National Park Survey of Cold War Sites in South Florida

[Kevin Balch]

Interesting survey of sites in South Florida relating to the Cold War including training camps, safe houses, arms caches, communication facilities etc. Covers the period including Iran-Contra.

https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/coldwar/florida.pdf

[Benjamin Cole]

Great stuff.

As a youth, I hiked a lot in the San Gabriel Mountains. 

Back then there was Nike missile site, active, and (as youths) we authoritatively traded stories about trespassers getting shot on the site, which indeed had scary warnings posted along the perimeter chain-link and barb-wire fence. 

San Gabriel Peak from Mount Disappointment, with the old Nike Missile base foundation in between [OC]

For non-L.A. residents, the San Gabriels run roughly north-south and are east of downtown L.A., maybe by 10 miles.  Cities like Altadena and Pasadena are at the base of the mountains. There was another missile base in the Santa Monica mountains, as I recall. 

Forgotten today, JFK ran for Presidency, in part, on the "missile gap."