The BOMARC missile program was a joint venture between the United States and Canada from 1957 to 1972 to protect against the threat of Soviet bombers. The BOMARC missiles themselves were also part of a joint effort between Boeing (BO) and the Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (MARC).
While doing some other research I came across some interesting tidbits about the BOMARC missile. First, I didn't know I was born on a BOMARC missile base. It's true, I was born at Otis AFB in Bourne, MA.
Patrick Kennedy was born there three years later. Often times my Dad's squadron did double duty when the Kennedy's came to Boston, Cape Code and the Vineyard, guarding the family and escorting them to their destination. Shortly before JFK's death, Dad was stationed at Stuart AFB in Newburgh, NY and shipped out to little known country named Viet Nam. He came back a year later only to return six months later for another tour. I don't remember how long that tour lasted but when he came back, he was flying nukes all over the country for at least a year.
I found another site about Otis AFB fire equipment with some pic's of some military A/C in the backround. I'll see if I can find it again.

There I go again, off topic.

Dow AFB in Maine was a BOMARC Missile base and there is some pic's of then and now of Dow AFB.

Some interesting reads.

http://coldwarrelics.com/dow_afb_bomarc#Next

http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/medi...-100928-010.pdf

http://www.criticalpast.com/product...setts/1960/1963

http://capecodfd.com/PAGES%20Specia...03%20Otis-1.htm

__________________
If it flies, I can crash it!

Interesting PDFs on air base history and the Bomarc program. I had not realized the Bomarc was operational until the early 70s.

Still a neat looking craft....


Earl

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

I thought I remembered some prior discussion about the BoMarcs.....here's the prior discussion about the mildly radioactive metals used in the Bomarcs being cause for many of them being removed from public display.

I imagine the one over in Florence, SC is looooong gone by now.

http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/show...ghlight=Thorium


Earl

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

And they were still launching them for a while after that ... as target drones.

I saw a BOMARC launch when I was a kid. I think I was about 10, so it would have been around 1972. My dad drove us close to the launch site on Santa Rosa Island near Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. We parked and stood around our station wagon waiting for the launch as it got dark out. After what seemed like hours, we loaded into the car and started to drive off. A minute or two later, the area behind us lit up like the sun was rising and we saw the light streak into the air.

About 20 years later, I started working at the Joint Warfighting Center located at Hurlburt Field. Our offices were located inside a building that was once the hangar where the Bomarcs were stored and prepped for launch.

-- Roger

It's interesting how our adult lives take us to places that we could not have really imagined when we were kids.

Did you get to see the Bomarc target intercepted in flight?

Earl

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

I don't know if the rocket was launched as a target and, if it was, the test or training would have happened far off the coast.

-- Roger