Suffolks Cold War Jet Aircraft - REPUBLIC AVIATION

"THE HOUSE OF THUNDER"

REPUBLIC AVIATION FLIGHTLINE FARMINGDALE, Long Island ,N.Y. The Thunderchief,Thunderstreak,Thunderflash,Thunderjet

Jet Aircraft of the Cold War , Republic Aviation was Instrumental in building piston driven Thunderbolts for World War 2 At The speed of One an hour ,They were the workhorses of the air, The factory was known as "The House Of Thunder". After the war Republic built everything from "Safety Cars" to "Moon Suits" worked on V-1,2 German Rocket Technology and built an early Anti Aircraft Missile for the US Army, Thousands of Nassau and Suffolk County Residents worked at Republic During and after the war, I had Family that worked for Republic and Grumman, And  when Republic Closed it was the beginning of the end of the aviation  industry on Long Island in1965 Republic was bought by Fairchild it became Fairchild-Republic building the A-10 Close Support Aircraft or "Warthog" Various Components for the Space Shuttles, Boeing 747 and Military Contracts,Today the plant is in ruins,Most of it burned and was destroyed, putting a movie theater in the Plants Space, The older area along the LIRR tracks is still standing but is beyond repair, I have watched the Remains of Republic rot away without dignity, The LIRR no longer stops at Republic Station , 1985 Fairchild -Republic closed and with it a lot of history and jobs.

After World War II ended and P-47 production was   terminated, Republic Aviation converted C-54 transports into airliners, built 1,059 Seabee civilian amphibious aircraft and built XR-12 photo reconnaisance aircraft after the attempt to build Republic Rainbow airliners failed. Republic helped pioneer the Jet Age by building the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet designed by Alexander Kartveli starting in the late 1940's and developed the swept-wing F-84-F Thunderstreak in the early 1950's. The Thunderjets saw extensive action during the Korean War and the Thunderstreaks were used by NATO nations during the Cold War in the 1950's . Republic extended runway 14-32 substantially to the southeast over the objections of Long Island State Parks Commissioner Robert Moses to meet the operational needs of the more powerful F-84-F Thunderstreaks. Republic Aviation produced 833 F-105 Thunderchiefs-also designed by Alexander Kartveli- in Farmingdale between 1955 and 1964. The Republic F-105 was used extensively in the Vietman War by the Air Force as a tactical bomber. Republic Aviation was acquired by the Fairchild-Hiller Corp.in 1965 after the Defense Department terminated the F-105 program and it appeared that Republic was going out of business. Fairchild returned to Farmingdale after a 24-year absence. Flight Safety Inc. ran Republic Airport as a general aviation airport beginning on December 7, 1966 for the Mailman brothers' Farmingdale Corporation, which had purchased the field from Fairchild Hiller in 1965. (lirahs)

 
 

 

 Republic Rainbow XF-12-684 At Hangar 3 1946

 



HERE AN ADVERTISEMENT IN TIME MAGAZINE 1954 SHOWS THE LINEAGE OF THE REPUBLIC THUNDERLINE OF AIRCRAFT AND ITS DEDICATION TO PROTECTING THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE THOUGH REPUBLIC WAS A BIG PART OF WORLD WAR TWO HEAR ON LONG ISLAND JUST ABOUT EVERY LONG ISLANDER WAS CONNECTED TO THE AVIATION HISTORY, BOTH SIDES OF MY FAMILY WORKED IN REPUBLIC MY GRANDMOTHERS WERE ROSIE THE RIVETER NOT THE ORIGINAL THOUGH THEY WELDED AND DID JOBS MEN DID MY GRANDFATHERS FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR TWO AND CAME BACK TO WORK FOR GRUMMAN AND HELPING PUT MEN ON THE MOON, THE DIVERSE ETHNIC POPULATION OF LONG ISLAND EVEN HAD IMMIGRANTS FROM GERMANY AUSTRIA FIGHTING THEIR OWN COUSINS AND OTHER RELATED FAMILIES WORLD WAR TWO WAS EXACTLY THAT A WAR THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD WAS INVOLVED IN AND NOT ONE AREA ON EARTH WAS UNSCATHED.



TEST PILOTS AND CREW DURING TESTS OVER LONG ISLAND AT REPUBLIC FIELD NOW KNOWN AS REPUBLIC AIRPORT

REPUBLIC AVIATION CARRYING OUT TESTS ON F-84 THUNDERJET

THE F-84-1-a THUNDERSTREAK with ordnance carried and used ,the only weapon not represented is a Atomic Bomb , This jet was designed to carry and deliver a Nuclear Device.

Here is a maneuver for the F-84 to deliver an Atomic Weapon called "OVER THE SHOULDER" not too technical.....

WINTER OF 1960 HERE IS A RARE PHOTO OF A F-84 THUNDERSTREAK HEADING OUT OF SUFFOLK COUNTY AFB 40 MILES EAST OF REPUBLIC , THE USAF USED THE THUNDERSTREAK AT AIR DEFENSE COMMAND BASES LIKE SUFFOLK COUNTY TO PATROL AND INTERCEPT ANY UNIDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT AND TO STOP ANY ATTEMPT BY SOVIET BOMBERS TO ATTACK TARGETS ON THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES

HERE A REPUBLIC THUNDERJET IS BEING USED IN OPERATION ZELMAL (ZERO LENGTH LAUNCH MAT LANDING) UNKNOWN LOCATION

HERE IS THE LAUNCH OF ONE OF THE REPUBLIC/USAF SECRET PROJECTS  "ZELMAL" ZERO LENGTH LAUNCH MAT ASSISTED LANDING IF THE UNITED STATES WERE NUKED BY SOVIET AIR AND MISSILE STRIKES AND RUNWAYS WERE UNUSABLE THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO GET AIRCRAFT AIRBORNE AND ABLE TO DEFEND OR ATTACK AND THEN RECOVER THE AIRCRAFT VIA A RUBBER MAT THERE WAS ALSO THE STRAPPING OF A ATOMIC DEVICE TO THE JET VARIANT TESTED ,..THIS PROJECT WAS SCRAPPED

AND THE LANDING MAT  PHASE OF THE TEST OUT AT MUROC CA (EDWARDS AFB) 

REPUBLIC ALSO HAD A PROJECT (OPERATION TIP TOW) WHERE A B-29 BOMBER WOULD TOW  F84 THUNDERJET FIGHTERS ALONG ON ITS WINGTIPS INTO ENEMY TERRITORY TO PROTECT THE BOMBER THIS HAD TRAGIC RESULTS AS  THE WING BUCKLED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SMASH INTO EACH OTHER HIGH OVER LONG ISLAND AND BOTH AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO PECONIC BAY WITH ALL ABOARD BOTH AIRCRAFT LOST AND THE PROJECT SUSPENDED



HERE THE B-36 PEACEMAKER TAKES OFF FROM MITCHEL FIELD TO PARTICIPATE IN TESTING A RARE PICTURE OF A LONE GONE TIME AND PLACE



HERE A THUNDERSTREAK IS ATTACHED TO THE B-36 PEACEMAKER UNDERNEATH SUCESSFULLY



THE NEXT PROJECT WAS  (OPERATION TOM TOM OR FICON) THIS HAD A THUNDERJET CONNECT TO THE UNDERNEATH OF A B-36 PEACEMAKER AND WAS DEVELOPED AND TESTED EXSTENSIVELY WITH NO MISHAPS AND A FEW VARIANTS OF THE DESIGN.

THE REPUBLIC AIRCRAFT ON THE FAR WING IS A THUNDERFLASH AND ON THE CLOSE WING YOU CAN SEE THE APPARATUS FOR LOCKING THE JET FIGHTERS IN TO PLACE AS THEY FLY OVER LONG ISLAND

THE REPUBLIC F-105 THUNDERCHIEF  DESIGNED IN THE 1950s

As a follow-on to the Mach 1 capable F-100, the F-105 was also armed with missiles and a cannon; however, its design was tailored to high-speed low-altitude penetration carrying a single nuclear weapon internally. First flown in 1955, the Thunderchief entered service in 1958. As the largest single-engined fighter ever employed by the USAF, the single-seat F-105 would be adapted to deliver a greater bomb load than the four-engined, 10-man strategic bombers of World War II like the B-17 and B-24. The F-105 would be best remembered as the primary strike bomber over North Vietnam in the early stages of the Vietnam War. Over 20,000 Thunderchief sorties were flown, with 382 aircraft lost (nearly half of the 833 produced) including 62 operational losses. Although they lacked the agility of the smaller MiG fighters, USAF F-105s were credited with 27.5 kills, of which 24.5 were by cannon.

GUN CAMERA FOOTAGE OF A REPUBLIC F-105 SMOKING A NORTH VIETNAMESE MIG-17 ON JUNE 3 1967


 

27confirmed enemy aircraft  downed during the Vietnam war  24 with Cannon ,The Thunderchiefs Avionics Package was made to  penetrate Soviet airspace and deliver its Nuclear payload, A F-105 two seater version was built for Wild Weasel duties since North Vietnam was using Soviet Radar Systems and Surface to Air Missiles  that the 105 would jam while other aircraft bombed targets.Pilot  and  a Electronic Warfare Officer in the backseat This meant they would be first in and last out a very dangerous job but successful.,

 

 

 

A COMPANY THAT BUILT ONE THUNDERBOLT AIRCRAFT AN HOUR DURING WORLD WAR 2 AND OVER 15,000 OF THEM BY THE END OF THE WAR ,REPUBLIC HOBBLED INTO THE 1960s AND WAS ACQUIRED BY FAIRCHILD HILLER AND AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO BE BUILT BUT THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR THE AVIATION INDUSTRY ON LONG ISLAND THOUGH THE LAST NIKE MISSILE BATTERY NY-24 LOCATED IN AMITYVILLE SOUTH OF REPUBLIC WAS THE LAST OPERATIONAL US ARMY ANTI AIRCRAFT MISSILE DEFENSE, CLOSING IN 1975 , THE NIKE SITE WAS EQUIPPED WITH 3 MAGAZINES OF NIKE HERCULES (NUCLEAR TYPE) CONTINUED TO BE GUARDIAN OF THE AVIATION AND AVIONICS INDUSTRIES THAT WERE CLUSTERED IN THIS AREA MITCHEL FIELD WAS GONE,SO WAS FLOYD BENNETT FIELD, SUFFOLK CO. AFB    LONG ISLANDs MILITARY AIR PRESENCE WAS VIRTUALLY GONE AND THE ONLY COMPANY BUILDING AIRCRAFT WAS GRUMMAN  AND THAT  CLOSED IN THE 1990s LEAVING LONG ISLAND AS NORTHRUP - GRUMMAN

 

 

 

 

Flight Safety Inc. ran Republic Airport as a general aviation airport beginning on December 7, 1966 for the Mailman brothers' Farmingdale Corporation, which had purchased the field from Fairchild Hiller in 1965. Republic Airport was acquired by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on March 31, 1969 after Suffolk County and the Town of Babylon declined to assume ownership. The MTA installed an instrument landing system (ILS) on runway 14-32, built the Republic Airport Terminal building,cooperated with the Federal Aviation Administration, which built the new 100' high control tower, convinced the US Government to transfer 94 acres to the airport in 1971 and purchased the 77-acre Lambert property on the north side of Route 109 and the Breslau Gardens property between New Highway and Route 109 in 1972. Fairchild Republic constructed major sub-assemblies for 720 A-10 "Warthog" Close Air Support aircraft in Farmingdale, although final assembly and flight testing was done at Hagerstown, Maryland. The A-10 was invaluable in action in Desert Storm in the early 1990's and in the Iraq War after 2003. After complaints that the MTA was not contributing taxes to local governments and questions about MTA deficits at Republic, ownership of the airport was transferred to the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) by the New York State Legislature in April 1983, to promote economic development in the surrounding Long Island region. The Republic Airport Commission was created by the New York State Legislature in 1982 {Chap. 370, L.1982) "as an advisory council to the Commissioner of Transportation in the administration and management of the Republic Airport facilities and its surrounding areas with respect to projects to be undertaken at such airport." Fairchild went out of business in 1987 after losing the T-46A trainer project, and within a few years its historic Fairchild-Republic factory complex was sold and developed as the Airport Plaza shopping mall. (LIRAHS)

Suffolk County Office Of Civil Defense- Fallout Shelter Years Plan To Survive

SUFFOLK COUNTY COMMUNITY  
 FALLOUT SHELTER PLAN
  1962-1971

THE ORIGINAL  PLAN FOR SUFFOLK COUNTY NY IN THE EVENT OF A NUCLEAR ATTACK

NOT THE LETTER YOU WOULD WANT TO RECEIVE DURING THE COLD WAR AND NOT IF YOU LIVED IN SUFFOLK COUNTY PRIOR TO 1971 BUT NEVER THE LESS THIS IS THE REASON FOR THE NATIONAL FALLOUT SHELTER SURVEY AND ENDING WITH THE COMPLETED COMMUNITY SHELTER PLAN SO THOSE WHO HAD NO WHERE TO RIDE OUT A NUCLEAR ATTACK HAD A PLACE TO TRY AND SURVIVE THE FIRST TWO WEEKS.





THIS NEWSPAPER STYLE PLAN WAS SENT OUT IN 1971 TO EVERY SUFFOLK COUNTY RESIDENT A BIT LATE IN THE COLD WAR BUT BETTER LATE THAN NOT AT ALL , THE COPY IS IN POOR SHAPE AND I ALMOST DID NOT POST IT BUT I DO KNOW THERE ARE CURIOUS PEOPLE WHO NEVER SAW IT OR HEARD ABOUT IT, ITS NOT IN ITS FULL VERSION DUE TO QUALITY SINCE IT WAS PUT AWAY IN A PERSONS BASEMENT SHELTER IN 1973 AND ONLY RECENTLY SAW THE LIGHT OF DAY. THIS NEWSPAPER COMMUNITY SHELTER PLAN WAS THE FRONT PAGE ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE SUFFOLK COUNTY OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE ADVISING RESIDENTS TO READ THE SHELTER PLAN "IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE" IT ALSO CAME WITH A COPY OF "IN TIME OF EMERGENCY" A TIMELESS CLASSIC UNFORTUNATELY THAT WAS MISSING THE ONLY INFORMATION ON WHAT TO DO WAS A HALF PAGE INSIDE DISCUSSING SIREN TONE AND BUILDING A HOME SHELTER, AND THE REST WAS FULL PAGE MAPS OF LOCATIONS FOR NIGHT AND DAYTIME, THE ONLY SAVING GRACE WAS IT CAME WITH THE PLANNING COMMISION PRESENTATION OF WHAT THE PLAN WAS TO SAY, SHELTER LOCATIONS BY ADDRESS AND CAPACITY, COPIES OF THE VARIOUS STEPS BEING APPROVED AND STEP DOCUMENTS SINCE THE PLANNING COMMISION HAD TO WORK WITH THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT THEY HAD TO GET APPROVAL BEFORE MOVING TO THE NEXT STEP EXAMPLE LOCATING SPACE STEP 1 PRINTING AND MAILING THE PLAN STEP 10,AND A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF WHERE SUFFOLK COUNTY IS, HOW FAST RADIATION WILL TRAVEL FROM NYC  HOW SUFFOLK WAS SAFE FROM TARGETS IN METRO NYC ,CONNETICUT, NOT MENTIONING ANYTHING ABOUT LONG ISLANDS TARGETED AREAS, WHICH IS PROVIDED IN A OLDER POST ON THIS BLOG,THERE IS SOME INTERESTING PROBLEMS WITH THIS PLAN AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT BELOW. 

THE NAVY DEPARTMENT SINCE 1961,SURVEYED ALL STRUCTURES EXCLUDING PRIVATE HOMES IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE AVAILABLE FALLOUT PROTECTION. IN ADDITION TO THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF EACH BUILDING THAT HAS FALLOUT PROTECTION,THE SHELTER CAPACITY OF EACH PUBLIC FACILITY IS RECORDED.THE SHELTER CAPACITIES ARE RATED ON THE BASIS OF 10 SQUARE FEET PER PERSON TO BE SHELTERED IN VENTILATED STRUCTURES OR 500 CUBIC FEET PER PERSON IN UNVENTILATED  STRUCTURES, THROUGH THE NATIONAL FALLOUT SHELTER SURVEY PROGRAM, SUFFOLK HAS HAD AN UPDATED SHELTER CAPACITY FOR NEARLY ALL OF THE LARGER STRUCTURES.

THE INVENTORY PROGRAM IS FURTHER SUPPLEMENTED BY AN ONGOING LICENSING,MARKING AND STOCKING PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED BY THE SUFFOLK COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL DEFENSE, EACH BUILDING OWNER IS APPROACHED WITH VARIOUS FORMAL AGREEMENTS THAT WILL PERMIT THE FOLLOWING,

1-LICENSING HIS FACILITY  AS A PUBLIC SHELTER

2-THE STORAGE OF SURVIVAL SUPPLIES INCLUDING FOOD,WATER,SANITARY,MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND RADIOLOGICAL INSTRUMENTS

3- THE MARKING OF HIS FACILITY WITH FALLOUT SHELTER SIGNS

THE CURRENT INVENTORY SUMMARY OF PUBLIC SHELTER IN SUFFOLK COUNTY INDICATES THAT THERE ARE  546 SEPARATE SHELTER FACILITIES

THE COMMUNITY SHELTER PLAN PROGRAM

ON FEBRUARY 14 1966 THE SUFFOLK BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVED RESOLUTION 80  AUTHORIZING THE SUFFOLK COUNTY DEPT. OF PLANNING TO DEVELOP A SHELTER PLAN FOR SUFFOLK COUNTY WITH 100% FUNDING ALLOCATED

 BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT THE CONTRACT WAS HANDLED THROUGH THE EASTERN DIVISION OF NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND AND THE SUFFOLK COUNTY PLANNING BOARD ON JUNE 21 1966

SUFFOLK COUNTY'S PLANNING DIRECTOR AND CIVIL DEFENSE DIRECTOR ATTENDED A COMMUNITY SHELTER PLAN TRAINING COURSE AT THE FEDERAL STAFF COLLEGE IN BATTLE CREEK,MICHIGAN THIS TRAINING ALLOWED EACH OF THE TWO DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS TO USE THE TRAINING TO FACILITATE THEIR DEPARTMENTS TO COMMIT TO ACCOMPLISHING A WORKING SHELTER PLAN SO THE RESIDENTS OF SUFFOLK COUNTY WILL BE ABLE TO FIND AND UTILIZE A DESIGNATED SHELTER DURING A NUCLEAR ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES AND TO ENSURE THAT THE SUFFOLK COUNTY SHELTER PLAN WILL ACCOMMODATE FUTURE RESIDENTS BY SURVEYING NEW SHELTER SPACE AND LICENSING THEM FOR USE

I NEVER REALIZED HOW MANY THINGS ARE INVOLVED WHEN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PUT TOGETHER THEIR CSP,.. DAYTIME SPACE NIGHT SPACE, PEOPLE WALKING OR DRIVING ,VENTILATED SPACE,NON VENTILATED SPACE,ESTIMATING FUTURE CONSTRUCTION PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL, AREAS PRONE TO TRAFFIC FOR THE MOST PART UNLESS YOUR A CITY PLANNING MAJOR ITS DRY READING BUT VERY IMPORTANT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

EACH SQUARE ON THE MAP WAS A AREA THAT HAD SUFFICIENT PUBLIC SHELTER AND WAS A PAGE IN THE NEWSPAPER MAILOUT THIS STYLE WAS WIDELY USED AROUND THE UNITED STATES TO BRING TO THE PUBLIC EACH COUNTY OR PROVINCE'S COMMUNITY SHELTER PLAN.AREAS NOT COVERED WITH A SQUARE WAS FIND A CLOSE PUBLIC SHELTER OR MAKE DO AT HOME.

SHELTER LOCATION #1648001

US Army Nike Site West Neck RD Lloyd Harbor Facility 00127 CAPACITY 365

US Army Nike Site West Neck Rd Lloyd Harbor Facility 00128 CAPACITY 365

US Army Nike Site West Neck Rd Lloyd Harbor Facility 00129

CAPACITY 395

The US Army ARAADCOM de-commissioned the Lloyd Harbor Nike Ajax Anti Aircraft Missile Defense way back in 1963 .The Suffolk County Planning Board had to know that the site was sold at auction and bulldozed and scrapped, Yet they list it on their shelter master list as a facility with space, Its not uncommon to get a list of county Fallout Shelters if you asked Civil Defense back then ,You could find a copy in the Library Updated, So why List Shelters that don't exist or over exaggerate the amount of space in a shelter yet this was wide spread behavior, I do npot know if there was a time limit for communities to get a shelter program in place, Although i heard about something like this where a county or Municipality could be fined for not providing shelter for residents. Compared to the rest of the United States i would have to say 1971 is a little behind in ensuring the safety of your residents ,Suffolk County is almost 2o years behind in their Preparedness and Suffolk County had the leading companies involved in everything Avionics, Aerospace ,Computers, Brookhaven National Laboratory has done some ground breaking studies, Its located in one of the most populated regions in the nation yet they seem to have dragged their feet on this, No  matter if the county decided it was futile to survive an Atomic Attack the counties residents should be allowed to decide if they want to shelter and it should be available, The updated 198_ ? Was a very poor attempt at updating and finding new shelters and no attempt was made at getting it out to residents to even shelter during Hurricanes,Coastal Flooding, Now that computers are available the county has a map of 30+ shelters county wide for other than Fallout sheltering on their web site and its not under Civil Defense

 Located on Long Island's picturesque north shore, Nike site NY-20 was a typical three-magazine Nike installation. The base was first activated during January 1957 and was manned by the Regular Army until 1960, when the New York Army National Guard took over. Site NY-20 was never upgraded to fire Nike Hercules missiles and air defense operations had ceased by 1963. Subsequent to its closure, both the control and launcher areas came into private ownership and were completely demolished

 



THIS DOCUMENT IS(SHELTER LOCATION) SL-16480001 THE AREA SHOWN ABOVE IN THE MAP OF SHELTER LOCATIONS BREAKDOWN OF SURVEY FINDINGS SUCH AS TRAVEL TIME HOW MANY SPACES ACCOUNTED FOR ETC.



 

SHELTER LOCATION PILGRIM STATE SL-16480055

PILGRIM STATE PSYCH HOSPITAL BRENTWOOD NY

FALLOUT SHELTER 00053  BLDG #4  PF 2-8 412,PF-1 1946

FALLOUT SHELTER 00501 TUNNEL SECT. PF2-8 1260     

FALLOUT SHELTER  00059 BLDG #25 PF-13940 PF-1 8680

THIS CONTINUES FOR 3 PAGES AND OVER 80 BUILDINGS INCLUDING EDGEWOOD  WITH OVER 15,000 SPACES ALLOCATED 

ONE OF SUFFOLK COUNTIES DUBIOUS DISTINCTIONS WAS IT HOUSED THE "WORLDS LARGEST PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL IN THE WORLD" AND IT WAS LARGE! SOME OF SUFFOLK COUNTYS BIGGEST BUILDINGS WERE IN THE COMPLEX CITY OF BUILDINGS AT PILGRIM STATE, CENTRAL ISLIP, KINGS PARK, EDGEWOOD-DEER PARK,  CENTRAL SUFFOLK-MELVILLE THESE FACILITYS HAD MORE PATIENTS THAN THE TOWNS HAD RESIDENTS. THE AREAS WHERE THEY WERE LOCATED, EACH HAD NUMEROUS HOSPITAL FACILITIES, LARGE SURGICAL ROOMS WHERE THOUSANDS OF LOBOTOMIES WERE PERFORMED AND CREATED A VERY BAD STIGMA THAT JUST SURROUNDED THESE FACILITIES,THE BUILDINGS WERE BUILT IN THE EARLY PART OF 1930'S  THROUGH THE WPA AND WERE MADE OF BRICK, CONCRETE AND BRICK. AS AN URBAN EXPLORER I SPENT A LOT OF TIME EXPLORING THE ABANDONDED PARTS AND BUILDINGS BUT THE BIGGEST AND BEST WERE THE TUNNELS THAT SERVED THESE HUGE FACILITIES SUFFOLK COUNTYS ORIGINAL SURVEY PUT EACH OF THESE FACILITIES POSSIBLE OF HOLDING 10,000 SPACES THE TUNNELS AND BASEMENTS WERE WELL BELOW GROUND UNDER BRICK 5 STORY OR THE TALLEST WAS EDGEWOOD AT 17 FLOORS AND HAD TO BE DESTROYED AND BROUGHT DOWN WITH EXPLOSIVES IN THE EARLY 1990s THE BASEMENTS HAD BEEN STOCKED THE ONE WEIRD THING I NEVER UNDERSTOOD WAS THE BASEMENT ROOMS THAT HAD DIRT FLOORS EVERY BUILDING HAD ONE OR MORE I DO NOT KNOW IF IT WAS DUE TO LACK OF MATERIALS BUT THEY WERE BIG DIRT ROOMS,SUFFOLK COUNTY HAD A FALLOUT SHELTER SOLUTION WITH THESE COMPLEXES THAT WAS UNTIL NEW YORK STATE DECIDED TO CLOSE DOWN THESE FACILITIES AND WITH THAT THOUSANDS OF SPACES, I REMEMBER THE TUNNELS WHERE LONG DARK AND HAD FALLOUT SHELTER SIGNS ALL OVER WHEN THEY CLOSED DOWN THE LARGE EDGEWOOD FACILITY THEY BASICALLY SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS AND LOCKED THE DOORS AND THE VANDALS AND THIEVES TOOK AND DESTROYED EVERYTHING, EVEN THE SHELTER SUPPLIES WOUND UP IN SOMEONES BASEMENT.

Another room In The Tunnels That ran for over a mile and Another Civil Defense Water Container one of thousands stocked in the Pilgrim State And Edgewood Hospital Shelter System



EDGEWOOD BUILDING  No. 1 AFTER CLOSING  THE ROOF WAS MADE OF COPPER AND IT WAS STRIPPED CLEAN EARLY ON AND SOMEBODY CUTTING COPPER WITH A TORCH SET THE ROOF ON FIRE,EVEN LIKE THIS THE VERY TOP OF THIS ROOF COULD BE ACCESSED AND MANHATTAN WAS VERY VISIBLE FROM UP TOP AND I MEAN THE TOP. EDGEWOOD WAS ALSO CALLED MASON GENERAL HOSPITAL AND IT TREATED WORLD WAR TWO SOLDIERS WITH PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS AND FAMOUS MOVIE DIRECTOR MADE A MOVIE ON THE GROUNDS ABOUT THESE SOLDIERS CALLED "LET THERE BE LIGHT" THIS BUILDING WAS ONLY ONE OF HUNDREDS IN SUFFOLK COUNTY AND PART OF THE COMMUNITY FALLOUT SHELTER PLAN,

SOME OF THE CIVIL DEFENSE STOCK THAT LAY SCATTERED EVEN TO THIS DAY AROUND THE OPEN PARTS OF THESE HUGE FACILITIES ON THE COMMUNITY FALLOUT SHELTER  MAP OF SUFFOLK COUNTY ,PILGRIM STATE HAS ITS OWN PAGE AND WAS ONE FACILITY,THE ENORMOUS WASTE OF ARCHITECTURE EVEN JUST THE HOSPITALS THESE  FACILITIES HAD HUGE OPERATING ROOMS, FOOD PREPARATION AREAS,STORAGE,I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE STATE WAS QUICK TO GET RID OF AND DEMOLISH THESE BUILDINGS BUT FROM SEEING SOME OF THE THINGS LEFT BEHIND I COULD ONLY IMAGINE,IT WASN'T A HAPPY PLACE.

SHELTER LOCATION #16480023

FACILITY00101 Republic Aviation Corp BLDG #29 Farmingdale CAP 1189

FACILITY00102 Republic Aviation Corp. BLDG #17 Farmingdale Cap 4181

FACILITY00104 Republic Aviation Corp. BLDG #__ Farmingdale Cap 3900

REPUBLIC AIRCRAFT The Aircraft Co.that built the planes that won wars and defended this nation in between wars was very important so important that the NIKE Anti Aircraft Missile Defense about a mile and a half south was the longest operating NIKE base in the NYC Metro area Grumman was also a mile west and they also built the planes that won wars and specialized in Naval Aviation, There are plenty of stories of this NIKE site it was not a secret facility ,Russian Bomber pilots who trained to attack New York targets were probably more aware of its exsistance than the community around it,Plus i could just imagine the Atomic Weapon and Missile warhead size destined for both Aviation companies since they would be crucial in rearming a military postattack, And i don't think they were happy about Republic aircraft shooting down Migs in Vietnam or Carrier launched Grumman aircraft Smoking Migs around the world, I really do not think there would be a public shelter on this map capable of withstanding any Soviet weapon target package destined for this part of Suffolk County,The Nike site in Lloyd Harbor was a listed shelter location on the map and in the planning commision book.Below is Republic Aviation Testing the Thunderjet Prototypes at Republic Aviation Airfield Now Republic Airport

THIS IS WHAT WAS BEING PROTECTED BY NIKE SITE NY-24 REPUBLIC AVIATION DURING THE 1950s

 REPUBLIC HANGAR FLIGHTLINE THE SHELTER SPACE IS LOCATED BEHIND THE HANGAR IN THE MFG AREA

THIS MAP SHOWS THE VILLAGE OF PATCHOGUE (SL-16480089 )AND INSIDE THE VILLAGE ARE A CLUSTER OF SHELTER LOCATIONS , UPON RESEARCHING SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS 75% DID NOT EXSIST ANY LONGER EXCEPT THE SCHOOLS MARKED , ONE LOCATION WAS THE INSIDE OF A BANK VAULT ALSO BEFORE MALLS AND SUPER SHOPPING CENTERS THE VILLAGE OF PATCHOGUE WAS THE PLACE YOU DID ALL YOUR SHOPPING,THE VILLAGE IS A VERY URBAN PLACE AND WAS EVEN MORE SO IN THE 1960s AND 70s, THE DAYTIME POPULATION FAR EXCEEDS THE JUST UNDER 1000 PERSON CAPACITY OF SHELTER SPACES LISTED WITHIN THE VILLAGE AND AREA.

OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE DISPLAY PANEL THAT IS IMPORTANT TO READ AND PREPARE A PLACE WITHIN YOUR HOME IF MAKING IT TO A PUBLIC SHELTER IS NOT POSSIBLE

The Suffolk County Civil Defense Command Center During the 1950-70s was and may still be located here, The county Fire ,Rescue,Emergency Services and Fire Academy is Located here, Suffolk County Office Of Civil Defense Was located in a one story ranch style building the upper floor was offices and lower the county Emergency Operation Center where Communication And Control was conducted during mock Civil Defense Exercises. Suffolk County Only had A unified Sheriffs Department During the years prior to 1960 and New York State Troopers, Most villages had their own Police Force Like Huntington,Riverhead,Patchogue,Amityville,Islip and enforced laws and used the County Courts for crimes, They also had their own Civil Defense Departments these are hard to track down and find Ex-Headquarter locations ,Suffolk County Fire Departments are Volunteer and every town with a Zip Code has one and are responsible for Rescue Operations and during the Cold War also were responsible for Civil Defense ,They are unified under Suffolk County FRES which also includes "Emergency Management" Suffolk County also Unified its Police forces into one in 1960 and has a Civil Defense Unit and also control Auxiliary Police which are Civil Defense orientated and do not have Peace Officer status,

My visits to the Yaphank Civil Defense Operation Center were always welcomed and the one or two guys in the command center seemed amazed someone was  interested in what goes on there and were decent enough to give me a tour and allow me to take some items for my collection, The "Bunker" as its reffered to was dated and seemed a little disorganized they had a very large Emergency Generator and Communication Tower, The office area even had a Red Emergency Phone with no dial plate  that kind of tells you how dated some of it is. They had a Large Storage area with the usual Fallout Shelter items,signs,Radiological instruments,plenty of pamphlets ,Now well into the 21st century that type of Civil Defense (even the name) is being phased out with "Emergency Management" a name i really do not like but its not about names or nostalgia ,It is though an end to a time that is so interesting and filled with history it sad to see it go, But for me theres still the undiscovered film or story or picture even visiting the american airpower foundation out at the Republic Airport and visiting a Nike Hercules or a F-111 and enjoying the simpler things.

COMMUNITY FALLOUT SHELTER PLANS FROM AROUND THE UNITED STATES

HERE IS HOW THE TRI-COUNTY AREA OF MICHIGAN SENT OUT THEIR FINISHED COMMUNITY SHELTER PLAN ,THIS WAS JUST ABOUT IDENTICAL TO HOW SUFFOLK COUNTY SENT OUT THEIRS DOWN TO THE MANILA ENVELOPE AND THE
BOOKLET "IN TIME OF EMERGENCY"
BORROWED FROM MICHIGANCIVILDEFENSE.COM

HERE IS A DALLAS MAIL OUT THAT IS JUST LIKE SUFFOLK COUNTYS PRINTED ON NEWSPAPER
BORROWED FROM CIVILDEFENSEMUSEUM.COM

HERE IS A MICHIGAN COMMUNITY SHELTER MAILOUT I BELIEVE FOR LANSING ,MICHIGAN AREA
BORROWED FROM MICHIGANCIVILDEFENSE.com

HERE ARE THE MICHIGAN FALLOUT SHELTER LOCATIONS THAT WERE INSIDE THE MAILOUT 
FROM MICHIGANCIVILDEFENSE.COM

THESE COMMUNITY SHELTER PLANS WERE DONE FOR EVERY COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES THOUSANDS

BELOW ARE DOCUMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY SHELTER PLANNING BOARD

 

SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENTS FIRST HELICOPTER ,IT WAS IN THE PAPERS I GOT WITH THE COMMUNITY SHELTER PLAN SO I THREW IT IN , ITS DEFINITELY MOD LOOKING I DID HERE THAT THE HELO WAS A DONATION AND ITS A EUROPEAN ALOUETTE EMERGENCY UTILITY HELICOPTER BUILT ON LONG ISLAND BY REPUBLIC AVIATION HELICOPTER DIVISION, REPUBLIC AVIATION SAW THAT SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE DEPT. WAS A NEW DEPARTMENT AND COULD USE A HELO AND DONATED IT TO SUFFOLK COUNTY PD ,REPUBLIC TRIED MANY DIFFERENT MANUFACTURING  IDEAS TO STAY IN BUSINESS IN THE EARLY 1960s.

SUFFOLK COUNTY P.D.s FIRST FLEET OF P.D. VEHICLES L.SIDE OF PICTURE BELOW THESE PHOTOCOPIED IMAGES WERE PART OF A BUNCH OF HISTORIC PICTURES AND COLD WAR ITEMS

SUFFOLK COUNTY P.D. ORIGINAL STARTING UNITS THEY ALSO HAD A "CALAMITY JANE" CIVIL DEFENSE UNIT NOT PICTURED HERE  THERE WERE TWO P.D. FLEET PHOTOS #1 IS MISSING


SUFFOLK COUNTYS HIDDEN INDUSTRIAL FALLOUT SHELTERS

NOT REALLY HIDDEN THIS WAS PART OF A NATIONAL DESIGN PROGRAM OF INTRODUCING FALLOUT SHELTERS IN TO NEW CONSTRUCTION THE WHAT IS CALLED "BOHEMIA TOLL BUILDING" IS THE RONKONKOMA TELEPHONE SWITCH BUILDING ON JOHNSON AVENUE AND WAS ONE OF TWO SUFFOLK LOCATIONS PICKED ONE WAS WILLIAM FLOYD HIGH SCHOOL (THAT POST IS  A FEW MONTHS BACK) AND THIS BUILDING AS WELL AS THE 69th PRECINCT IN BROOKLYN KINGS COUNTY NYC


A LOOK AT A SUFFOLK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT FALLOUT SHELTER DESIGN WINNER Wm FLOYD SCHOOL DISTRICT (HIGH SCHOOL)



 COURTESY OF THE CIVIL DEFENSE MUSEUM . COM PUBLIC SHELTER DISPLAY 1960's

WILLIAM FLOYD SCHOOL DISTRICT IS A FEW MILES SOUTH OF THE AEC's EASTCOAST ATOMIC WEAPON TEST FACILITY BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LAB, KNOWING THAT THEY WERE IN A PRIMARY SOVIET BOMBER/ICBM TARGET AREA THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MADE DRASTIC SHIELDING AND SHELTER SPACE IN THEIR NEW HIGH SCHOOL,AND IN DOING SO WAS CHOSEN AS A NATIONAL DESIGN WINNER ALONG WITH A INDUSTRIAL FALLOUT SHELTER AND A PUBLIC SAFETY FALLOUT SHELTER IN NYC IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MORE ON SUFFOLK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION PLEASE STOP AT THE TOP OF THE BLOG AND YOU WILL FIND A POST WITH MORE INFORMATION

A INDUSTRIAL FALLOUT SHELTER DESIGN WINNER THE BELL  TELEPHONE NY TELEPHONE TRANSMISSION AND ROUTING BUILDING A VERY IMPORTANT NATIONAL DEFENSE ASSET FOR EMERGENCY POST ATTACK OPERATIONS

NY TELEPHONES CIRCUIT EXCHANGE AND CALL ROUTING FACILITY LOCATED ON JOHNSON AVENUE RONKONKOMA (not Bohemia) A VERY FORTIFIED BLDG OF EXTRA CONCRETE AND BRICK ITS IMPORTANCE TO GROUND TO AIR COMMUNICATIONS WAS VITAL AS WAS ITS OTHER DUTIES IN A POST NUCLEAR ATTACK ENVIRONMENT SO NY TELEPHONE HAD A VERY WELL PROTECTED FALLOUT SHELTER FOR TECHNICIANS TO RIDE OUT A NUCLEAR ATTACK AND TO GET THIS FACILITY BACK ONLINE

SPENDING TIME ON LONG ISLAND LIVING IN LAKE RONKONKOMA GRABBING A JOB ON A LANDSCAPE CREW WAS EASY MONEY ONE OF THE LAWNS ON OUR ACCOUNT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THIS BUILDING NEVER KNOWING ITS IMPORTANCE OR THAT IT HAD A STORY TO TELL THAT I'D LI

IT REALLY IS AMAZING HOW MUCH HISTORY IS OUT THERE WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED

IF YOU LIVE IN SUFFOLK COUNTY AND KNOW OF A STOCKED SHELTER OR OTHER THINGS OR EVEN HAVE A GOOD STORY CONTACT ME PLEASE OR LEAVE A COMMENT THANK YOU-SHELTER WARDEN

THANKS TO CIVIL DEFENSE MUSEUM.COM AND MICHIGAN CIVIL DEFENSE.COM FOR THE USE OF THEIR COMMUNITY SHELTER PLANS FROM THEIR AREAS