Missile defense: former Nike Hercules sites still around, in use

During the 1940s, military installations like those in Washington state in the Puget Sound region, at Hanford and Fairchild Air Force Base were protected by World War II-era antiaircraft guns. As the Cold War intensified with the production of more nuclear weapons and faster delivery systems, these protections were replaced with the supersonic Nike Missiles.

The exterior of one of the Nike missile bays is at the Needham Hill site, now owned by the Cheney School District. A ventilating hose is seen protruding from what used to be an escape hatch from the storage bay. The bay is pictured, with the lifting mechanism shown in the middle, and the exterior doors at the top.