Near Sausalito in Marin County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Cold War Legacy: Missiles to Marine Mammals

Marin Headlands Golden Gate National Park

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 31, 2017

1. Cold War Legacy: Missiles to Marine Mammals Marker

Captions: (lower left) Visit a restored Nike Missile Launch Area. Launch Area SF-88L, at Fort Barry, has been restored to its 1960s appearance. For more information call the Marin Headlands Visitor Center at (415) 331-1540.; (upper center-right) The first Nike missiles, Nike-Ajax (1956-1959), were liquid-fueled with a range of 25-30 miles. They traveled at speeds exceeding 1,500 mph and were designed to destroy a single enemy aircraft.; (bottom right) The second generation Nike missiles, Nike-Hercules (1959-1972), were solid-fueled with a range of 100 miles. A single missile traveled more than 2,600 mph and destroyed an entire formation of attacking bombers.

Inscription.

Cold War Legacy: Missiles to Marine Mammals. Marin Headlands Golden Gate National Park. The Marine Mammal Center is built on the site of the former Nike Missile Launch Area, SF 87L. In the 1950s, the army constructed two batteries in the Marin Headlands equipped with surface-to-are missiles, one near Fort Cronkhite and a second across the valley at Fort Barry. The missiles were called "Nike", after the Greek goddess of victory. They were in position for nearly 20 years, but were never launched. , Site SF 87L was closed in 1972 and transferred to the National Park Service. In 1975, the National Park Service permitted The Marine Mammal Center to use the abandoned site as a rescue and rehabilitation hospital. Since then, a lasting partnership has formed between the National Park Service and the Center. The site exemplifies the idea of "swords to ploughshares." , Marin Headlands Golden Gate National Park. , The valleys, beaches, cliffs and ridges that surround you are considered by many to be the heart of the Golden Gate National Parks. Open space preservation battles fought near here in the late 1960s led to the creation of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, one of more than 390 sites managed by the National Park Service. , Although the Marin Headlands is surrounded by the urban development of the Bay Area, the region retains a remarkable variety of natural resources and features. The peninsula is a flyway for migrating raptors and home to endangered species such as the tidewater goby and the mission blue butterfly. Pacific harbor seals haul out at Bonita Cove and river otters forage in Rodeo Lagoon. , Coast Miwok native peoples originally lived here, followed later by dairy ranchers, lighthouse keepers and soldiers. The area played a key role in coastal defense during World War II, and the Unites States and former Soviet Union faced off with the treat of nuclear war in the balance. Today, the former military buildings house artists, educators, biologists and park rangers who study the area and provide public programs.

The Marine Mammal Center is built on the site of the former Nike Missile Launch Area, SF 87L. In the 1950s, the army constructed two batteries in the Marin Headlands equipped with surface-to-are missiles, one near Fort Cronkhite and a second across the valley at Fort Barry. The missiles were called "Nike", after the Greek goddess of victory. They were in position for nearly 20 years, but were never launched.
Site SF 87L was closed in 1972 and transferred to the National Park Service. In 1975, the National Park Service permitted The Marine Mammal Center to use the abandoned site as a rescue and rehabilitation hospital. Since then, a lasting partnership has formed between the National Park Service and the Center. The site exemplifies the idea of "swords to ploughshares."

Marin Headlands Golden Gate National Park
The valleys, beaches, cliffs and ridges that surround you are considered by many to be the heart of the Golden Gate National Parks. Open space preservation battles fought near here in the late 1960s led to the creation of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, one of more than 390 sites managed by the National Park Service.
Although the Marin Headlands is surrounded by the urban development of the Bay Area, the region retains a remarkable variety of natural resources and features.

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The peninsula is a flyway for migrating raptors and home to endangered species such as the tidewater goby and the mission blue butterfly. Pacific harbor seals haul out at Bonita Cove and river otters forage in Rodeo Lagoon.
Coast Miwok native peoples originally lived here, followed later by dairy ranchers, lighthouse keepers and soldiers. The area played a key role in coastal defense during World War II, and the Unites States and former Soviet Union faced off with the treat of nuclear war in the balance. Today, the former military buildings house artists, educators, biologists and park rangers who study the area and provide public programs.

Erected by Marine Mammal Center.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Forts and Castles • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 37° 50.103′ N, 122° 31.896′ W. Marker is near Sausalito, California, in Marin County. Marker can be reached from Bunker Road near Kirkpatrick Streetthus. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito CA 94965, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Marin Headlands (approx. half a mile away); Battery Alexander (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Battery Alexander

Marin Headlands Golden Gate National Park Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 31, 2017

2. Marin Headlands Golden Gate National Park Marker

(approx. 0.6 miles away); Nike Missile Site SF88 (approx. 0.6 miles away); Battery Mendell (approx. 0.9 miles away); Point Bonita Lighthouse (approx. 0.9 miles away); Battery Construction No. 129 (approx. 1.9 miles away); The Golden Gate (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sausalito.

More about this marker. The marker is located at the front entrance of the Marine Mammal Center Headquarters.

Also see . . . What We Do - Marine Mammal Center. At The Marine Mammal Center, we are guided and inspired by a shared vision of a healthy ocean for marine mammals and humans alike. Our mission is to advance global ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education. (Submitted on April 16, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 31, 2017

3. Cold War Legacy: Missiles to Marine Mammals Marker

Rodeo Lagoon, Rodeo Beach, Bird Rock and the Pacific Ocean are in the background.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 16, 2017. It was originally submitted on April 16, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 443 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 16, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.