Trip Report: Back to Maryland
First published in 2002. Reformatted 2025.This report is dedicated to the memory of airfield researcher Tim Rose, who passed away while this trip was in progress. |
This was a family trip, spun-up in only ten days. I drove solo from Texas to Iowa; then my dad and I drove to Maryland. There, we rendezvoused with my brother, and the three of us spent three days exploring old haunts from various assignments in the Maryland suburbs near Washington DC. Then, dad and I retraced our path to Iowa, and I continued back to Texas. The trip objectives were driven by family priorities, but in nine days and 4,000 miles I managed to negotiate a few historical Air Force stops into the plan. Plus, for the coast defense fans, I included a few forts in the mix. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these for Air Force properties when I know them.
Tuesday, 17 September 2002
McConnell AF Missile Site #3 (533-3) KS, PIN 7427, ILC PRQU, 37-41-55, 96-50-55. This day was a solo drive for me, from Texas to Iowa. My first stop was this former Titan II missile site, now demolished. From outside the gate the access road, parking area, and raised terrain were the only visible clues to the property's history. I also found the nearby water system site at 37-41-12, 96-51-44.Outer gate
View down access road
General view
Water well site
Water well site Forbes AF Missile Site #3 (548-3) KS, PIN 7132. Closer to Topeka, I looked for this former Atlas E missile site. The access road is now a private drive, so I just looked from the public road and moved on.
View from public road Lincoln AF Missile Site #6 (551-6) NE, PIN 7097. Near Lincoln, I looked for this former Atlas F site. The property was gated, with a theodolite post now serving as a sturdy fence post. A Quonset hut and security gate were visible from outside the gate.
General view
Azimuth marker post
View down access road I spent the night at my dad's place in Iowa. This was a long day; 14 hours and 780 miles.
Wednesday, 18 September 2002
Getting an early start, dad and I headed east. We detoured in Rantoul, Illinois, to find our 1963 home in town and visit the base. Chanute AFB IL, PIN 1274, ILC DJDB, 40-18-00, 88-08-30. The airfield, closed by the USAF in 1971, is active again as Rantoul National Aviation Center-Frank Elliott Field Airport (TIP). Our primary objective on base was the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum. Located in one of the hangars, the museum area was formerly used for missile maintenance training. Imagine my surprise when I noticed a Minuteman silo built into the hangar floor! Visitors can go downstairs in the training silo. I felt right at home down below, with water dripping down from above! There were also a couple of vertical structures used for missile launch facility training, including one with a payload transporter/reentry vehicle van on top! It is a pretty nice museum, and I would like to visit again when I can spend more time. The base itself has lots of stately buildings as well as some interesting training structures.Minuteman training silo door
Minuteman training silo personnel entry
Minuteman training silo interior
Minuteman training silo interior
Minuteman training silo interior
Minuteman training structure
Minuteman training structure
Building
Building
Building
Buildings and unidentified structure Chanute Family Housing Annex IL, ILC DJDX, 40-18-48, 88-08-35. In the town of Rantoul, we found the remnants of this housing area. It started in WWII as Chapman Courts, built under the Lanham Act for civilian war workers. After the war, it was transferred to the Air Force and remained an annex until base closure. Several other bases had former Lanham Act housing assigned, but I'm not aware of any that stayed on the Air Force books as late as this. After our time in Rantoul, we motored on and spent the night in Danville, Illinois.
Road
Road and parking areas
Road and parking area
Road
Thursday, 19 September 2002
Another early start, and a lot of ground to cover. We didn't make any tourist stops, but instead headed direct from Danville to Columbia, Maryland.Friday, 20 September 2002
Glenn Martin Airfield MD. This was our Baltimore day. Dad, brother, and I started with a visit to relatives, then a museum, and lunch in the city. Afterwards, we headed east to Middle River. We drove by the Air National Guard facility adjacent to Martin State Airport (PJMS). This airport supported the neighboring aircraft plant during WWII. Signs referred to it as Warfield Air National Guard Base. It is home to the 175th Wing of the Maryland ANG, flying both A-10s and C-130s.General view Bengies Storage Site MD, ILC BGTW, 39-20-15, 76-24-50. North of the airport, we saw the former facility Glenn Martin Plant #2. During and after WWII it produced B-26s and B-57s. Eventually it was acquired by the USAF and served as the Air Force Publications Distribution Center. Now it is owned by GSA and called Middle River Depot. We had hoped to visit the Glenn L. Martin Aviation Museum, but arrived 15 minutes after closing. Ah well, another day.
General view
General view Fort McHenry MD, 39-15-48, 76-34-48. Our last stop of the day was this historic masonry fort. It has numerous gun positions and a central area with support facilities.
Gun positions
Flagpole and buildings
Building and earthworks
General view
General view
General view
General view
Saturday, 21 September 2002
This was battlefield day. The main events on the schedule were Antietam and Gettysburg. We managed a few other stops along the way. Funkstown Communications Site GWEN 857 MD, ILC HNET. Not far from Antietam, this site was operated by the USAF from the 1980s until about 1999. It's not accessible from public roads, but we got close enough to see the antenna.Antenna in distance Air Force Plant #11 MD, PIN 2508, 39-42-16, 77-43-32. We were near Hagerstown, so we detoured to see the former aircraft production plant. Fairchild Aviation operated it from about 1943 until 1966. The government transferred ownership to Fairchild-Hiller in 1967, and in 1983 Fairchild donated the facility to the state of Maryland.
General view
General view Bonneauville Communications Site GWEN 868 PA, ILC BYUT, 39-51-04, 77-11-19. Like Funkstown, this site was operational from the 1980s until about 1999. The antenna tower and equipment shelters have been removed, but a few remains exist behind the gate.
General view
General view
General view Fort Ritchie MD, ILC HKCN, 39-42-15, 77-29-30. Since we were so close, we found the former Army installation where dad launched weather balloons many years ago. The recently-closed base is home to several new users. Lots of buildings from the Army days remain.
Buildings
Flagpole and buildings
Sunday, 22 September 2002
This was "find our former homes" day. We located the house in Oxon Hill where we lived from 1969-72, and three apartments in Suitland from my earlier days. Fort Foote MD, 38-46-00, 77-01-40. This is an earthworks fort and somewhat overgrown. I used to ride my bike past the fort when I lived in Oxon Hill as a youngster.General view
General view Fort Washington MD, 38-42-51, 77-01-36. This is a larger masonry fort with gun positions on an upper level, facilities below, and several batteries and supporting structures surrounding it. Battery Decatur is on your right as you approach the entrance to the main fort. Battery White is below the main fort.
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
Battery Decatur
Battery Decatur
Battery White
Monday, 23 September 2002
Dad and I made an early start after having a farewell breakfast with my brother. First stop: Ohio. Air Force Plant #85 OH, ILC ACJV, 39-59-30, 82-53-20. After an early start from Colombia, we made one tourist stop former in Columbus, Ohio. This was an aircraft plant in WWII, owned by the Defense Plant Corporation (who called it Plancor 18) and operated by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. In 1950, the plant transferred to the Navy, then back to the Air Force in 1982. At that time, it became Air Force Plant #85, where Rockwell International produced parts for the B-1B aircraft. McDonnell-Douglas became the operator in 1988, and production for the Air Force ended in 1994. The Air Force sold the plant to a local investment group in 1997, and the facility is still used for industrial purposes.General view
General view
General view
General view
General view
General view We made it as far as Danville, Illinois, and stopped there for the night.
Tuesday, 24 September 2002
Mechanicsville Communications Site GWEN 879 IA, ILC PVSR. This was another full day on the road, with one tourist stop. Still showing original USAF signs, this site was in service from the 1980s until about 1999.Signage and building at tower base
Equipment shelters
General view Lincoln AF Missile Site #3 (551-3) NE, PIN 7095. We made it to dad's place in Glenwood, Iowa, at 1600. With hours of daylight left, I opted not to quit for the night but instead transferred my gear back into my Forester and made a head start on my drive home. Near Lincoln, Nebraska, I looked for this former Atlas F site. The access road was a private drive, leading to a nice post-USAF house, so I looked from the public road and pressed on.
Access road from public road I stopped for the night in Sabetha, Kansas; 2.5 hours and 111 miles closer to home.
Wednesday, 25 September 2002
Forbes Air Force Missile Site #5 (548-5) KS, PIN 7133. Another early start. I made a slight detour near Topeka to look for this access road former Atlas E site. I found it cabled and locked.Access road from gate McConnell AF Missile Site #11 (532-2) KS, PIN 7749, ILC PRRC, 37-15-18, 97-32-04. My last visit on this journey was this former Titan II site. There were no fences, gates, or signs, so I was able to look around. Besides the access road with parking area, three concrete pads and a theodolite mounting post showed evidence of missile site use.
General view
Parking area
Concrete pad
Concrete pad
Concrete pad
Azimuth marker post
Azimuth marker post Ending back in Texas, this day covered 668 miles in 13 hours. This adventure covered 4,300 miles. This was a fun trip with plenty of good father-and-sons time, but I must admit that riding in a vehicle for nine days straight is a bit much--even for me! Updated January 26, 2025
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