North Bend AFS, OR Recent Photos
Now Shutter Creek Correctional Institution
the following photos are from the Shutter Creek Correctional Institution
September, 2000
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The following photos and notes contributed by Doug Thompson
These photos were extracted from video taken with a JVC Digital camcorder. This area was the 761st Radar Sqdn. on the Mountain top a few miles out of North Bend, Oregon. September of 2000.
I was stationed at the site there back in `61-`62. My wife and I traveled out to tour the coast of Oregon, Washington and California. I most enjoyed my visit to North Bend and Coos Bay. Those people are some of the greatest I have ever met in my travels.
Doug Thompson, USAF Ret.
(CSX Rail Road Machinist who plans to re-visit the West Coast when I finally hang up my hard hat in 2006.)
What once was the 761st Radar Sqdn. is today a prison.
Warning signs instead of welcome.
Standing at the entrance to the base housing complex, years of neglect is obvious.
Neglected!
The crooked road leading to the top of the mountain is well maintained. It looks much the same as when I was there in 1961-1962. I was unable to get any closer than the gate shack. I called up on the intercom and told them who I was and what I wanted. Shortly, a guard came down. He was friendly and courteous.
He told me Jeff Harding, Husband of Tanya Harding (Olympic Skater) was a "guest" of theirs. Said he was a model prisioner. As you may remember, he was tangled up in that mess to disable fellow Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan.
From in front of the guard shack, looking up towards the site of the (infamous)NCO club!
A logging truck coming down the hill as we were going up. Very dangerous.
Standing in front of the gate shack, pointing down the hill at the entrance to the NCO club. It is a hard right. The drive was blocked and I was unable to go up. For a moment I felt I was home again.....The area is well maintained and looks very neat.
GPS in our rented car knows where Shutters Creek is. The GPS allowed us to navigate through Seattle like we were locals.