Photos: Veterans remember Nike Site Summit

Updated: December 2, 2017 Published: September 7, 2014

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A plaque honoring veterans who served at the Nike Site Summit is unveiled at a ceremony on Saturday, September 6, 2014 at the Arctic Valley ski lodge. Many veterans traveled from across the country to be at the unveiling and tour their old post, in the mountains above the ski area.

Veterans gathered at Arctic Valley on Saturday to reminisce about their time serving at Site Summit, one of the most unique Nike Hercules missile sites in the country.

Site Summit was one of three sites that protected the Elmendorf and Fort Richardson military bases during the cold war.

From the 1959 until its decommissioning in 1979, conventional and nuclear warheads were deployed atop 41-foot-tall Hercules missiles at Site Summit, ready to intercept incoming Russian planes.

Veterans touring the facility recently had surprisingly fond memories of their time at Site Summit, which is located 3200 feet above Anchorage. While its location offered strategic military benefits, the site was prone to generally bad weather, with winds over 100 mph not uncommon, and rain, snow and clouds constant companions.

Today, Friends of Nike Site Summit is working to preserve some of the buildings at the site. The site is still located on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and is an active training area to this day. For those interested in visiting the facility, FONSS offers public tours throughout the year.