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Does anyone know about the explosion that happened on November 13, 1963. The US Atomic Energy Commission operated a facility at Medina Base, now Lackland Training Annex, where obsolete nuclear weapons were disassembled. An explosion in storage igloo #572 at the site involved 123,000 lb of high explosive components causing minor injuries to three employees. Low levels of radioactive contamination from nuclear components stored in another part of the structure was detected. The blast broke windows for miles around the blast site. The whole event was eclipsed 9 days later by the assination of Kennedy in Dallas.
Yes, I recall when this happened and read quite a bit about it a while back. It's very interesting !! I remember the explosion and days later standing on Military Drive to see President Kennedy!! Kennedy's motorcade went from Kelly AFB down Military drive to Brooks Field. I was standing on the north side of Military Drive between S. Flores and Roosevelt! The motorcade went past us going east towards Brooks field!! President Kennedy had a speech for the new Aerospace Medical Center opening. I've been on Medina base and all around it on the outside . Always wondered if the truth has ever been told!! Medina Base was definitely a nuclear weapons Depot at the time!! Believe the Del Rio Base was used for dismantling nukes later on!!
Location: I live south of San Antonio in a place called Atascosa.
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I might have told my Medina Base story earlier in this thread but here it is again. I was 11 years old when this happened. I was sitting in my schoolroom at St. Gregory's when something rattled the windows. We were told it was an accident on the base. St Gregory's is a long way from Medina Base. Years later (when I was all growed up) I met I guy who was training for the president coming to San Antonio. He was going to be in the security force. The explosion made everyone think that it was an assasination attempt gone wrong. Everyone was on top security but Kennedy went through San Antonio without a hitch. I don't think the explosion had anything to do with Kennedy being in San Antonio but it sure did make everyone alert to the possibility! If I remember right the explosion happened on a Tuesday, Kennedy was here on Wednesday and Killed on Thursday. My parent's took me and my sister to stay with my grandparent's on friday --the tapes of the assasination being shown over and over on TV even though you couldn't see anything. My dad picked us up Saturday night and when we woke up Sunday morning Oswald had been shot by Jack Ruby. They showed the film of him getting shot over and over but I couldn't see anything. I remember these three things very vividly in my mind but I remember them happening way far apart. Not in the same week. It took me years to connect them and even now I could be wrong.
I believe that Cowboys was originally known as Far West Rodeo.
Thanks Hammerhead1 for responding but that wasn't the name and to narrow down the timeframe of when I visited the club, it was back sometime between 1981-1984(?). One of the best clubs I've been to back then in SA. Now I live in Houston and went to some clubs here with the same atmosphere that reminded me of that club. Anyone remember what it might be please respond? Just love strolling down memory lane!
To Dwangle and others regarding the Medina Base affair. I was a 17 year old freshman at SAC and certainly recall seeing the large dust cloud thrown up by the explosion off in the western sky as everyone assumed that Medina Base had indeed blown. It was momentarily scary because of the assumed possibility of nuclear contamination but the media put a lid on that early on as much as was possible. And as you rightly said, it was a mere 10 days later when everyone quickly thot of nothing else but the death of JFK. At SAC on that day most people stood around in a daze since he had been in SA just the day before. Lots of girls crying, guys moping around, classes were cancelled and everyone just drifted away, went home, got drunk, or otherwise tried to cope. Most of us sat in front of a TV or radio for next few days trying to sort out the freaky events, disturbing images, and scarier possibilities. Every Nov. about that time I still find myself replaying it all over again, watching the documentaries and interviews, etc. because it is still an unhealed wound. Meanwhile, Medina Annex is still out there but is far less threatening now as home to USAF Security Center and the Frank Tejeda Estates which is air force non-com housing.
To Dwangle and others regarding the Medina Base affair. I was a 17 year old freshman at SAC and certainly recall seeing the large dust cloud thrown up by the explosion off in the western sky as everyone assumed that Medina Base had indeed blown. It was momentarily scary because of the assumed possibility of nuclear contamination but the media put a lid on that early on as much as was possible. And as you rightly said, it was a mere 10 days later when everyone quickly thot of nothing else but the death of JFK. At SAC on that day most people stood around in a daze since he had been in SA just the day before. Lots of girls crying, guys moping around, classes were cancelled and everyone just drifted away, went home, got drunk, or otherwise tried to cope. Most of us sat in front of a TV or radio for next few days trying to sort out the freaky events, disturbing images, and scarier possibilities. Every Nov. about that time I still find myself replaying it all over again, watching the documentaries and interviews, etc. because it is still an unhealed wound. Meanwhile, Medina Annex is still out there but is far less threatening now as home to USAF Security Center and the Frank Tejeda Estates which is air force non-com housing.
I don't remember the explosion as I was on the north side of town. Hormones rendered me oblivious to most everything except the girl behind me in Biology class. Had I been in earshot or seismic range of the blast, I probably would've freaked. I wasn't paranoid, paranoia is an unreasonable fear. Having spent more than half my lifetime ducking and covering, my fear was reasonable.
ICBM's were first deployed only four years earlier. Most of elementary school was spent ducking and covering. Either under our wholly inadequate desks, or for special occasions, like tornados, in the hallway, away from the windows. I remember in 5th grade buying a thick Dell paperback on Civil Defense, red cover, thick, 95¢. The maps showed San Antonio as a high priority target; what with the air bases all around and Fort Sam in the middle. I don't recall how many megatons SA was predicted to receive, I'm sure it was sufficient to reactivate the Balcones Fault.
The only way to run was due west, but the maps also showed fall-out covering the entire state (excepting the Davis Mountains) within a week. Several neighbors on our block were building or installing bomb shelters. I asked my Dad why we didn't build a shelter. "No point, there won't be anything left here."
Powers' U2 was shot down in May, 1960. Two years later in October, we were joking in the cafeteria about eating a big meal, "it might be your last". A front came through, the clouds were roiling low, the sky was dark. Junior High was released at noon, because, officially, it was thought we should be with our families during the national emergency. The unspoken reality was that no one knew if there would be a tomorrow.
(My neighbor's older brother was a Marine, participating in "exercises" off Cuba, awaiting invasion orders...Our "intelligence" services didn't know there were 45,000 Soviet troops on Cuba.)
Thirteen months after those 13 days, I saw JFK drive by. And the next day heard the first report on the car radio returning from lunch. There was a literal wave of disbelief crashing through the halls. And then the shell-shocked, tearful television vigil. The world leaders walking behind the caisson.
His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie I, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, King of Kings of Ethiopia and Elect of God (height 5'4"), walking side by side with God, Charles De Gaulle (height 6'4"). Watching them, you could tell, in their hearts, they were both 6'4".
Wally and the Beaver never had to deal with this. Sputnik and the Beaver were launched the same day.
I might have told my Medina Base story earlier in this thread but here it is again. I was 11 years old when this happened. I was sitting in my schoolroom at St. Gregory's when something rattled the windows. We were told it was an accident on the base. St Gregory's is a long way from Medina Base. Years later (when I was all growed up) I met I guy who was training for the president coming to San Antonio. He was going to be in the security force. The explosion made everyone think that it was an assasination attempt gone wrong. Everyone was on top security but Kennedy went through San Antonio without a hitch. I don't think the explosion had anything to do with Kennedy being in San Antonio but it sure did make everyone alert to the possibility! If I remember right the explosion happened on a Tuesday, Kennedy was here on Wednesday and Killed on Thursday. My parent's took me and my sister to stay with my grandparent's on friday --the tapes of the assasination being shown over and over on TV even though you couldn't see anything. My dad picked us up Saturday night and when we woke up Sunday morning Oswald had been shot by Jack Ruby. They showed the film of him getting shot over and over but I couldn't see anything. I remember these three things very vividly in my mind but I remember them happening way far apart. Not in the same week. It took me years to connect them and even now I could be wrong.
President Kennedy came to SA on Thursday, November 21, 1963. Kennedy then went on to Dallas, Friday November 22, 1963. Those of us that were in San Antonio, saw him before that fateful day.
I was in the 4th grade at St. Michael's Academy. The Sisters of Divine Providence took the student body to Broadway street across from the San Antonio Light Newspaper building, to see the President.
As President & Mrs. Kennedy drove by in the black limousine, we were in awe. President Kennedy's hair was glowing in the sun, he had a golden tan, Jackie looked like a queen. Camelot had come alive!
We were so proud he was our president.
Everyone knows what happened the next day. School let out early. As I took the Nolan bus, downtown was like a mortuary. People in the streets were crying.
That weekend we were all glued to our tv sets. Watching live b&w television and the events that happened in Dallas were unbelieveable.
I do recall something of an explosion before the President came to San Antonio. My Mom worked at Casa Ernesto a clothing outlet store downtown, where the former Buckhorn Saloon was, at the corner of Houstion & Flores. The owner of the store, Ernest Hoenig, had several broken plate glass windows replaced free because of the explosion.
Last edited by Nix54; 03-13-2009 at 09:19 AM..
Reason: correction
On the subject of mansions. There is the park next to the Southwestern Bell/ AT&T building on Hildebrand...Right across from Incarned Word, there are some stairs and a headless angel statue. I heard there was a mansion there in the 1920's...owned by a wealthy doctor. His child was kidnapped for ranson.....it was botched and the child was found decapitated. He commissioned the statue to be made in memory of his child. Can anyone verify that?
About ten-years ago I worked with a man who told me he was military and was there at Medina Base when the explosion occurred. He was in one of the "igloos" nearby when it happened and had to close some giant blast-door before all hell broke loose.
His story was like this: Some workers were using a spider-like tractor lift to move explosive material around when something got dropped or bumped thus igniting things. The men got scared and ran for cover. Seeing what happened, my co-worker reacted fast and had just enough time to close the blast-door of the shelter he was in. After the blast, one of the tractor wheels was found miles away.
When I first heard this I was kinda skeptical, but I just read the Broken Arrow-Declassified story link posted above. Their version corresponds fairly similar to the story my co-worker told.
I was 5 during 63 and I have a great pic of my mom clapping her hands at the motorcade, just in front of a photograhy studio on Broadway near Sunset. I will try to have my friend post it.
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Name of club at 410 at Perrin-Beitel
. One of the best clubs I've been to back then in SA. Now I live in Houston and went to some clubs here with the same atmosphere that reminded me of that club. Anyone remember what it might be please respond? Just love strolling down memory lane! 
