contributed by Pete M. Baird MSgt ret

I can tell you that Lompoc AFS was on top of a mountain south of the town but I don`t remember what it was called. As you already know the site was moved in from St Rosa island and was deposited on Vandenburg and no one seemed to know or care that it was there. The ordely room was in a small building on Vandenburg. Single Airmen were housed in a barracks across the street. If I remember right we didn`t even have the whole building but shared it with other squadrons. All other functions of a unit (supply, mess hall, transportation, etc) were handled begrudingly by Vandenburg. Base housing was lumped in with Vandenburg. We were for the most part treated as red headed stepchildren.

About all I can remember of the radar site itself was typical (ops building, search radar, two temperate towers for FPS-6`s). The only unusual thing about the FPS-6`s was that they each had tuneable frequency magnatrons. A requirement due to being on Vandenburg.

The site overlooked a valley planted in flowers for the Burpee seed company and a rather scrawney road runner sat on a rock at the bottom of the hill waiting for the bus every morning and raced it to the top of the hill.

THANKS,
Pete M. Baird MSgt ret