Hi there folks in Alaska or ????????

[starlite9]

I would figure you didn't remember Clear AFB, you were almost gone by the time it went online in 1959. But it was/has turned into kind of a Keystone in the early warning system.

The abandon early warning site are all over Alaska in various stages of removal or decay. There is one long empty of people at Point Lonely on the beach of the Arctic Ocean. We would drop off Bioligist there now and then by boat (100 miles west of Prudhoe Bay) to do their studies, and they would encounter Polar Bears with regular frequency, most of which had bright orange heads from being sprayed by the Biologist and their cases of bear spray they took out.

The place looks remarkably still intact since being abandon years ago, but is slated to be taken apart and removed. I got phots of it, will post them in a bit.

[dicklaxt]

I was back there in 60 & 61 but don't recall Clear AFB but it surely must have been there or were you staying drunk all those years to keep warm.LOL I just don't remember,maybe I was drunk LOL

If I remember correctly there wer 26 total installations both AC & W and DEWL there were also many coastal GOC (ground observer corp).These stations were manned by civillains and were called out when radars picked up some low level targets that had to be tracked visually when they got further away from the radar.I have a good story about one of those stations.

One of the radar stations had picked up a very fast moving target that was thought to have disaapeared below the radar as it looked to be behaving rather evasive.Fighters were scambled out of Anchorage and the ground observer was called out.They reported a large glowing object houvering over the bay and it took off and disappeared into the night when the fighters approached but the fighters pilots claimed they never saw it.Radar had it estimated at 3000mph,Figure that one out,,,,,,,,,,,,,It may have been experimental US or Rusian owned,We will never know the answer to that one.

dick

[dicklaxt]

Hey keyman 51,,,,,,,the link you posted earlier did bring up some positive results ,check into that link and see what traspired and read another story of two.Look for "50 years" in the title.

thanks again dick

[keyman51]

Yes, we have found you on the message board. Sounds like you had an interesting time. The Tatalina site now has about 8 people that are there for 18 months at a time. Glad you got to talk with people from that era.

[ShipOfFools42]

Well by god this is about the best thread we've had here in I don't know how long.

Dick, sir, thank you so very much for your efforts on behalf of our country, and also for coming and brightening up this message board so drastically. It's a real pleasure. The fella that owns the land I live on was in the Canadian Air Force during WWII; different time, obviously, but he has some great stories as well, both military and civilian. This is like the virtual version of sitting around in the shop down at the bottom of the mountain and talking, but mostly listening, with my Canadian friend. I just enjoy listening to people who have lived so much, so thanks again. Also, very glad you got to reconnect with some folks.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by dicklaxt

I was back there in 60 & 61 but don't recall Clear AFB but it surely must have been there or were you staying drunk all those years to keep warm.LOL I just don't remember,maybe I was drunk LOL

Well clear for a long time was a top Secret Base, there was massive security on and around it. So maybe it wasn't a published location back them?

[dicklaxt]

I did make contact with a man from McGrath who at that time 1956 was a little boy living in Takotna.He remembers a lot of the old stories and happenings at the radar site in later years and also cleared me up on some of the stories I told ,Pumpkin was really named Puddin,she was his sister,She is no longer living.

He told me of things that were at the radar site in ensuing years ,such as bowling.ski /sled tow.friday night Bingo and dance etc we didn't have any of those luxuries,that placed turned into a regular Country Club after I left,,,story of my life.LOL.

dick

[dicklaxt]

We received word thet the IG (Inspector General,General Bennett was his name) was coming for a surprize site inspection.The C.O.told everyone to get the lead out and lets get this place cleaned up.

To make a long story short we passed with flying colors,now as the story goes there were 7 of us who were due to rotate to the State's from the 19th to the 27th of Dec.These rotation dates would not allow us to get home by Christmas.The IG being in a good mood and our old man as well, we asked the C.O. to ask the IG if we could get out early.He must have had a bit of pull because we had a C-47 divert into our site about 6 hours later to pick us up.It was close being ready but we made it.When we got back to the main base and started the paperwork of clearing the base,we were denied the time of day because we were nearly two weeks early based on our rotation dates.One of our bunch an Airmen Second Class approached one of the SSGT'S in the processing center and said we are "Benny's Boy's",he asked if we were the guys from Tatalina AFS that the IG said could go early,just a head nod was all it took and we were just about hand carried on our way thru the paper work.

The Military Air Transport planes to the State's were all booked but we were given the option of flying commercial if we wanted to pay our own way.I managed to get on a cargo hauler flight from Fairbanks to Seattle.I sat on a large truck tire all the way.I did make it home on the 24th of Dec.

dick

[rwjoyak]

Dick, you might want to check out Online Air Defense Radar Museum, a website dedicated to all the radar sites, in Alaska and elsewhere. Too much info on the website to describe it all, but exploring it might rekindle some memories. Also might be a good place to try to contact other AF personnel from your time up there.

Here's one page I found on the site that contains pictures of Tatalina - http://www.radomes.org/museum/thumbs...talina+AFS,+AK.

Rich