LA-45 Fort MacArthur (HQ & Radar Site)
(1952-1974)

        Fort MacArthur, which was originally built in 1888 to defend the San Pedro Harbor, contained the Headquarters for the Los Angeles Defense Area from 1952 to 1974. It was the location of the area's Missile Master, and Missile Mentor command centers and was connected to the NORAD communication network.  During the Nike Missile Defense Program, Fort MacArthur became the reporting site for soldiers coming from military training sites all over the United States.  They receive additional training at Fort MacArthur, and be assigned to Nike sites all over Los Angeles.  It was also the site of public presentations by military personnel.  The IFC for the nearby LA-43 missile launch site at White Point was constructed on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur on top of Battery Leary-Merriam.*
        Today, the site has several stakeholders.  Since being decommissioned in 1974, the Fort's expansive grounds has been divided up between the city, Los Angeles Unified School District, the Angels Gate Cultural Center, the US Air Force, and the Fort MacArthur Museum (most of which are located on the Upper Reservation near the IFC).  The HIPAR power room with its commanding view of the Los Angeles Harbor at the IFC site, has been converted for use by the Marine Exchange. The generator and the operations control buildings are being utilized  as artist studios. The various tower pads are in a state of general disrepair, but all are present except the HIPAR tower. However, the Nike Headquarters Building has been demolished.  (Using the "Satellite" option, the IFC site can be viewed nearby Leary Merriam Dr. on the Upper Reservation.)
        Walking around the the IFC area, there are still many visible signs of its Nike Program past.  Surrounding what is now an artist's studio, there are many electrical items (boxes, poles, etc), that served to power the station.  There are also many yellow and black markings painted on stairs and along the fencing.  Just below the site on the road leading up is a guard station that now lacks any of its original paint.  The radar platform is easily visible, as is the former HIPAR power room, and adjacent buildings.  Just a short distance away, at the Fort MacArthur Museum, with whom ColdWarLA has teamed to collect written and oral histories of L.A. Nike Veterans, there is a brief exhibit about the missile program, and even a Nike Ajax missile on display.  There is also another guard station, which has been relocated from LA-43 (White Point) near the rear gate, and painted in camouflage to match the museums other buildings.  The museum grounds include a cemetery for guard dogs that served alongside specially trained handlers protecting the L.A.missile sites.
-Special Thanks to the Fort MacArthur Museum's Francisco Lacy for providing us with a tour of the site.
*Information about Fort MacArthur can be found on the Fort MacArthur Museum website.