LA-88 Oat Mountain-Chatsworth Nike Missile Site (1958-1974)
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Construction of LA-88 was completed in August 1956, and it monitored the San Fernando Valley and Pacific Ocean for the following eighteen years. Decommissioned in 1974, it was one of the last active sites to cover the Los Angeles area. During its time in operation, it was the first site to employ sentry guard dogs, and the first dual-missile site, adding the Nike-Hercules missile to its arsenal of Nike-Ajax missiles. LA-88 remains on the side of Oat Mountain in Chatsworth. |
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While the surrounding areas are controlled by the Federal Parks Service, the site itself is used by the Los Angeles Police Department (L.A.P.D.) as a site to train officers in both S.W.A.T. and Counter-terrorism. The grounds of the site are riddled with bullet casings from training exercises, and what remains of a city bus. The buildings and walls exhibit graffiti ranging form individual pieces to dialogues including everything from hate speech to pleas for peace. The site itself is comprised of two areas, one being the launch site that is closed to the public, and the other, just across the road where administrative buildings once stood at the center of a circular parking lot. Up the hill is the site's radar area.
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