 | Dead NATO base| The NAAFI & PX Discuss Dead NATO base in the Military Matters forums; Ever wonder what happens to a military base after it closes? I ran across this recently shot video on youtube ... |
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02-16-2008, 10:35 AM
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#1 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 2,095
Country: | Dead NATO base Ever wonder what happens to a military base after it closes? I ran across this recently shot video on youtube of Comiso Air Station in Sicily. The base was closed in fall 1991 as part of the SALT 2 treaty. I arrived in Comiso in 1990 and left in Feb 1991.
It's sad to see the base in such poor condition but then again, IT'S ALSO AN AWESOME SIGHT! It means we did our job well! Comiso was a nuclear cruise missile base. It's a monument to the cold war victory. Needless to say, it's fortunate our birds never flew. But damn it, we were ready..
We used to say ."BGM-109 Rocks Moscow hit after hit"..
My memories of the base and the town of Comiso are some of the fondest of my life.
In a surreal "Patton moment", I vividly remember being in a convoy with mobile missile launchers traversing cobblestone roads built by the Romans...
Comiso! Thanks for the memories! YouTube - Comiso NATO Airbase - Abandoned Military Area
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__________________ “that can’t be a prop job....it’s got to be one of the 262 jets.”.... James Finnegan. www.PaperMoneyForum.com |
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02-16-2008, 10:49 AM
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#2 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Escondido,Ca
Posts: 1,800
Country: | Wow thats really cool how did those kids get in i wonder? and whats happening with the place now? man id love to look around there
__________________ Dont shoot him...... It will just make him angry. |
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02-16-2008, 05:23 PM
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#3 | | Der Crewchief
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 28,744
Country: | Looks like a lot of the old bases here in Germany as well.
__________________ US Army Blackhawk Crewchief 2000-2006 Classic ww2aircraft.net quotes: fly boy said: "isn't that the first jet bomber? becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles" "wait what ok who made the b-2 crash come on people that messed up its a b-2" "ah yes the mistel those things are so annoying is games and in real life" |
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02-16-2008, 06:35 PM
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#4 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: NIAGARA
Posts: 4,094
Country: | I got a picture somewhere of a RCAF 417 pilot guy sitting on/in a captured 109/190 at Cosimo in 43/44 I'll try and find it. You can see some of the buildings
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02-16-2008, 08:35 PM
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#5 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 2,095
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Originally Posted by pbfoot I got a picture somewhere of a RCAF 417 pilot guy sitting on/in a captured 109/190 at Cosimo in 43/44 I'll try and find it. You can see some of the buildings | cool.. when I was there, the landing strip was just dirt and gravel . I never saw a plan land there in 2 years.
They found an UXO when I was there though..
i'd like to see the pic
__________________ “that can’t be a prop job....it’s got to be one of the 262 jets.”.... James Finnegan. www.PaperMoneyForum.com |
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02-18-2008, 12:27 PM
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#6 | | Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Posts: 4,186
Country: | Quote:
Originally Posted by comiso90 They found an UXO when I was there though.. |
And ..... just what is a UXO ??? Unidentified X??? Object ?
Charles
__________________ Doing what you like is freedom... Liking what you do is happiness... |
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02-18-2008, 12:37 PM
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#7 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: NIAGARA
Posts: 4,094
Country: | Here is a reference to Comiso I can't verify if its true or otherwise
Many massacres of prisoners of war were committed by units of the American 45th (Thunderbird) Division during the invasion of Sicily in 1943. At Comise airfield, a truck load of German prisoners were machine-gunned as they climbed down on to the tarmac, prior to be air-lifted out. Later the same day, 60 Italian prisoners were cut down the same way.
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02-18-2008, 12:47 PM
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#8 | | Der Crewchief
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Ansbach, Germany
Posts: 28,744
Country: | Quote:
Originally Posted by ccheese And ..... just what is a UXO ??? Unidentified X??? Object ?
Charles | Unexploded Ordinance
WW2 bombs are still found on NATO installations over here in Europe all the time.
__________________ US Army Blackhawk Crewchief 2000-2006 Classic ww2aircraft.net quotes: fly boy said: "isn't that the first jet bomber? becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles" "wait what ok who made the b-2 crash come on people that messed up its a b-2" "ah yes the mistel those things are so annoying is games and in real life" |
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02-18-2008, 01:19 PM
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#9 | | Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Posts: 4,186
Country: | OK.... They were finding lots of that stuff in North Africa in the middle 50's,
when I was there. Minefields were abundant !
I had the pleasure of touring what had been Benina Air Base, in Soluch
(Tripoli) Libya in 1954. It had been a B-24, B-26 air base during WW-II.
Strange feeling walking around that place...
Charles
__________________ Doing what you like is freedom... Liking what you do is happiness...
Last edited by ccheese : 02-18-2008 at 01:24 PM.
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02-18-2008, 10:32 PM
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#10 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 2,095
Country: | Quote:
Originally Posted by pbfoot Here is a reference to Comiso I can't verify if its true or otherwise
Many massacres of prisoners of war were committed by units of the American 45th (Thunderbird) Division during the invasion of Sicily in 1943. At Comise airfield, a truck load of German prisoners were machine-gunned as they climbed down on to the tarmac, prior to be air-lifted out. Later the same day, 60 Italian prisoners were cut down the same way. | Call me a brain washed American but I find that very hard to believe. I actually understand killing "prisoners" if there is no way to secure them. For example, if airborne troopers capture combatants far behind enemy lines what else are they supposed to do? They cant let them go..
But Sicily was a large scale operation. . I cant imagine cutting down prisoners. Especially Italian prisoners in Italy. The chance of locals finding out is too great. Killing Italians in Italy is bad PR.
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__________________ “that can’t be a prop job....it’s got to be one of the 262 jets.”.... James Finnegan. www.PaperMoneyForum.com |
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02-18-2008, 10:59 PM
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#11 | | Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 1,318
Country: | Biscari 1943 This is from Martin Gilbert's book, "Second World War" pp445.  |
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02-18-2008, 11:30 PM
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#12 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Escondido,Ca
Posts: 1,800
Country: | WAR is WAR unfortunatly  givin the chance they would shoot you to get away, same as you would do
__________________ Dont shoot him...... It will just make him angry. |
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02-19-2008, 10:53 AM
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#13 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fresno, CA
Posts: 2,095
Country: | My father was in the invasion of Sicily. I wish he was around so I could ask him if he heard anything.
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__________________ “that can’t be a prop job....it’s got to be one of the 262 jets.”.... James Finnegan. www.PaperMoneyForum.com |
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02-19-2008, 01:08 PM
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#14 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Texas
Posts: 814
Country: | The shootings of prisoners happens. The differance is that it was not policy and Gen Bradley did not cover it up. Imagine if they were stripped and forced into a human pyramid.
dbII |
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02-22-2008, 10:44 AM
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#15 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: logan ohio
Posts: 243
Country: | yeah my missle base i was at is closed down too , it looks as if no one has been there in a hundred years , i got pics off it last year, it was near rockenhausen germany, rhineland plaz |
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