Cold War relic, Skyline landmark
The former radar tower on Mount Umunhum is an important artifact of Cold War history as well as a familiar landmark on the Bay Area skyline. I hope that the Umunhum Conservancy can raise the money required to save it from demolition.
Umunhum Conservancy
Mt. Umunhum Donor Recognition Tour
August 16, 2015
This is the site of the former Almaden Air Force Station on Mount Umunhum, south of San Jose, California. The station was operated by the 682nd Radar Squadron, United States Air Force, from 1958 to 1980.
Nearly every structure which once stood here has been demolished, with the exception of the station's flagpole and the 84.5 foot (25.8 m) tall concrete radar tower.
The site is now owned by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD), which plans to open trail access to the summit in 2016.
MROSD plans for the site include demolition of the radar tower, which once supported a massive AN/FPS-24 search radar.
This site was one of several similar installations built to detect potentially hostile aircraft approaching the United States during the Cold War. These radar sites were integrated into the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense system.
The Umunhum Conservancy is determined to save the radar tower from demolition.
The massive radar tower has been a significant feature of the Bay Area skyline for almost sixty years. Remaining atop Mount Umunhum, the tower would be an important historic artifact. It would also be a monument to the Air Force personnel who served with vigilance at this site and others, and to all US military personnel who served and sacrificed throughout the Cold War.
For more about the Umunhum Conservancy, see:
To learn more about the Almaden Air Force Station and the 682nd Radar Squadron, and to find a schedule of presentations about the station's history, see:
Additional information about the Almaden Air Force Station is available on Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almaden_Air_Force_Station
The MIT Lincoln Laboratory web site about the SAGE Air Defense System is here:
Cold War relic, Skyline landmark
The former radar tower on Mount Umunhum is an important artifact of Cold War history as well as a familiar landmark on the Bay Area skyline. I hope that the Umunhum Conservancy can raise the money required to save it from demolition.
Umunhum Conservancy
Mt. Umunhum Donor Recognition Tour
August 16, 2015
This is the site of the former Almaden Air Force Station on Mount Umunhum, south of San Jose, California. The station was operated by the 682nd Radar Squadron, United States Air Force, from 1958 to 1980.
Nearly every structure which once stood here has been demolished, with the exception of the station's flagpole and the 84.5 foot (25.8 m) tall concrete radar tower.
The site is now owned by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD), which plans to open trail access to the summit in 2016.
MROSD plans for the site include demolition of the radar tower, which once supported a massive AN/FPS-24 search radar.
This site was one of several similar installations built to detect potentially hostile aircraft approaching the United States during the Cold War. These radar sites were integrated into the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense system.
The Umunhum Conservancy is determined to save the radar tower from demolition.
The massive radar tower has been a significant feature of the Bay Area skyline for almost sixty years. Remaining atop Mount Umunhum, the tower would be an important historic artifact. It would also be a monument to the Air Force personnel who served with vigilance at this site and others, and to all US military personnel who served and sacrificed throughout the Cold War.
For more about the Umunhum Conservancy, see:
To learn more about the Almaden Air Force Station and the 682nd Radar Squadron, and to find a schedule of presentations about the station's history, see:
Additional information about the Almaden Air Force Station is available on Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almaden_Air_Force_Station
The MIT Lincoln Laboratory web site about the SAGE Air Defense System is here: