Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Air Raid Warning

In case of attack ... kiss your ass good-bye.
Uh, maybe don't expect to be warned.
These were tested at 1000 the last Friday of each mo. until some time in the '80s. First time we heard the test (1973) we were more than a little nervous, but as no one else was running for the shelters we figured it was a test & relaxed.
Siren #29, if you give a crap.
Radio. Text & pix.

7 comments:

mikey said...

I grew up about a kilometer from Hamilton AFB, a major TAC Interceptor base that flew F102s and F106s northwest over the pacific. The plan, believe it or not, was to use one megaton air-to-air missiles against Soviet bomber formations. Can't imagine what could go wrong with THAT plan.

But we all knew, from about second grade, that if the balloon went up, we'd be vaporized in the high-yield weapons that would be targeted on HAFB. So, in an odd nihilistic fatalism, we mostly didn't give a shit...

M. Bouffant said...

Long Ago Editor:
Used to drive by Hamilton on the 101. Always excited to see aviation happening on the runway.

mikey said...

A persistent story is that they managed to lose an air-to-air nuke in the course of their lifespan. The airbase DOES in fact butt up against the bay, and could have seen a poorly documented bunker swamped by rising waters.

One of the things I'll never forget is the sound of automatic weapons on the night range when I was snug abed. I thought, even at the time, I want to do that...

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

It's O.K., droney's got it all under control.
~

Weird Dave said...

Bombs away

via

M. Bouffant said...

Explosive Editor:
Where the squids keep their nukes, right down the 405. One of these days ...

Glennis said...

We have one of these on a pole here at the corner of Sunset Blvd and PCH. Also dead as a doornail.