Orbits of a deluded mind

Green Mountain - 2010

Some of you may be wondering why I held the Nature Photo of the Week feature until today. I wanted to honor my fellow veterans today in some small manner. These are people who serve or served because they believe in this nation, seek to safeguard our way of life and keep us safe. It doesn't matter whether you supported the wars and actions of this nation. In my 12 years on active duty (Air Force), there were plenty of things I didn't agree with. I served because I sought to protect the freedoms that I cherish in this nation. The right to speak out, to worship as we choose, to seek redress or justice, to assemble in both anger or joy, and to vote for our leaders. It's been our job to guard these and other rights we enjoy and that some easily forget. It was said by a wise man that "freedom isn't free." It was and continues to be paid for time and again with blood, sweat and sacrifice.

Happy Veterans Day to all my fellow service members, past and present.

As noted in my previous post about Lincoln, I have permission from the owner to shoot inside the main building of the site. The building's lower floor is being rented and renovated but the upper floors have seen far better days. For our many newcomers here, Lincoln Mill was once a cotton textile mill in Huntsville (Alabama) and following it’s closure in the 1950’s, it became a site associated with the early US space and missile programs.




( Through the looking glass darkly [5 behind the cut] )

Fort MacArthur

At the southern end of Los Angeles lays the remains of the city’s military past. Fort MacArthur guarded the main sea approaches to San Pedro Bay. The Fort’s days as a defensive position ended in 1974 when the NIKE missile air defense site was deactivated. The upper and lower reservations of the fort were turned over to Los Angeles as parks. One of the most unique aspects of the former military site is the remains of the WW 1 era shore batteries. At one time, two pairs of 14 in (355mm) “disappearing rifles (canons)” were positioned to throw 1200 lb (544 Kg) anti-ship rounds as far as Catalina Island 18 miles (30 Km) distant. Two gun emplacements and their associated fire director building have been turned into a museum. fynoda and I started our abandoned site hunt amidst the abandoned shore batteries.



( Memories of hot steel [13 behind the cut] )

According to the Los Angeles Times - Police arrested the probable suspects of the two youths.

Additionally, local authorities have convinced US Air Force authorities to destroy the site by the end of the year.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bunker19jan19,1,5853413.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true

or

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22730894/

Reporter Paul LaRocco for The Press-Enterprise in San Bernardino contacted me via E-mail today. He brought this to my attention.

http://www.beloblog.com/Pe_Blogs/#a173177

"San Bernardino County sheriff’s detectives continue to seek the public's help locating people with information in last weekend's shooting deaths of a teenage couple at an abandoned High Desert military bunker.

Cody Thomson, 18, of Apple Valley, and his girlfriend, 16-year-old Bodhisattva "Bodhi" Sherzer-Potter, of Helendale, were found dead Saturday afternoon at the old Hawes Auxiliary Field bunker, where they had attended a party the night before, sheriff’s officials have said. Both failed to return home Friday night, and a friend who returned to the party site looking for them Saturday discovered the bodies, officials said.

Detectives said Wednesday they believe they have interviewed the majority of teens who had attended the party Friday night but no suspects have been identified. A motive also has not been released.

Both teens attended the Academy of Academic Excellence in Apple Valley. Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 909-387-3589 or the department's anonymous tip line at 1-800-782-7463."

All I can say is damn...

EDIT: (10 Jan 07; 11am pst) I just got off the phone with Paul and he is planning to contact me if further info is released to the public. He will be going out to the site shortly to document and photograph where these kids were found. By all accounts, the story has surprised and shocked many people familiar with the site.

EDIT 2: The Los Angeles newspapers and news channels have picked up the story now.
Parents and Friends React in Double Murder (w/photos)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22563729/

Like I said in previous posts, I was extremely busy this summer exploring and photographing places new and old. Normally I don’t like going back to old sites as I prefer to keep the image of the place locked from the first visit. On this trip, my partner and I visited 4 locations on and close to US Highway 395 in the western Mojave Desert.


1. The Hawes Communications Bunker (Visit #4 because she wanted to see it);
2. The Atolia Tungsten Mines (4 miles square – 100+ mine openings);
3. Randsburg, CA (A Class C “living” ghost town – 300 houses, 78 residents);
4. XXXXX Minimum Security Federal Prison Camp (This required two visits)

These aren’t noted in our actual order of travel but it makes for a slight smoother narration. Without exception, all of these are dangerous and fairly sensitive sites. They also made for one of the most exciting abandoned site hunts I’ve ever gone on.

First Stop – Hawes AF Communications Site (“The Bunker”)


( Not quite Oblivion – but you can see it on a clear day (5 behind the cut) )

I was going to post photos from the lighthouse complex, but I think those are mainly going to go to the “nature photo of the day” files. Never fear there will be some posted later by themselves. Instead, one of the next places we visited after the tide pools was a fading remnant of the Cold War.

Welcome to Battery LA-43, Fort McArthur former NIKE Hercules Missile Battery


Proceed through the security gate with caution.

This way ->
http://community.livejournal.com/desert_vision/41572.html

As we continued eastward into the Barstow area, it became increasingly apparent something odd was going on. No more than 300 yards / meters down the highway we started seeing survey stakes and markers. Within a mile of the first house, we saw two forlorn homes boarded up next to each other. Welcome to the Pigeon Homes.



( Anyone care for squab? [12 behind the cut] )

In our further wanderings around George (on this visit), we pushed ever deeper into the commercial district of the old air base. Remember that most US military centers are small cities, with shopping, food, entertainment and even banks. From Children’s World we saw the local bank building alone and forlorn, so we elected to pay it a closer visit.


I’m sorry, but this window is closed - permanently

( ”Openings )

Several months ago (February in fact), the munchins and I made a trip out to the Hawes Bunker (this was visit 2 of 3). This was mainly a side trip as we searched locations along the US 395 corridor. As it happens the search along US 395 wasn’t terribly successful so we stopped at familiar places like Hawes, and the former George AFB. On the way home, we found a bunch of 1880 thru 1920 era shacks in the desert near Lake Los Angeles.

Why so long with these photos?.. Read on at the bottom..


The pit of despair - This time we visited the Hawes site with heavy duty lights. Even with these lights, it was still and very, very dark.


( Into the depths of darkness (5 behind the cut) )