[rescue] Google Map - My Map feature

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

On Tue, 10 Apr 2007 07:38:01 -0400
David Muran-de Assereto <dmuran at tuad.org> wrote:

> On Apr 9, 2007, at 9:46 PM, Charles Shannon Hendrix wrote:
> 
> <snip>
> >
> > Well, I live in Tidewater, Virginia.  I bet we'd be a lot toastier  
> > than you
> > would.
> >
> > Tidewater is a huge military base, with some civilian stuff  
> > scattered here
> > and there.
> >
> > A few highlights:
> >
> > 	Langley Air Force Base, Strategic Air Command
> > 	Norfolk Naval Base, NATO, SUBCOMLANT, carrier, sub, and destroyer
> > 		units, R&D, war gaming, supply ops
> > 	Oceana Naval Air Station
> > 	Camp Peary, local spy base, shhhh!
> > 	US Marine Corp, amphibious base
> >
> <snip>
> Just to set the record straight, Langley is the headquarters of Air  
> Combat Command. Strategic Air Command, which no longer exists, was  
> headquartered at Offutt AFB, near Omaha, NE.

Sorry, I meant to say Tactical Air Command.  TAC came to Langley 26 May 1946.

TAC went away in 1 June 1992, along with SAC as the Air Force reorganized.

> BTW, I'm also in nuke central, in Alexandria, VA, right next to DC. I  
> already glow in the dark in anticipation.

Growing up I remember people saying that the Nike/BOMARC line would protect
Tidewater.  That was a joke, since Nike was offline and BOMARC soon would be,
if it wasn't already, and both were anti-bomber anyway.

As a kid some friends and I found a Super Nike site, unguarded, and played
around on it.

It used to fascinate me that there were missiles even out in the swamp near
home.

The locals also used to have craft shows and other gatherings on them, due to
their location being high and firm.  

It was interesting to go to a craft show where tables were set up around
missile launch bays still painted yellow and black.

Since our water table is so close to the surface, I imagine the underground
silos were located on the highest points possible, which also made the sites
good places for gatherings.  Of course, Nike was only about 8 feet deep
because the missiles laid down and were raised for firing.  BOMARC was mostly
above ground in little shacks.  The BOMARC site was strange because it was
just this field of what looked like a bunch tall utility sheds, with roofs
that opened.  It didn't look like you'd think it would.

It was converted into office buildings, and Jefferson Labs, an electron beam
accelerator facility.

There's still at least one Nike base left just off of Hampton Roads Center
Parkway, but I imagine they'll eventually get around to tearing it out of the
ground like the others.



-- 
shannon           | I wish life was not so short. Languages take such a time, 
                  | and so do all the things one wants to know about. 
                  |        -- J. R. R. Tolkien