Project Nike Project Nike

U S S R E E V E S (DLG-24/CG-24) A SSOCIATION Fall 2013 Volume 6, Issue 3 The Ironman—A Double Ender’s Newsletter Membership Scorebox Project Nike Current 55 Missile technology before the ing and missile radars to calculate the Past Due 116 REEVES and our 1950/1960 missile- intercept point and steer the missile to Snail Mail Ad- ship fleet... its target. Still, there were the offbeat, dresses Only 262 There was a Soviet heavy bomber day-to-day adventures found at all ar- that was feared by the U.S. Defense my bases, be they staffed by Roman- Email Address 463 Department in the 1950s and 1960s. It era infantrymen or Nike missilemen. Total Shipmates 3,218 was the Tupolev Tu-95, nicknamed • When the Cuban Missile Crisis "the Bear" by NATO. World-War II- began on Oct. 14, 1962, the sites were Dues Notice! era anti-aircraft guns were useless on red alert for two weeks. "All of our Please be sure to check your against these heavy post-war heavy missiles went topside, ready to go," mailing label or email nota- bombers; they flew too high and too said William Biagioni, a communica- tion. fast. So to keep the Tu-95 in check, If it doesn’t say Current tions specialist at the Milford, CT site. above your name at the top the Army in the late 1940s initiated • When President John F. Kennedy of the label, you should re- Project Nike. Its centerpiece was the was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, new your annual dues. To Nike Ajax missile, the world's first reach the greatest number of the sites went on high alert status shipmates, we will publish operational air defense supersonic again. "The booster stage fell off six the complete Association guided missile. One problem. Because seconds after they were fired, and the newsletter to any valid email of its limited range, the Ajax had to be or snail mail address. Your spent booster would have wound up in dues payments make this launched as the invading bomber was a residential area," Biagioni said. "But possible. nearly overhead. So the Army built if it came to that, you really didn't care 240 Nike installations from coast to whose house it fell on. There were Na- coast, all near potential Soviet targets. Inside this issue: vy picket ships right off the coast, and Those who operated the Nike sites if those bomber got by them, we were were our nation's last line of defense it." President’s Message 2 against the very real threat of a Soviet • Τ he Tupolevs routinely made Shipmates’ Deck Log 3 attack, The threat of a Soviet bomber runs from the Soviet Union to Cuba, attack was real, make no mistake Pledge of Allegiance 4 skirting U.S. airspace off the Eastern about it. Seaboard along the way. The sites had Our Next Reunion: Portland 5 Most Nike sites were split into two to be ready to launch all the time. Financials 6 separate units within a mile or two of Designed to intercept high-altitude one another — the radar installation From Warrant Officer Walls 6 aircraft, the Ajax missile consisted of site and launch site, where 30 or more a 14 foot solid propellant booster and Funeral Honors 7 missiles were kept in underground a 21 foot liquid-fueled upper stage. Its Shingles Coverage 7 concrete bunkers. Precision was al- maximum speed was 2.25 mach with a ways the goal. The missile required range of 25 miles. It could reach an Ship’s Store 9 three radar systems — a target- altitude of 69,900 feet. Later models acquisition radar, a target-tracking ra- Memorabilia 10 were longer and faster. The first Nike dar and a missile-tracking radar. After Ajax was made in 1951, and the pro- Agent Orange 10 the target was acquired, a computer compared the signals from the track- (Continued on page 3) A Shipmate’s Son’s Letter 11 PageP a g e 222 The IronmanIronman————AA Double Ender’s Newsletter The President’s PagePage————OnwardOnward to Portland Greetings to the what more expensive in Portland. join us for beer and conversation. Reeves Associa- This is due mostly to popular sites You never know until you ask…. tion Family: being spaced far enough way that Keep in mind that we rotate Everything is on renting a large tour bus for a rela- the reunions from east to west to for our next re- tively small crowd can get pricey. center primarily to catch up with union in Port- With some planning, and a suffi- shipmates in different areas. It land. The home- cient supply of rental cars, we also provides new places to visit work, proposals, should be able to organize our own for those of us that won’t skip a and hotel site visits have all been excursions to some of the popular reunion. While we’re about it, we completed, and the hotel that won tourist spots along the Columbia also have to start thinking over a the selection process is the Shera- River. I’m thinking that some- few reunion items that require de- ton Portland Airport Hotel. Mike where between reunion activities, cisions. For starters, there are a and Lorri visited the hotel as part city roaming, a dinner cruise, and few amongst us that feel the every- of the selection process and con- some self-guided tours that we other year reunion cycle makes it firmed what the proposal bids shouldn’t have any trouble enter- difficult to stay engaged as an or- could not have described to us, taining ourselves. ganization. The concern is that we and that is that the Sheraton is the Mike has a nice write-up fur- meet so infrequently that it is diffi- ideal choice for our stay. The con- ther back in this issue describing cult to organize anything other tract with the hotel is signed, so some of the attractions that the ar- than ideas for the next reunion. we are officially on for Portland. ea has to offer, so you can start Maybe more timely exposure Portland is going to be an ex- thinking towards what you’d like would strengthen the organization. cellent venue for our reunion. It to see or do. Mike has also found What do you think? Is a return to offers us a tremendous variety of a day long cruise to Astoria that annual reunions something that things to do within easy striking will be available for folks that may would interest you? distance of the city, good weather, be interested in showing up a day While you’re thinking reun- and plenty of other neat attractions early for the reunion. It could be a ions…… what do you think of San in the area. The city itself is great way to take in a little Oregon Antonio for our next gig? Also known for great restaurants, inter- sight-seeing prior to the reunion, if consider whether it should be 2015 esting shopping venues, and up- your travel plans allow. or 2016. Now you have two points wards of thirty craft breweries to That brings us down to the to ponder, please give it some check out. It’s already sounding point where we have to start think- thought and let us know what you like our kind of town. We have ing towards planning for the reun- think. booked the MV Portland Spirit for ion, and possibly contacting a few In the meantime, we hope you our dinner cruise, and will have a Reeves Shipmates that you have have a safe and happy Thanksgiv- variety of other tour options avail- been meaning to invite to one of ing Holiday. There’s plenty to be able for those that want to see spe- our reunions. Your call, or email, thankful for here of late, so we cial attractions outside of the Port- or facebook post to an old ship- hope you get to spend time with land area. mate could be the one that gets your family over the holiday and We’re hoping to change up our that shipmate to join us in Port- that your travels are safe. tour habits from what we have land. Perhaps you know someone that is hiding up in the northwest, Here’s wishing you fair winds been able to do at a few past reun- and following seas. ions. Organized bus tours that who may have thought it a little were relatively inexpensive in San far to join us in Charleston, but Diego and Charleston are some- may consider travel to Portland to TomTomTom Volume 6, Issue 3 PageP a g e 333 Mail/eMail/Decklog From Our Shipmates ——— Tom & Shipmates, Dear Mike, Matt Jaffe, LTJG, 72-74 Thanks for all you do for the Reeves I always enjoy your newsy letters and info. Ed: About time we heard from you. hope everyone is doing well. Susan and I would like to make next year’s There was a year book 66-68 on the Portland reunion. We’ve not been to web site about a month ago. I haven't that area of the country before, but seen it since the last time I was on the Served aboard 75-77 in Main Control have heard many good reasons why site. also there was a older roster from then A-Gang. 2 Westpacs 75 and 77, we should go. We’d definitely like to 1964 that is no longer on the site.

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