I was assigned to Mill Valley Air Force Station from January 1984 to October 1985, after finishing a three-year tour of duty in West Germany at Pruem Air Station. Mill Valley AFS was a height-finder radar site, and we reported to the 24th Air Division that was headquartered at March Air Force Base in Southern California. By the time I arrived there, the 666th Radar Squadron had been disbanded and the personnel were scattered to the four winds. There were only a handful of Air Force personnel, including the site Chief who was a senior non-commissioned officer (master sergeant, in other words). Six or seven personnel, along with a secretary and several FAA personnel. That was all. The swimming pool was closed, and the old barracks building was still there. There were also a series of ranch’s-styled houses for single personnel, and yes I got to stay in one of them. A park service employee maintained the houses. It felt like I was on vacation from the Air Force while still on active duty. The height-finder sites were off limits to Air Force personnel after they were turned over completely to the FAA in 1988. God, I didn’t want to leave the air station. Good times there.
Oh wow... you were in a VERY small group of people who had stayed on to man the station after the 666th shut down. Have you seen this? ruclips.net/video/y6TA-jbZqQU/видео.html
Wow . I haven't seen Mill Valley since I left 1966. USAF. I always wanted to go back for a visit. To old now!! But this video is the second best thing. THANKS FOR SHARING GARY
Mill Valley AFS was part of a huge network that spanned not just California, but the whole West Coast. Isolated, mountainous, coastal radar sites that watched for Russian nukes. It takes what? An hour to drive to the top from Mill Valley? Yeah, pretty isolated. And the Hump there at Pan Toll Campground used to have a guard shack and they'd close the top down at night or during emergencies. It was occupied by a California Parks person when I lived there, who let you pass thru the gate if you lived up there. I lived there for a time. The keycode to get in the secured facilities when I was there (1970s) was "1984". The base commander at the time has a sense of humor. lol! I'm guessing the FAA still uses the radar there? The reason I ask is because I was back up there in 1987 and there was a FAA guy there. Glad to see efforts being made to return the area to it's natural state. So beautiful up there. You can actually see the snow-caps on the Sierras in the winter on a clear day. Nice work Gary!
Thank you Gary, for doing what you are doing. You are right. The top of your watershed deserves so much better and personally, I feel that the USAF should be ashamed for walking away from their responsibility to clean up they mess they (we) made. I will put the word out as I can and certainly support your efforts when I can afford to with a donation to the relative group or groups. Peace!
Take Panoramic Hwy from MV to Pantoll Station, right on Pantoll and then another right at the big parking lot onto West Ridgecrest. Park in the designated parking area outside the gate or right across the road and walk up the hill through the gate to the left.
I was assigned to Mill Valley Air Force Station from January 1984 to October 1985, after finishing a three-year tour of duty in West Germany at Pruem Air Station. Mill Valley AFS was a height-finder radar site, and we reported to the 24th Air Division that was headquartered at March Air Force Base in Southern California. By the time I arrived there, the 666th Radar Squadron had been disbanded and the personnel were scattered to the four winds. There were only a handful of Air Force personnel, including the site Chief who was a senior non-commissioned officer (master sergeant, in other words). Six or seven personnel, along with a secretary and several FAA personnel. That was all. The swimming pool was closed, and the old barracks building was still there. There were also a series of ranch’s-styled houses for single personnel, and yes I got to stay in one of them. A park service employee maintained the houses. It felt like I was on vacation from the Air Force while still on active duty. The height-finder sites were off limits to Air Force personnel after they were turned over completely to the FAA in 1988. God, I didn’t want to leave the air station. Good times there.
Oh wow... you were in a VERY small group of people who had stayed on to man the station after the 666th shut down. Have you seen this? ruclips.net/video/y6TA-jbZqQU/видео.html
How do you get there now
Wow . I haven't seen Mill Valley since I left 1966. USAF. I always wanted to go back for a visit. To old now!! But this video is the second best thing. THANKS FOR SHARING GARY
Very cool piece! Thank you for your efforts to restore Tam!
Happy you enjoyed it Ryan. :)
Mill Valley AFS was part of a huge network that spanned not just California, but the whole West Coast. Isolated, mountainous, coastal radar sites that watched for Russian nukes. It takes what? An hour to drive to the top from Mill Valley? Yeah, pretty isolated. And the Hump there at Pan Toll Campground used to have a guard shack and they'd close the top down at night or during emergencies. It was occupied by a California Parks person when I lived there, who let you pass thru the gate if you lived up there. I lived there for a time. The keycode to get in the secured facilities when I was there (1970s) was "1984". The base commander at the time has a sense of humor. lol! I'm guessing the FAA still uses the radar there? The reason I ask is because I was back up there in 1987 and there was a FAA guy there. Glad to see efforts being made to return the area to it's natural state. So beautiful up there. You can actually see the snow-caps on the Sierras in the winter on a clear day. Nice work Gary!
Thanks for sharing those memories!
Thank you Gary, for doing what you are doing. You are right. The top of your watershed deserves so much better and personally, I feel that the USAF should be ashamed for walking away from their responsibility to clean up they mess they (we) made. I will put the word out as I can and certainly support your efforts when I can afford to with a donation to the relative group or groups. Peace!
I also had the wooden sign that hung over the door of the top of the world club before they tore it down. It was lost in a fire years ago though.
How do you get there?
Take Panoramic Hwy from MV to Pantoll Station, right on Pantoll and then another right at the big parking lot onto West Ridgecrest. Park in the designated parking area outside the gate or right across the road and walk up the hill through the gate to the left.