Nike Videos on YouTubeA Battery HM-69
Everglades National Park
See photos and battery rosters on
Links Page
1962 - 1965: The men and missiles of A Battery, 2nd Missile Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery (A-2-52) were dispatched from Ft. Bliss, Texas to south Florida at the onset of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They were part of an air defense network to protect Homestead AFB and the greater Miami area.
Designated HM-69, A-2-52 was originally located just outside the entrance to Everglades National Park off State Road 9336 (SW 392nd Street).
Battery Control Area: The Battery Control Area, consisting of the administration building and IFC towers, were approximately where the intersection of SW 227th and 232nd Avenues intersect. The latitude and longitude Google Earth© coordinates of the Admin/IFC area are approximately 25◦ 24' 13.20" N by 80◦ 33' 56.99" W.
Launch Control Area: The Launch Control Area was consisting of three sections of four missiles was located approximately a mile away just across the canal along the property line of Everglades National Park. The approximate location on a map today would be near the intersection of SW 227 and SW 237 Avenues. The latitude and longitude Google Earth© coordinates of the launch area are approximately 25◦ 24' 38" N by 80◦ 34' 23.20" W.
Life at A-2-52: The men lived in tents, had no traditional electricity or running water. The radars and missiles were exposed to the weather and sank in the muck. South Florida’s proximity to Cuba meant that HAWK and Nike troops would receive almost no warning of enemy attack. This shortened reaction time meant that the troops had to be on a high state of alert at all times. Flight time from Cuba to Miami via supersonic jet bomber was very short. Perhaps because of this need for highly honed vigilance, south Florida troops frequently outperformed other ARADCOM missile batteries.
1965 - 1969: In 1965, A Battery was relocated to an area inside Everglades National Park known as "The Hole-in-the-Donut." A Battery was decommissioned in the summer of 1979.
The Best of the Best: (Click here for Nike SNAP video) While performing their Army duties, the south Florida defenders demonstrated a high degree of competency with their weapons systems and a propensity to do well during inspections and exercises.
For a time, south Florida missile troops were the best in ARADCOM. The soldiers of A-2-52 performed their jobs very well in the mid-to-late 1960s. They performed so well on major inspections like the operational-readiness inspection (ORE), command maintenance-management inspection (CMMI), short-notice annual practice (SNAP), and technical-proficiency inspection (TPI) that they won the ARADCOM “E” award for four years in a row from 1966 to 1969.
In recognition of their accomplishments, the soldiers of A-2-52 were allowed to attach the “E” award streamer permanently to the Battery A guidon. This “E” award streamer illustrated the fact that the Nike soldiers of A-2-52 managed to sustain a high level of performance over a very long period of time despite the inherent hardships presented by duty in the Everglades.
This feat had never before been accomplished in ARADCOM.
After 1979: The Army turned the property and structures over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
What can I do to help, you asked?
You can help preserve the history of all the Nike Hercules sites in south Florida
in the following ways:
1. Volunteer to work at a Nike site in south Florida -
Seasonal tours are conducted January through March. If you are interested in
volunteering, see Links page.
2. Share Your Nike experiences for others to enjoy - Provide photographs,
documents, and a written history of your experiences - See
Links page
Charles D. Carter
3535 Peachtree Rd, NE
Suite 520-417
Atlanta, GA 30326
3. Conduct an oral interview over the phone - If you would agree to being
interviewed over the telephone, see Links page.
4. Make comments or suggestions to:
NikeHistorian@Nike252.Org.