Hawes Radio Tower

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main_contractor=US Air Force

Hawes Radio Tower (also known as the Hawes Radio Relay Facility) was a 373.7 metres ( 1226 ft ) tall guyed mast used by the USAF Survivable Low Frequency Communications System Site, which was built onthe former Hawes Airfield at Hinkley, California, USA at Coord|34|55|1|N|117|22|36|W. Hawes Radio Tower was a mast radiator insulated against ground, which provided VLF communication to ground and mobile nuclear missile facilities during the Cold War. It transmitted at a maximum power of 100 kW. The facility was partially built into the ground and was designed to withstand a moderate nuclear blast from a distance of 10 miles. The facility was self-sustaining and employed a sophisticated ventilation system as well as backup diesel generators.

In the mid-1980s, the site was given up, and in 1986, the mast was demolished by explosives. The two-story bunker, left abandoned, became a popular hang-out site for local teenagers. Unfortunately, it also became a center for wild and sometimes violent parties. The interior was blackened from numerous bonfires and riddled with graffiti. In addition, holes and debris created by the radio tower demolition, as well as standing water in the basement after rains, made navigating the dark interior of the bunker extremely dangerous.

The bunker was demolished by the BLM and USAF in April-May 2008 after two local teenagers, Christopher Cody Thompson of Apple Valley and Bodhisattva “Bodhi” Sherzer-Potter of Helendale, were found murdered in the bunker on January 5 after a botched robbery attempt. The prime suspects, David Brian Smith and Collin Lee McGlaughlin of the Covina area, are being tried for the murders.

External links

* http://www.airfields-freeman.com/CA/Airfields_CA_PalmdaleN.htm
* http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/CA4997/
* http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b63081
* http://www.mojaveroads.com/Hawes%20Journal%20Page%201.html This is a very detailed photo blog with pictures of the facility when it was in use.