Copy of Franklin Lakes - Mahwah New Jersey Nike Nuclear Missile Base

Rare, historical, silent video of former Franklin Lakes-Mahwah New Jersey Nuclear US Army Nike missile base. Taken in 1962 by former Executive Officer and West Point graduate Lt. George C. Friedel.

Video Time-Line
Time Scene
0:00 – 0:06 Sign for B Battery, 5thMissile Battalion, 7th Artillery on Pulis Avenue, Franklin Lakes, NJ at the start of the access road to the IFC Area.
0:006 – 0:29 Access road, which still exists surrounded by new homes and is used to reach the horse stables and riding area on top of the mountain.
0:29 – 0:32 Barracks for the IFC Area
0:32 – 0:40 Main gate and “Distinguished Firing Battery” sign for performance at Annual Service Practice.
0:40 – 0:52 Battery bus and the only grass cutting equipment available for the entire base.
0:52 – 1:08 Hercules radars
1:08 – 1:14 Generator building
1:14 – 1:40 Hercules radars
1:40 – 1:59 West Point Cadets of the Class of 1962 touring the base.
1:59 – 2:42 View from atop the Hercules radar tower of the barracks and mess hall and then the closed Ajax radar towers.
2:42 – 3:38 View from atop the Ajax tower of the closed IFC area, tennis court, Battery HQ building, BOQ, Barracks and Hercules radars in the distance.
2:38 – 3:51 Sign on Campgaw Road, Mahwah, NJ at entrance to the base Housing Area and the Launcher Area.
3:51 – 5:01 Housing Area of 24 - 3 bedroom ranch homes for the Commissioned Officers, Warrant Officers and NCO’s.
5:01 – 5:12 Launcher Platoon HQ and a propeller from the drone shot down at Annual Service Practice.
5:12 – 6:03 Launcher Platoon Barracks and parking area for many of the 100+ soldiers who lived off base.
6:03 – 6:26 Launcher Command Post from which firing control took place. Pole with missile simulator on top for calibrating the radar.
6:26 – 6:42 Guard shack at entrance to secure missile pit area. Anyone entering had to sign in and pick up their badge, and then sign out.
6:42 – 7:00 Perimeter fence around the launcher area patrolled at night by guard dogs and handlers.
7:00 – 7:09 Missile transfer crane
7:09 – 7:16 Missile fueling and assembly buildings
7:16 – 7:28 Warhead assembly building surrounded by blast berms
7:28 – 7:56 Kennels for our four guard dogs
7:56 – 8:12 Overview of Launcher Area looking south. Two abandoned Ajax firing pits with the above ground rails and 4 launchers removed.
8:12 - 8:35 One active Hercules pit on east side and three Hercules pits on west side.
8:35 – 9:00 View of Hercules pits looking south to the IFC Area and radars barely visible in the tree line over a mile away.
9:00 – 9:20 Ground level view of Hercules pits looking north
9:20 – 9:56 Hercules being raised from underground storage pit to above ground launcher
9:56 - !0:38 Crew drill bringing Hercules to launch position
10:38 – 10:45 Crew member opening access hatch to nuclear warhead section to remove the warhead arming plug (simulated). It is only removed for an actual firing. Note the small colored stripe to the right of “US ARMY” on the missile. A red stripe designated a 12 KT warhead and a yellow a 4 KT warhead. (I think but may be reversed) Also note the red box at the point of the missile. It protected a delicate, arrow shaped vane that measured the flight parameters of the missile and fed it back to the missile tracking radar. It also was only removed for an actual firing.
10:45 – 11:03 Missile being raised to the firing position.
11:03 – 12:17 5th Missile Battalion's HQ in Orangeburg, NY
12:17 – 12:34 Zoom to A Battery acquisition radar white dome at tree-line. This was different than B Battery’s.