After WW2 ended, the relief was short lived as Americans came under threat of another attack, this time by the Soviet Union. The Cold War was named because it was more of a war based on threats, not physical battles. An aerial defense system named "Project Nike" (named after the Greek Goddess, Nike) was developed in 1944 and operated from1953 to 1979. Almost 300 missile sites were constructed across the country as a means to launch a missile to intercept fast flying USSR aircraft. The newer bomb carrying aircraft of these times could fly at speeds of 500mph at 60,000ft which was a challenge for missiles to catch up and intercept. Because of this, the Nike Missile sites used multiple radar systems that allowed these missiles to launch and meet the threat by leading and aiming ahead of the plane, rather than chasing it and burning all of its fuel attempting to catch up.

This was a scary time as nobody was certain what would happen day to day. In Southern California, schools are used to duck and cover drills for earthquakes, but during these times schools used duck and cover drills for nuclear warfare. In these times, people had gas masks handy, ready to use at a moments notice.

Luckily, none of these threats ever amounted to anything and as technology advanced, these eventually became unnecessary and outdated. What's left now are bunkers that used to hold these missiles. Some of these missile sites along the California coast were built among WW2 bunkers that were built to defend the country again invasion from Japanese ships. So at a few of these sites, you will find WW2 and Cold War history. Only a few of these sites in Southern California have been preserved and are now used as tourism. Some other sites have been mostly destroyed or are just hidden amongst the city and the areas are used for other purposes.

Below you will find some of the Nike Missile Site locations in Southern California and photos of how they look now.