Grand Marais AFS
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Grand Marais Air Force Station (ADC ID: M-109) is a closed
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
General Surveillance Radar station. It is located south of Grand Marais, Michigan. It was closed in 1957.


History

Grand Marais Air Force Station was established in 1954 by
Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command (military formation), command of the United States Air Force, responsible for air defense of the continental United States. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air De ...
as one of a planned deployment of forty-four Mobile radar stations to support the permanent ADC Radar network in the United States sited around the perimeter of the country. This deployment was projected to be operational by mid-1952. Funding, constant site changes, construction, and equipment delivery delayed deployment. This site became operational in December 1954 when the 906th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron was moved to the new station from
Willow Run AFS Willow Run Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force station that operated to the east of Willow Run Airport in Michigan. History In 1951, the United States Air Force exercised a right of return to Willow Run and established Willow ...
, Michigan. Operations began in early 1956, using an AN/TPS-1D radar, and initially the station functioned as a Ground-Control Intercept (GCI) and warning station. As a GCI station, the squadron's role was to guide interceptor aircraft toward unidentified intruders picked up on the unit's radar scopes. Budget cuts closed the station in November 1957 and the 906th AC&W Squadron was inactivated. The station was transitioned into a "Gap Filler" unmanned site (P-66A), equipped with an AN/FPS-18 radar controlled by Sault Sainte Marie AFS, Michigan until 1968. It was excessed to the GSA and conveyed to Mr. and Mrs. Willard Handrich, who use the site as a residence and the structures for storage purposes. The communications and support equipment was apparently removed prior to the time of sale. Seven structures remained from the original base construction, including the enlisted men's barracks, officer's quarters, radar, power generation, and maintenance buildings and the well house. The well, which is located on the site, supplies the water system for the town of Grand Marais. Superior Wood Products acquired the use of the property rights in 1960 and operated a sawmill and wood products manufacturing concern until 1966, when it went bankrupt and the property returned to Mr. Handrich. He operated a sawmill and wood products manufacturing concern, Grand Marais Industries, from 1966 to 1978. The sawmill utilized the former maintenance and vehicle storage building, to which another structure was added. Today the site is overgrown and abandoned. A few foundations of torn down buildings are visible in aerial imagery, a few others are standing unused and deteriorating.


Air Force units and assignments


Units

* Established as the 906th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron : Activated at
Willow Run AFS Willow Run Air Force Station is a former United States Air Force station that operated to the east of Willow Run Airport in Michigan. History In 1951, the United States Air Force exercised a right of return to Willow Run and established Willow ...
, Michigan on 23 May 1953 (not manned or equipped) : Moved to Grand Marais AFS on 1 December 1954 : Inactivated on 30 November 1957


Assignments

*
30th Air Division The 30th Air Division (30th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Air Defense Command, assigned to Tenth Air Force, being stationed at Sioux City Air National Guard Base, Sioux City Municipal Air ...
, 23 May 1953 * 4706th Defense Wing, 1 December 1954 * 37th Air Division, 8 July 1956 – 30 November 1957


See also

*
List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations United States general surveillance radar stations include Army and USAF stations of various US air defense networks (in reverse chronological order): *Joint Surveillance System (JSS), with radar stations controlled by joint FAA/USAF ROCCs beginnin ...


References

* Cornett, Lloyd H. and Johnson, Mildred W.,
A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980
'', Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson AFB, CO (1980). * Winkler, David F. & Webster, Julie L.,
Searching the Skies
', The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program, US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories, Champaign, IL (1997).
Information for Grand Marais AFS, MI
{{Aerospace Defense Command, state=collapsed Installations of the United States Air Force in Michigan Radar stations of the United States Air Force Aerospace Defense Command military installations Military installations established in 1954 Military installations closed in 1957 1954 establishments in Michigan 1957 disestablishments in Michigan