Memories of Nike Missile Base PH 32, Marlton NJ

                                 ...from those stationed there.

   The PH32 website was fortunate enough to hear from someone who was staioned at the Marlton Nike base. His name is Gene Ehrich and he served at PH 32, also known as Battery D 3rd Battalion, from 1957 through 1960. Gene worked in the Control Area's supply room, orderly room and PX. He later lived in Marlton, and now lives in Florida. He was kind enough to share these memories he has of the base, and desires to here from others who were stationed there-

e mail Gene.

"I remember most of the officers and NCO's from 1957-60. The CO (Commanding Officer) when I got there was Captain Doyle who was replaced by Captain Poston. First Sgt. was Sgt. Stanley. He was replaced by a very thin and tall man but I don't remember his name. Sgt. in charge of FCA (Fire Control Area) was Sgt. Fedako."

"...the layout of the Administration Building was as follows- starting from the left side Day Room, Administrative Offices, Supply Room and then the right side of the building had the PX(Post Exchange). In the barracks building the perpindicular portion was for the enlisted men

and the vertical portion was the BOQ (Bachelor Officers Quarters)."

Gene wrote that one building in the Control Area was destroyed by a fire in late1957 or early '58. This was the Supply Building and was located on the road leading to the radars. This building was used to store spare parts for the radars and computers. When it burned down, he worked in the supply room itself in the Administration Building and had to requisition all of the individual parts that burned. The building was not replaced.

"...the road on the left of the map going up to the radars was a hill going up and to the left. It also went up to the left by the supply shed. Beyond the fence by the radars was a tomato farm and we used to harvest the great, large Jersey tomatoes that grew through the fence".

"In the Fire Control Area there was a cinder block building in the center with a metal trailer on each end. The trailer to the right contained the computers, field switchboard and the firing console. The trailer to the left contained the radar consoles. The cinder block building contained cabinets with parts and a work bench".

return to HOMEPAGE

   Jim Evans, who was stationed at the Marlton base from October, 1959-October 1960, also wrote in

with some memories...

      "The Marlton site was designated Delta Battery, 3rd Batallion, 43 artillery. I remember the Battery Commander was Captain Joe Kay. I was assigned to the Launcher Area where our Platoon Leader's name was Lt. Phipps, along with Ssgt. James and Corporals Wolf and Sorentino and Sgt. Bell."

"I remember SP4 Dobbs and John Epps in the Motor Pool, in the Launcher Area. Someone at the site told me there were two instead of three magazines because there was too much ground water. I remember going down into the magazine and finding alot of water there. I think it was a continous problem."

"We spent alot of time on guard duty and KP while I was there. I remember being surrounded by farmland. We had a softball field just outside the Launcher Area and had some great games there. I didn't have a car so I was pretty much confined to the battery. It seems once in a while some of us would pile into someone's car and head into town to get some hoagies at night."

Another memory I have is having to pile into the back of a big truck three times a day to get up to the Fire Control area for meals at the Mess Hall."