Trip Report: Miscellany
First published in 2005-07. Reformatted 2025. This page will be a catchall for various minor adventures that, by themselves, do not warrant individual trip reports. This page covers the time frame from 2005 through July 2007. See Variation Authorized for similar material from 1994 through 2004, Wanderings for material from August 2007 through June 2021, and Jaunts for similar material starting in July 2023. Unlike my standard trip reports, this one is alphabetical rather than chronological. Just a reminder PIN means Permanent Installation Number and ILC means Installation Location Code; I include these codes for Air Force properties when I know them.Alliance Army Air Field
Alliance, Nebraska
I found a row of vintage chimneys showing where hangars used to stand, with one hangar foundation accessible. An elevated water storage tank and a small building look like they may be WWII vintage. Visited 23 June 2007.Chimney of former hangar
Chimney of former hangar
Chimney of former hangar
Elevated water storage tank
Building
Ardmore Air Force Base
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Lots of change here between 1994 and my 28 July 2007 revisit. The double-cantilever hangar is still in good shape, and some older buildings still resist the redevelopers.Double-cantilever hangar
Elevated water storage tank
Control tower
Fire station
Building
Building
Building
Building
Building
Arlington National Guard Armory
Arlington, Texas
This armory building was constructed in 1955. According to the DoD 2005 BRAC submission, the State of Texas plans to close this armory. Visited 3 September 2005.Building
Building
Black Hills Ordnance Depot
Igloo, South Dakota
Access to the plant and storage areas of the depot was blocked off and/or posted, but I was able to look around the cantonment area of this huge WWII depot. Numerous barracks (and some chimneys) still stand. A concrete elevated water storage tank still stands, as do various other buildings. Visited 23 June 2007.Building
Fire station
Building
Building
Building
Barracks
Chimney
Building
Building
Chapel
Chapel
Elevated water storage tank
Building
Bowie National Guard Armory
Bowie, Texas
This former armory is now owned by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Built in 1953, the armory served Texas until 1988 when it was declared surplus and excess. Visited 23 October 2005.Building
Building
Cameron National Guard Armory
Cameron, Texas
This armory building was constructed in 1958, on land acquired in 1948. The armory was declared surplus in 1992 and is now the Lester & Beatrice Williams Civic Center. Visited 11 September 2005.Building
Building
Camp Mabry
Austin, Texas
This camp has served the Texas National Guard since 1890. Visited 3 April 2005.Museum displays
Museum displays
Museum displays
Museum displays
Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base
Foss, Oklahoma
On this revisit, I focused on the former SAC alert facility. It is now used by the Oklahoma State Police as a training academy, and the troopers allowed me to photograph the exterior of the Molehole. A swimming pool was constructed for the alert crewmembers. This base served SAC from about 1957 until 1970, but had its start as NAS Clinton during WWII. Besides the alert facility, some maintenance docks are typical for a SAC base. The control tower, however, is a visible reminder of the base's Navy past. Visited 23 October 2005.Entry control point
Entry control point
70-man readiness crew building
70-man readiness crew building
70-man readiness crew building
70-man readiness crew building
Swimming pool
Mainenance dock
Buildings
Navy control tower
Clinton-Sherman Transmitter Annex
Foss, Oklahoma
This former communications annex of Clinton-Sherman AFB is still visible a couple miles west of the former base. Visited 23 October 2005.General view
General view
Colorado Springs Administration Annex #1
Colorado Springs, Colorado
ILC EDQR
38-50-05, 104-47-18
Also known as the Chidlaw Building, this property was activated as an annex of Ent AFB on 3 June 1974. It transferred to Peterson AFB on 1 March 1976, and was disposed of 16 February 1988. It remains in use as a commercial office building. Visited on 13 May 2006.Building
Building
Cut Bank Army Air Field
Cut Bank, Montana
48-36-30, 112-22-30
I drove through Cut Bank on the way from Great Falls to Glacier National Park on 4 August 2005, so I made a quick detour to the the current Cut Bank Municipal (CTB). During WWII this was a Second Air Force airfield assigned to Great Falls AAFld. It was also used by Gore Field, under the Air Transport Command. We found one hangar, and a couple of other buildings, that were clearly of WWII vintage.Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Building
Building
Building
Ellsworth Air Force Missile Site B-01
Wall, South Dakota
I found and photographed this Minuteman missile site on 17 June 2007.General view
General view
View from road
Ellsworth Air Force Missile Site B-07
Wall, South Dakota
I found and photographed this Minuteman missile site on 17 June 2007.General view
Ellsworth Air Force Missile Site D-01
Cactus Flat, South Dakota
I revisited this site on 17 June 2007; six years after my first visit. Since that time, the National Park Service took over the property and operates this former Minuteman Launch Control Facility (LCF) as a museum. Unfortunately, it was closed at the time of this visit, so I wandered outside the fence. I noted the helipad and its access road to the compound. The sewage lagoon is still marked as such. I observed the various buildings and antenna systems (hard UHF, hard HF transmit, hard HF receiver) through the fence.Gate
General view
Sign
General view
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building
Launch control support building and vehicle garage
Helipad
General view
Helipad
Sewage lagoons
Hardened UHF antenna
Hardened HF transmitter antenna
Hardened HF receiver antenna
Hardened HF receiver antenna
Ellsworth Air Force Missile Site D-09
Quinn, South Dakota
I revisited this site on 17 June 2007; six years after my first visit. The most noticeable change is the addition of a viewing enclosure above the silo opening. Most details at this former Minuteman Launch Facility remain authentic, down to the wind vane and theodolite mounting post.General view
General view
General view
Gate
Viewing enclosure above silo opening
Silo door in open position
Silo door in open position
Wind vane
Theodolite mounting post
Ellsworth Air Force Missile Site E-01
Kadoka, South Dakota
I found and photographed this site on 17 June 2007. This is a Minuteman missile LCF, with hardened UHF antenna visible through the fence.Gate and vehicle garage
Gate and launch control support building
General view
General view
General view
Hardened UHF antenna
Launch control support building
Globe Aircraft Corporation/Saginaw Army Aircraft Plant (Plancor 898)
Saginaw, Texas
I revisited this plant on 15 May 2005, and wouldn't you know it, I had gloomy overcast weather just like on my first visit in 2004. The plant building, outbuildings, and an elevated water storage tank are in poor condition.Building
Building
Building
Sign
Gate
Building
Building
Building and elevated water storage tank
Building and elevated water storage tank
Gore Field
Great Falls, Montana
47-29-30, 111-21-30
This airfield, also called Great Falls Municipal Airport, was an Air Transport Command ferry base during WWII. At some time prior to or during 1961, an Air National Guard (ANG) base was established on the airport, and it was still operational at the time of our visit. Aerospace Defense Command, in the late 1970s, and Tactical Air Command, in the 1980s and early 1990s, were also assigned on the 139-acre ANG base. One vintage hangar, built in WWII, is visible from the modern airport terminal. We flew in to, then out of, Great Falls International Airport (GTF) on 3 and 6 August 2005.Hangar
Hearne POW Camp
Hearne, Texas
This was a WWII U.S. Army camp, used to house German prisoners of war. Now, part of it serves as the Hearne fairgrounds and part of it is wooded. It is immediately adjacent to the former Hearne AF Auxiliary Field. Visited 11 September 2005.General view
General view
Hicks Field (Plancor 405)
Fort Worth, Texas
I paid a return visit to Hicks Field on 15 May 2005. The same three 184-foot demountable hangars I had noticed in 1994 were still standing.Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Kaufman National Guard Armory
Kaufman, Texas
This armory building was constructed in 1955. According to the DoD 2005 BRAC submission, the State of Texas plans to close this armory. Visited 30 May 2005.Building
Building
Lake Kickapoo Naval Space Surveillance Main Transmitter Site
Archer City, Texas
This facility was transferred from the U.S. Navy to the USAF in late 2004. I was in the neighborhood on 23 July 2005 so I checked to see if the sign had been changed. It had.General view
Sign
Malmstrom Safeguard Missile Site Radar Site
Conrad, Montana
48-08-30, 111-45-30
Many people are familiar with the Safeguard complex that was briefly operational in North Dakota back in the 1970s. Construction was underway at a similar project in western Montana, when the Malmstrom Safeguard complex was cancelled in 1972. A partially-underground water storage tank is still visible. At least one warehouse building was extant when the property was disposed of, and I think that building is behind the one seen in this photograph. Visited 4 August 2005.General view showing electrical substation
General view
General view
Perrin Air Force Base
Sherman, Texas
A repeat visit on 2 September 2006. I photographed three different dormitories, an elevated water storage tank, two maintenance hangars, and aircraft shelters. I was particularly interested in the air defense alert area, including the fighter-interceptor alert hangar, rocket storage building, and fighter-interceptor alert ready crew dormitory. I captured the alert hangar with one door partially open. I revisited the officers club, parachute loft, warehouses, and other buildings.Fighter-interceptor alert hangar
Fighter-interceptor alert hangar
Maintenance hangar
Maintenance hangar
Maintenance hangar
Calibration shelters
Rocket assembly and checkout building and entry control point
Rocket assembly and checkout building
Ready crew dormitory
Parachute and dinghy shop
Dormitory
Dormitory
Dormitory
Dormitory
Building
Building
Building
Building
Elevated water storage tank
Officers club sidewalk art
Peterson Air Force Base
Colorado Springs, Colorado
The museum on Peterson is housed in the original terminal building for the Colorado Springs airport, and contains a Minuteman launch control center mockup plus Nike Ajax and Nike Hercules missiles. The Art Deco terminal has some nice details. The museum also occupies this vintage hangar (with beacon) and a former snowplow maintenance shop. Visited 16 May 2006.C-121 display aircraft
Terminal building
Terminal building detail
Launch control center mockup
Launch control center mockup
Nike Ajax missile
Nike Hercules missile
Hangar
Hangar
Hangar
Beacon light
Hangar marker
Snowplow maintenance shop
Snowplow maintenance shop
Plancor 25
Grand Prairie, Texas
This was an aircraft manufacturing plant during WWII, operated by North American Aviation, Inc. It was owned by the Defense Plant Corporation and assigned the number Plancor 25. After WWII the plant was transferred to the Navy, and it is still a Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant. Photo taken 30 May 2005. The plant is adjacent to Hensley Field.Buildings
Plancor 251
Garland, Texas
This facility in Garland, Texas, produced B-24 gun turrets during WWII. Southern Aircraft Corporation operated the plant that was owned by Defense Plant Corporation. The distinctive saw tooth monitors on the roof of the original building are still visible. Photo taken 3 June 2007.Building
Building
Plancor 1504
Garland, Texas
This plant produced tank engines during WWII. The Defense Corporation Plant was operated by Continental Motors Corporation. Photo taken 3 June 2007.General view
Taylor National Guard Armory
Taylor, Texas
This armory building was constructed in 1964, on land leased by the Texas National Guard Armory Board in 1949. According to the DoD 2005 BRAC submission, the State of Texas plans to close this armory. Visited 11 September 2005.Building
Building
Terrell National Guard Armory
Terrell, Texas
This armory building was built in 1959. According to the DoD 2005 BRAC submission, the State of Texas plans to close this armory. Visited 30 May 2005.Building
Building
Terrell National Guard Organizational Maintenance Shop
Terrell, Texas
Built in 1951, this organizational maintenance shop (OMS No. 31) is also on the list of National Guard properties the State of Texas plans to close. Visited 30 May 2005.Building
Vernon National Guard Armory
Vernon, Texas
This armory was acquired for National Guard use in 1954, and disposed of in 1995. Visited 23 July 2005.Building Updated January 26, 2025
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