Cold Warfare in the Park
I was wondering about Fairfax County, VA recently when a sign caught my eye. Just on the side of Fairfax County Parkway stood a historical marker that read ‘Fairfax NIKE Missile Site.’ I understand it is relatively common knowledge that the United States, like many other nations, maintains missile systems for military reasons. My wife reminded me of this fact after asking why I was slowing down to look at the sign. What was surprising about this particular marker was that it was mixed in amongst the houses and neighborhoods of busy Fairfax County. Thus, the research fire was lit…
After World War II had drawn to a close, prior to the beginning of the Cold War, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were on the rise. The birth of the Nuclear Age ushered in further panic and concern as each country’s ability to attack the other increased in leaps and bounds. For a time, the NIKE Missile system was America’s best hope.
The early 1950s saw the Korean War advance tension and technologies between the two nations. The dawn of the jet aircraft, improved missiles, and the 1953 testing of the Hydrogen Bomb were a few of the big standouts. Also in 1953, the U.S. Army began selecting sites in the United States for installation of the new NIKE missile defense installations.
The three Fairfax NIKE sites, located in Fairfax, Herndon, and Lorton, were part of nearly 300 spread throughout the United States, mostly in coastal states. Army regulations required the use of government land when able and the site in Lorton, VA was built on about 30 acres of the Lorton Prison Complex. This size allowed it to be a “Double Site,” housing six instead of the normal three missiles. Construction began in 1954 and due to its size and proximity to the Capital, it was unveiled as the “showpiece” of the national program in 1955.
NIKE missiles, named after the Greek Goddess of Victory - the same one that adorns the WWII victory medal – worked in tandem with RADAR equipment. They were designed to track and intercept Russian Bombers up to 30 miles away and as high as 70,000 feet. Moving at twice the speed of sound, the missile carried three warheads that would destroy any nuclear bomb ridden aircraft that dared to come near before they could reach their targets. The missiles underwent several design upgrades, including under the names NIKE Hercules and NIKE Zeus, during its lifespan. Each version was faster, deadlier, and more capable than the last. Later versions even had the ability to carry nuclear payload. The Fairfax site was the test site for many of these developments.
These same advancements in missile technology led to the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, which replaced the long-range bomber as the nuclear weapon delivery method of choice by both the Americans and the Soviets. This change in strategy, in conjunction with the high cost of maintaining and operating the sites, lead to the decision to abandon the NIKE sites. Beginning in 1960, many sites began shutting down, including Herndon, VA in 1961, and Fairfax, VA in 1963. The National Guard took over control of the Lorton, VA site in 1963 and continued to operate in until 1973. When it closed in 1974, the program was reduced to four sites. The last – in Fort Bliss, TX – closed in 1983.
Remnants of NIKE sites can be seen across the country, though army regulations called for all above ground structures to be destroyed. What is left mostly consists of concrete rubble or pads that housed launchers, RADAR systems, or operations buildings. Since the sites were built on government land, today, many of them are parks.
Next time you visit a local park, know that the old pile of broken concrete blocks may once have been on the forward front of protecting a nation. In Fairfax, you can find the ghosts of the ballistic sentinel in Pope’s Head Park.
