troops being there.
... My team personally searched at least 6 or 7 buildings -- some that were obviously offices, others that had the electrical trenches in the floors for equipment wiring, and at least one that would have been the generator building. One cop pointed out that they even had a jail -- until I broke his bubble and told him that the room with the bars on the window and door were to probably keep people OUT, not IN! I assumed it was a storage room for classified documents or weapons. (My Army experience was crypto, not radar, but classified is classified!)
It is amazing to me how quickly nature reclaims abandoned areas. There was a huge pine tree in front of one of the buildings -- probably 30 feet high, over a foot in diameter at the trunk -- that was probably mere landscaping when the troops were there -- intensionally planted! ]

L - Middletown, Mile Ln (USAR center)
[{MacDonald, John} (Oct 2003) This area is north/west of the USAR Center on Mile Lane in Middletown,Ct. where the launching site is listed to be located. I found numerous flat concrete slabs and what appeared to be a structure large enough to back two trucks into. Very heavy vegetation and brush in this area (thorn bushes). The area that I hiked in is off of Middle Street in the Cromwell/Middletown area. I there any other info about the Nike site in Cromwell,Ct?. Was I at the IFC site for HA -48 ? .No signs of solid structures except the "two truck garage" looking structure. Lots of concrete slabs and concrete chunks,metal piping,two inch black plastic piping,etc.Also signs of brick and a "willow" tree in the middle of all of this near one of the foundations.A response would be appreciated.

HA-HQ New Britain Rocky Hill Road
HA-67 Plainville C - N Mountain, off Loon Lake ((O) residential)
[{Allen, Ron} (January 2006) On top of the hill was the IFC site, it consisted of a generator building the IFC building with the two trailers and the three radars. ]
[{Samek, R} The site is actually on the small mountain, with housing at the base of the mountain. I got there by driving up Metacomet Road and then I saw a path through the woods that led to the mountain. A couple of dirt bikers told me the site was up the mountain, maybe a 15-minute walk, which was just about right. Judging from my examination of the site, it appears the main road to the Nike site came from the opposite side. I remember as a child seeing a U.S. Army sign on the main road, that probably was the entrance to the site. But that road (and sign) is long gone and the access from the original road is probably eaten away by a quarry operation.

L -Hyde Rd off Scott Swamp (Stanley Works, Magic Door Division)

A - [{Allen, Ron} (January 2006)There were two administrative areas, one was for HHB 1st Msl. Bn, 51st arty. It consisted of a barracks, shop building and an administrative building with various offices.

There was also a battery admin area, a barracks, admin. building with offices, supply room, day room with PX and motor pool office. A mess hall served the IFC area, the Launcher area and the Battalion Headquarters and Headquarters Battery. ]
[{Becker, Z} (November 2002) My friends and I would play paintball there as a kid. Its pretty much obliterated now. Lots of concrete buildings caved in...rubble, etc. You can still make out the parking lot with CO/CO.First Sergeant etc. That's all that remains. ]
HA-85 Avon/Simsbury C - 824 Montivideo Dr. (Talcott Mountain Science Center)
[{Pellino, J} (June 2006) Glad to say the site is fully operation - as a science center for teachers and students! Talcott Mountain Science Center All but two of the original buildings are refitted and in daily use as the facilities. The guard shack still stands intact (we keep the road sand and snow shovels in there) The radar pads now support a sundial and astronomical observatories. I'm working on a visual and text history of the use of the site, but for now our site has some photos where you can see what we've done. -- John A. Pellino, Assistant Director, Talcott Mountain Science Center ]

L - Hilltop Dr (RWR Associates/Tower View Condominiums)

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Updated June, 2008