You are here

Echoes of the Cold War in the Tropical Warmth of Everglades National Park

Share
Former missle base in Everglades NP.

The Nike Hercules site from an earlier era. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

For most people, the name Everglades National Park conjures up a variety of mental images: alligators, birds and other wildlife; tropical swamps and a "River of Grass;" mosquitoes and hurricanes. The Everglades may not immediately bring to mind a historical site from the Cold War, but that's the latest visitor attraction at the Florida park.

In October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union perilously close to war, and in the midst of the Cold War, security against a possible Soviet attack was a national priority in this country.

In response to those concerns, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed four Nike Hercules missile bases in South Florida: one in north Key Largo (now Key Largo Hammocks State Park), one in Miramar (now the site of a Publix shopping center), one that is now the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Krome Detention Center—and one in Everglades National Park.

Military use of the Everglades site ended in 1979 and the facility was turned over to the NPS. The park announced this week that the area will now be open to the public for guided tours.

A park press release notes:

This significant historical site is physically the best overall example of the nation’s missile defense system close to Cuba and remains virtually the same as it was when official use of the site was terminated in 1979.

The base was listed on the U. S. Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places on July 27, 2004, as a historic district. The area includes 22 contributing buildings and structures associated with events that have made a significant contribution to American history and embodies distinctive characteristics of the period.

Among the structures that are part of the tour are three missile barns built to contain 41-foot missiles (some with nuclear warheads), a missile assembly building, a guard dog kennel, barracks, and control centers within berms that served as blast protection.

The interpretive tours will be held every Saturday at 2:00 p.m. through March 28th. The tours are free, but park entrance fees apply. To join a tour, reserve a space by signing up at the park's Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, or by calling 305-242-7700. Reservations will be taken up to 30 minutes before each tour.

The Ernest Coe Visitor Center is located 9 miles southwest of Homestead, Florida on State Road 9336. Tours will be by car caravan. Participants must arrive in the park by 1:30 p.m. and be prepared to drive 14 miles round trip from the visitor center.

In addition to a glimpse into the not-so-distant past, this tour also offers a chance to explore the dilemma facing the NPS when it inherits such facilities. I'd be willing to bet that during the three decades since the missile site was handed over to the park, there's been some lively debate about what to do with it.

One option would be to remove it and restore the site to natural conditions. That would have been a logical choice for a modern intrusion in a park, but it would have an expensive one, requiring funds that were almost certainly not available unless they were diverted from other needs.

Option two: The buildings could have been converted to some use by the park. Was there a need—and what about funds to pay for recurring costs for utilities and upkeep?

A third option would be to view the facility as a relic of an important era in our history, the Cold War, and preserve it for its historical value. That decision would also carry its own set of costs to maintain the facility in a safe and usable condition—no small feat in the subtropical climate of the Everglades.

The question of the site's value as a historical resource can fuel a lively debate of its own. For most Americans younger than the Boomer generation, the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis are simply terms in a history book. Can this place serve a useful function by helping current and future generations gain a better understanding of that part of our nation's history? That would be a challenging but probably appropriate theme for an interpretive tour of the facility.

Since the decision was made in 2004 to list this site on the National Register of Historic Places, it's unlikely that it will be removed. That being the case, it seems reasonable to open it for some type of visitor use. It will be interesting to see the public's response to the upcoming tours.

Perhaps these programs will offer one answer to the question of what to do with similar facilities which have come to the end of their original purpose: If you save it, will they come?

Comments

George -

Thanks very much for the first-hand report about the tour.

Sounds like the park may have hit upon something of interest to the public, and it's good to know the interpreter did a fine job.


Hi Kurt,
I read your comment and just have few bits of info you may not realize.The site isnt just an empty shell sitting there it is a working national Park service facility that does research for the Everglades.It is fully staffed and allows a place for College students to come and visit and do scientific type research.It is a well maintained facilty where the radars were located with people coming back and forth to work every day.It gave them operable buildings that were already in place.Down range where the missiles were is kept up fairly well but there is nothing there but missile barns and a few out buildings.Im not sure what you meant by a footprint but since it was a solid fuels missile there is no waste left around that could harm the environment.I personally think this is worth preserving since within 200 miles from here their are people that were living in Cuba that lived thru the missile crisis form Cuba.Its just a piece of history that I honestly think is as interesting as seeing the cabin Lincoln lived in or visiting a civil war cemetary.


Kurt,

The Nike Hercules missile site in Everglades National Park (A Battery 2nd Missile Battalion 52nd Air Defense Artillery) was placed on the National Register of Historic Places July 2006. The complex of 22 exisiting buildings were evaluated and considered worthy due to the historical military significance and cultural impact on America.

Although several hundred Nike sites were strategically located to surround and defend America's metroploitan cities and industrial complexes in the fifties and sixties, this Cold War missile site is more associated with events, activities, and developments that were the more important than any other in the history of America--the nearness on nuclear annhialiation of mankind? Many of the Nike Hercules in south Florida were loaded with nuclear warheads capable of knocking out an entire fleet of bombers or missiles.

Even after all the other missiles sites in North America were dismantled by 1974, only Alsaka (due to it's nearness to Russia) and the south Florida Nike sites remained until 1979 to provide a coastal defense system to the extreme norther and southern hemisphere.

This missile site and the seven others in South Florida (3 Nike and 4 HAWK sites) were the only missile sites awarded the Presidential Unit Citation by President Kennedy for the deterance they served in the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy stated he believed the presence of the missiles in south Florida with the capability to intercept Russian missiles served such a deterant that it caused the Russian Premier to change his mind about attack. President Kennedy mad his remarks at the presentation to the troops at Homestead AFB on November 26, 1962.

I hope you will reconsider your position and visit the place we referred to as "Ground Zero" during the Cold War. Our location was to be a target of a Russian missile.

I have been asked many times to give talks to high school history classes in Miami, I am amazed at the interest by high school seniors in this time in history. Each talk is followed by a tour of the missile base. Let's don't take this away from the future generation.

I proudly served my country during the Ciban Missile Crisis. Helping to interpret our nation's history is how I continue to serve my country and my community.

Charles


any one know anything about the old nike site located right about honey hill road and flamingo road on dade broward line?ive been out there before it was fenced off again and its as cool as it gets guard gates launcher magazines storage buildings underground tunnels even guard dog kennels.one of what i think is a bunk house has a old painting of a nike missle on it. would like to hear more on this one.


I was a HAWK missile battery commander of Btry A, 3rd Bn, 68th ADA from March of 1976 through October of 77. The Army air defenders were housed on Homestead Air Force Base. My quarters were on Pennsylvania Ave across from the golf course on the base at that time.

I used to drive out of the base and go north and east to my missile site which was then in the town of Cutler Ridge. I recently went back and tried to find the site, but could not recognize any of the streets, houses, etc. as the area has changed dramatically over the past 25 years.

Does anyone know the precise location of that former piece of government real estate? We had 6 berms to protect 6 HAWK missile launchers and a number of buildings to include fire control and a small mess hall/barracks for the 24 hour a day operations. We were under the direct command of NORAD.

Can anyone help me locate my old real estate?

Nick Camera
Retired Army Lt COL


Nick, also looking but for Brty B. 24E20,SP-5, only there 6 months from ROK (C-1-44). I have been looking via google earth but alot has changed since '78. From what I can recall I was thinking between Flordia City and Homestead, East. The NASCAR track might be the area.Good Luck !


I was assigned to Battery A also in '66 & '67 and revisited the area in 2004.  I think hurricane Andrew may have damaged it to the extent it was demolished. The area I visited that I thought might be the old site was at that time a very large palm tree farm.  Nothing was as I remembered it. When I was stationed there we had an alligator named Al as our mascot. We kept him in a small fenced-in pond by the ready building.  He was delivered to us by a Florida  state game warden.  Our Battery Commander was Cpt. Thomas H. Magness III.  There were 2 bodies of water one on each side of the site where the berm material you metioned was excavated.  Sorry I could not be of further help.


I was at the site located near Red Creek, 183rd st and at that time there were only tents. The only perminant building was the mess hall. one paved road in front of the barrack tents was paved to the outhouses. Orderly room was a tent as well as the showers. We The tents were built on a frame with screens and a plywood floor. they had screening to keep the bugs out and a pot stove for heat and fan for A/c we did have one modern convinience aside form the missles, a phone booth. Battalion HQ 2nd of the 52nd was located in a strip ,mall in Homestead.
Had to walk to small shopping plaza to get bus to Miami Beach. I'm not sure but I have not seen this mentioned by anyblody else, but, the Building located on the beach in South Beach was a USO club where I used to hang out in my free time. The building still looks the same today except it is now a roller rink or something like that.
Launching area was accross snake creek from a dump. Some time in 1965 there was a shooter in the dump and rounds got awfull close to us at guard house. I was walking with the CO one day and a round zinged right by us in front of the launchers. Never found out what came of that incident.
I could name a few people that I remember but I would have to have their pemmission first. I retired as an E7 in 85. My claim to fame, not much, just spent nearly the whole cold was and Viet Nam war in Germany. first at MainBullau near Miltenberg and Hardheim of the 1st of the 67th and later the 3rd of the 71st, Not may Nike guys wore the 7th army Patch, but we did until 32d ADCOM came on the sciene.


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.