Nike Missile Site HM-95

The Cold War in South Florida

The construction of Nike Missile Site HM-95 was a response to the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is widely considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into full-scale nuclear war. There were many factors contributing to Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro’s decision to deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba, including increasing their strike capability against the United States. Cuba was also concerned with a potential invasion of the island after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, and ongoing terrorist attacks perpetrated by Cuban exiles backed by the CIA.

Establishment of Nike Missile Sites

D Battery was one of several units deployed to Florida. On October 31, 1962, the battalion arrived in Homestead and set up camp seven miles west of Miami. The soldiers traveled by train in the middle of the night, bringing only minimal equipment. Under very primitive conditions, they established operational air defense systems. Once the missiles were assembled and fitted with warheads, the Florida Highway Patrol escorted the five-ton Army transport trucks from Homestead Air Force Base, carrying them to deployment sites in Carol City, Perrine, and the Everglades. By November 14, 1962, all batteries were fully operational at their temporary field locations.

Living Conditions at these Temporary Sites

While most air defense sites are typically located near major cities and suburban areas, the initial duty stations in South Florida were set up deep in the Everglades or among the bean and rocky tomato fields of southern Dade County. At these remote outposts, tactical generators ran continuously to provide power. The soldiers lived in tents—initially without walls or floors—and faced constant challenges from swarms of mosquitoes as well as encounters with snakes, rats, and spiders.

With no showers available at the temporary sites, soldiers resorted to bathing in nearby canals or using their helmets to wash. In an effort to improve conditions, the Army quickly began installing wooden floors in the tents and building wooden walkways to allow for dry passage between battery areas. Permanent shower facilities were soon constructed to promote hygiene and boost morale. Still, as officer Thomas Kirkpatrick at C Battery put it, “little could be done to ameliorate the heat, humidity, and effects of the insects. Altogether, it was a rather rustic existence.”

Tactical considerations and the specific needs of each weapons system largely dictated the placement of the sites, often resulting in their location in flood-prone areas. Despite warnings from local residents about the risks associated with these temporary locations, commanders did not always heed their advice.

The heavy Nike Hercules missiles frequently sank into the soft ground, while Florida’s typical weather conditions took a toll on sensitive military equipment. The primitive electronics struggled to function in the damp, humid climate of southern Dade County. To manage flooding and stabilize the sites, soldiers had to drain the areas and control excess water—often by plowing, scraping, and compacting rough coral soil to create a dry, level surface suitable for operations.

Richard Krenek, of Battery D, Nike Missile Site HM-95, remembers his first Thanksgiving dinner at the site: “We were served sliced turkey breast. While going through the serving line I thought, wow, this looks pretty good for G.I. food. When I got to my table and put my tray down, I noticed a lot of black specks on the white turkey breast and I thought somebody had put some pepper on it. I kept looking and noticed the specks were moving. They were actually gnats. The tomato fields were rotting and were full of bugs and gnats. Everybody just scraped them off and ate the turkey anyway.“

Permanent Facilities

In the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, military planners recognized that they had made an error by excluding Florida from the United States’ air defense network. The presence of Soviet missiles and jet bombers in Cuba, just ninety miles from American shores, highlighted the strategic significance of Florida and Key West. In April 1963, the Army officially announced that missile sites in South Florida would become a permanent component of the Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM), serving to deter and protect against any future Soviet actions in the region.

The extensive construction plan would cost around $17 million. In the short term, the Army sought to address the immediate needs of soldiers by implementing a rapid construction plan aimed at boosting morale. ARADCOM allocated approximately $600,000 for improved mess hall facilities, water purification systems, tent lighting, and drainage systems. This construction initiative was designed to improve living conditions at the sites until more permanent facilities could be planned, funded, and built.

Aside from HM-03 in Carol City, the batteries were built on already government-owned land, such as HM-69, or on undeveloped and inexpensive land on the outskirts of Miami and Key Largo, such as Nike Missile Site HM-95 and HM-40. In the case of Battery C in Carol City, the Army got involved with a local real estate developer, and the tract of land on which HM-03 was built was ARADCOM’s most expensive at $800,000. Construction of the batteries proceeded quickly and completed on schedule. In addition, five HAWK missile sites were built and integrated with Nike Hercules sites to provide a comprehensive air defense capability.

Despite the new facilities, soldiers still had to tend to the mosquitoes. Like their human handlers, the military guard dogs assigned to each launch area suffered greatly from the mosquitoes. In addition, guard dogs at the South Florida missile sites frequently died from Leptospirosis, a deadly infection caused by bacteria in the local groundwater and soil.

Many of South Florida’s missile batteries adopted mascots, and they lived with the soldiers at their respective missile sites. One of the Hawk batteries had a landscaped pond at its site to house its alligator mascot, known as “Alphagator” or “Al” for short.

The troops at Nike Missile HM-95 chose a dog as their mascot, affectionately named Sp4 “Boo-How”—a nickname meaning “no good” in Chinese. Boo-How survived on a steady diet of sausages and beer generously supplied by off-duty soldiers. On at least one occasion, she consumed so much beer that she passed out in the battery commander’s bunk. Thanks to 1st Sergeant Alfred Meana, Boo-How gave up her drinking habits, and a few months later, the battery welcomed a litter of seven puppies. Boo-How was soon promoted by the battalion commander from Specialist 4 to the rank of sergeant.

Decommissioning and Dismantling

The shift from bomber aircraft to missiles as the primary means of delivering nuclear weapons during the 1960s and 1970s marked the beginning of the end for ARADCOM and the continental U.S. (CONUS) air defense missile batteries. Rising costs associated with the Vietnam War, combined with the Soviet bomber threat’s failure to materialize, ultimately led to ARADCOM’s dissolution.

Despite this nationwide drawdown, the Florida-based units distinguished themselves from their counterparts. While all other CONUS missile defense systems were deactivated in 1974, Florida’s air defense units remained operational for five more years due to the region’s unique strategic circumstances. Following ARADCOM’s disbandment, these units were reassigned to the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM), where they continued to operate until their eventual deactivation. It wasn’t until 1979, when military planners concluded that the Florida defenses no longer contributed meaningfully to national security, that these last units were finally withdrawn. The sites in South Florida were dismantled in June 1979 and completed by early autumn of that year.

Krome Detention Center

In 1959, Fidel Castro led the Cuban Revolution, overthrowing the American-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista and installing a new communist government. Castro restricted American influence on the island and, by the early 1960s, had seized American-owned property in Cuba. The failed Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis further strained tensions between the two nations. Thousands of Cubans fled to the United States out of fear for their and their families ‘ well-being. By the late 1970s, over 700,000 Cubans had taken asylum in the U.S., most of whom settled in Dade County.

As tensions between the United States and Cuba began to ease in 1978, negotiations known as “El Diálogo” took place between Cuban officials and prominent members of the exile community. These discussions led to the release of thousands of political prisoners and the establishment of a travel policy that permitted approximately 100,000 exiles living in the United States to visit Cuba. During these visits, the exiles exposed Cubans to luxury goods available in the United States, which created feelings of discontent and jealousy across the island, particularly at a time when Cuba’s economy was struggling.

The Mariel Boatlift

In early April 1980, approximately 10,000 Cubans, disillusioned by the island’s deteriorating economic conditions under the communist regime, forced their way into the Peruvian Embassy in Havana, seeking political asylum.

In response to this surge of public unrest, President Fidel Castro announced on April 20 that any Cuban wishing to leave the country would be permitted to do so—provided they departed from Mariel Harbor, located about 25 miles west of Havana, and had someone arrange to pick them up.

Within hours, Cuban exiles in South Florida quickly mobilized, purchasing or chartering boats from local owners to retrieve relatives still living in Cuba. On April 21, the first vessel from Mariel Harbor arrived in Key West, carrying 48 refugees—soon dubbed Marielitos, a name given to those who fled during this mass exodus. By April 25, an estimated 300 boats had gathered in Mariel Harbor. While some refugees were able to board vessels sent by their families, Cuban authorities began loading thousands more onto aging fishing boats and overcrowded vessels for the journey north.

During the first month of the Cuban exodus, the federal government was not directly involved, having already been mired in foreign policy controversy with the ongoing Iranian Hostage Crisis. Due to this, much of the responsibility associated with the unexpected processing, relocation, and acceptance of the Marielitos fell on the shoulders of Florida’s state and local officials, the Cuban-American community, and volunteers.

Makeshift immigration processing centers were quickly established at ports in Key West, Opa-locka, and Miami to handle the influx of Marielitos. Due to its proximity to Mariel and status as the southernmost point in Florida, the small island city of Key West was particularly strained. In the first 20 days of the exodus alone, nearly 3,000 refugees arrived there, overwhelming local resources and infrastructure.

Anticipating the arrival of thousands more refugees and receiving no immediate assurance of federal assistance, Florida Governor Bob Graham declared a state of emergency in Monroe and Dade counties on April 28, 1980. By early May, a U.S. Coast Guard report indicated that 15,761 refugees had already reached South Florida for processing. The scale of the influx made it clear to President Jimmy Carter that the surge of immigrants could not be contained, compelling him to take action.

On May 6, President Carter formally declared a state of emergency in the regions of Florida most heavily impacted by the arrival of Cuban and Haitian refugees and unveiled a humanitarian response to the Mariel boatlift, proclaiming an open-arms policy that pledged to “provide an open heart and open arms to refugees seeking freedom from Communist domination.”

In response to the United States’ open-arms policy, Castro began mandating the forced deportation of convicted criminals, the mentally ill, homosexuals, and prostitutes as part of the exodus. To curb the arrival of these individuals, President Carter ordered a blockade of the flotilla and directed the U.S. Coast Guard to intercept and seize incoming vessels. Although authorities seized at least 1,400 boats, many others evaded interception, allowing a steady influx of refugees to continue. Over the following five months, an additional 100,000 Cuban and Haitian refugees poured into Florida.

On May 5, 1980, the former Nike Missile Site HM-95 was reused as a temporary processing center for the thousands of refugees entering the country. Both the Integrated Fire Control (IFC) area and the Launcher area of the site housed Cuban refugees. The former Launcher area still serves in that capacity to this day as the Krome Detention Center, which had become a permanent installation in 1982. But instead of just housing Cubans, Krome expanded to include immigrants from all over the world who needed to be detained.

CIA Regional Relay Facility

In 1985, the former IFC was reused by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency as the Office of Communications, Regional Relay Facility, a high-frequency radio transmitter site. A larger facility was located on the grounds of the former Naval Air Station Richmond. Both sites had signs indicating they were U.S. Army Regional Communications Activity (NCS) stations. In conjunction with other CIA operations at the Richmond Naval Air Station, messages were relayed to operatives working in the Caribbean and South America. The IFC also housed a mobile command center that could be used in the event of a nuclear crisis. In 1992, the facility was stripped and vacated due to damages sustained during Hurricane Andrew.

“Make Art, Not War”

Around 1983, a massive, partially constructed concrete structure sat in an overgrown field near the Fountainbleau neighborhood of Doral. The general consensus was that the building was supposed to have been a penitentiary, although no evidence supported this idea. Because of this, it was called the “Penit,” short for penitentiary, the first of many buildings in Miami to be known as a “penit.” A popular hangout among graffiti writers, gangs, and teenagers, it eventually became known as the “Fountainbleau Penit.”

Left abandoned, the IFC of the former Nike Missile Site HM-95 became known as “Krome Penit.” While not a penitentiary, locals strongly believed it was an old, haunted mental asylum. Stories of ghostly figures roaming the halls, machete-wielding murderers, and demonic cult activities were abundant. One post on the once popular urban exploration forum UER claimed the site was actually a detention facility for North Korean spies during the Korean War, a decade before the missile site was established.

The Last Days of Nike Missile Site HM-95

The old missile site’s popularity waned in the years before its demolition as police cracked down on trespassers, the rise of “Instagrammable Places,” and graffiti artists searched for cleaner canvases. Demolition of the remaining buildings began in July 2015 to make way for a series of projects to widen Krome Avenue from Okeechobee Road to Homestead. At the time, Krome Avenue was a two-lane road, one going each way. Because of this, Krome Avenue was known as one of the most dangerous roads in South Florida, with 12 fatalities recorded the year prior.

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