Get your own Free Home Page'50s era newspaper articles about Northwest Indiana Nike Missile Sites
News articles contributed by Peter Youngman, youngmanpe@yahoo.com
Chesterton Tribune, Thursday, 17 March, 1955
Ready To Fire Guided Missiles
Three area nike installations are now capable of firing deadly guided missiles in case of enemy attack over the Calumet region, according to the U. S. Army.
The installations are part of the 79th AAA Missile battalion headquarters which are at Gary airport.
Porter county's nike site is located on the lakefront east of Ogden Dunes; Lake county has one at the airport, and the second is at 25th and Chase in Gary.
The nikes are maintained on a 24-hour schedule and can go into action at a moment's notice.
Each of the three sites has complex radar tracking equipment as well as launching platforms from which the guided missiles will take off.
Lt. Col. David Gauvreau, commander, points out the sites have been designed and built with the safety of personnel and everyone else in the area in mind.
"The launching facilities themselves have been placed maximum distances from residential areas, inhabited buildings, and public thoroughfares," Gauvreau said.
All missiles and explosives are stored underground and fueling operations performed behind earthen revetments.
The battalion has a payroll of approximately $100,000 a month, most of which will be spent locally.
Gauvreau said present security classification of the equipment at the nike sites rules out an "open house" which would allow the public in to inspect the bases.
"It is hoped that in the future these restrictions may be eased and an open house of the area may be authorized," he said.
Permanent-type barracks have been built for personnel at the airport site and those stationed in the Glen Park site. Personnel at the nike installation in Ogden Dunes, however, are still housed in temporary barracks.
Each of the installations in the city cost an estimated $1,500,000.
Before manning the nike bases here, the 79th Battalion was stationed at anti-aircraft emplacements along the Chicago lakefront.
Valparaiso Vidette-Messenger, Saturday, 24 September, 1955
Nike Base In North County To Be Made
Permanent Site
The Ogden Dunes Nike launching station in northwest Porter county, acquired by the Army Corps of Engineers in June, 1954, will be developed into a permanent $1,000,000 guided missile installation, Gary sources have announced.
Developed will be the current Nike set-up, located in Porter county on a 40-acre tract east of Ogden Dunes. Sealed bids will be opened in Chicago, on Oct. 18, it was announced.
The Porter unit will be a component of the 9th AAA guided missile battalion.
Acquisition of the Ogden Dunes site as a Nike launching station was made for the protection of the Gary industrial district from future attack from enemy bombers.
The site is located east of the Gary Boat club in a dune and wooded area at the southern end of Lake Michigan. The permanent site is to be built a few hundred feet west of the temporary location, it was pointed out. The launching station will be re-located at Homewood, Ill., it was stated.
The project will consist of three underground storage structures for the missiles, plus nine buildings, including mess halls, barracks and administrative offices. Other structures will be built for generators, inter-connecting corridors, general purpose recreation, storage and other smaller buildings, the report stated.
Lt. Col. David Gravereau, commander of the 79th, will continue to command the new base, it was announced.
Chesterton Tribune, Thursday, 29 September, 1955
County Nike Site To Be Permanent
The nike launching station in Porter county acquired by the U. S. Army Engineers will be developed into a permanent installation at cost of $1,000,000.
Sealed bids will be opened in Chicago Oct. 18. The unit is located on a 40 acre tract east of the Gary Boat club and near Ogden Dunes on a dune, and in a wooded area. It will serve to protect the Gary industrial district from possible bombing attack.
The project will consist of three underground storage structures for missiles; nine buildings, including mess halls, barracks, and administration offices, recreation, generators, storage, and smaller buildings. Lt. Col. David Gravereau will continue in command of the new base, which will be part of the 9th AAA Guided Missile Battalion.
Valparaiso Vidette-Messenger, Friday, 28 September, 1956
Work On New Nike Site At Porter Is To
Begin Monday
PORTER--Work will begin Monday on another Nike guided missile installation in Porter county.
The new installation will be about 1-1/2 miles north of Porter, between routes 12 and 20.
Installation costs have been estimated at $1,000,000.
Gust Lindgreen of LaPorte, assistant superintendent for the Bregman Construction corporation, New York, said that earth-moving operations are scheduled to begin Monday.
The Nike installation will be similar to the project near Wheeler.
Work on the $1,000,000 Wheeler installation, being done by Mayfair Construction company, Chicago, is about 75 percent complete, a company spokesman said today. This is expected to be finished by about Christmas.
Year To Complete
The housing site of the Porter installation will be near Mineral Springs road, west of the missile launching area.
The project will be completed in about a year, a construction company spokesman said.
The Wheeler and Porter installations will be manned by crews of about 120 men each.
Thus the combined estimated costs are $2 million. A total of 240 men are expected to man the two installations.
The county's first Nike site was near Ogden Dunes but this installation was withdrawn for undisclosed reasons.
Last Update: April 4, 1998
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