Out of Reach

DesertRat

I participated today in a historical/archeological tour of Edwards AFB. It was an all day guided trip to areas normally off-limits and generally inaccessible. We visited numerous homestead sites where people plopped down their dreams for free land back at the turn of the 20th Century. We visited a vast area once occupied by thousands of soldiers and airmen as they trained to go to war in WWII. Old firing ranges, the site of what was once a commissary, mess hall, barracks, offices etc... all now reduced to foundations and scattered rubble. We visited the RV parking area on Rogers Dry Lake where back when the Space Shuttle made regular landings at Edwards, thousands of people would park their cars trucks and RV's to camp out and wait to view a Shuttle landing. We visited native american sites and 12ft thick "rammed earth" revetments built to protect our aircraft in the event of a Japanese attack on what was then Muroc Army Airfield. Then there was the site of the famed "Muroc Maru", a full scale replica of a Japanese battleship made entirely out of 2x4's, chicken wire and hay bales. The Maru was used to train our bomber crews on the finer points of attacking a large warship. They even went so far as to make earthen "wakes" behind the ship. The thought being that the expansive desert landscape would be similar to the vastness of the ocean as far as measuring speed, distance and targeting the bombsights correctly.

All the while I kept telling myself "I wish I had my detector!" and knowing that the entire base is off limits and detecting is forbidden.

I spoke with one the the archeologist's and asked him if they ever find anything interesting (specifically coins) and he said "all the time. We dug at the old training grounds once and recovered quite a lot of war era coinage and wondered how come so many guys lost coins out here. Half Dollars were a common find along with quarters dimes and nickels." He said they didn't use detectors however, just shovels and screened sifting boxes. I asked what he did with all the stuff and he said it is all stored in the Flight Test Museum curation room in various boxes. Nothing of interest ever gets thrown away.

All this beautiful, virtually untouched ground in front of me and all completely out of reach

I did volunteer my services to the chief historian and he told me, "I'll keep that in mind. you never know when something might come up!"

I think that was more to pacify me and give me hope than anything else.

Was an excellent trip despite the inability to dig.

Here is a photo of one area as it was in 1936.

Another photo showing the main base area

Muroc Maru

Shuttle Viewing Area circa 1981

deadmunny

Thanks for the excursion report. I passed Edwards many times when I lived in California but never checked it out. That's a lot of history crammed into that desert acreage. Let's hope you get a phone call someday for "volunteer work".

ricko

Very interesting... thanks for the history lesson... Cheers, RickO

headsplitter2

Excellent read and photos!

Thanks JD

jessewvu

Great read. I used to live in Rosamond when I worked out at Edwards about 3 years ago. There are a lot of cool places in the area, there is an old silver mine just west of Rosamond, you can see it from the 14 up on a small mountain in Rosamond.

When I worked out there, I frequented the Fly-by Tower out on the lakebed. It was next to the stands they build for Ronald Reagan to watch the shuttle land. There were lots of pecks of gold in the dirt, I always wondered if it was real gold...

When Rogers dry lake bed was dry, I used to fly model airplanes there. There was a club that was allowed to use the lake bed and it sure was nice.

If anyone is out there, I would recommend going to Zuma's pizza in Rosamond, off sierra highway, and getting the Zuma special. It's awesome

DesertRat

<< <i>Great read. I used to live in Rosamond when I worked out at Edwards about 3 years ago. There are a lot of cool places in the area, there is an old silver mine just west of Rosamond, you can see it from the 14 up on a small mountain in Rosamond.

When I worked out there, I frequented the Fly-by Tower out on the lakebed. It was next to the stands they build for Ronald Reagan to watch the shuttle land. There were lots of pecks of gold in the dirt, I always wondered if it was real gold...

When Rogers dry lake bed was dry, I used to fly model airplanes there. There was a club that was allowed to use the lake bed and it sure was nice.

If anyone is out there, I would recommend going to Zuma's pizza in Rosamond, off sierra highway, and getting the Zuma special. It's awesome >>



Jessewvu,

I have lived in Rosamond for 18 years

WeaselLoader

Great thread. I'm somewhat of a Edwards AFB history nut myself since I work out there. The place is full of history. I sent you a PM with my thoughts on MD there.

streeter

Muroc..................wow what a history. If any of you ever get a chance to pick up a copy of 'The Right Stuff' by Tom Wolfe,

there are quite a lot of anecdotes about the base in the book.

There is a fascinating bit by Yaeger about the only time he ever had to punch out. I just reread the book after 25 years and it was better the second time.