Cold War Veterans Blog

North Huntingdon Nike missile site veterans' service gets local tribute

By Patti Dobranski
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, May 16, 2008





Between 1945 and 1991, the Cold War seethed with harnessed hostility between the United States and the former Soviet Union.

At the northern tip of North Huntingdon near the Penn Township border, missiles were concealed just below the surface, ready to be launched to defend America at the Nike Site missile base, Pennsylvania Air Defense Site PI-36.

U.S. Army veteran Rege Holecko was among those veterans who served at one of the 20 Nike missile bases across Pennsylvania. Thirteen of the 20 sites were in the Pittsburgh area.

The list of the region's Nike sites was winnowed to six by 1959 and four by 1973. All were closed in 1974.

Two years ago, the 77-year-old North Huntingdon man began a crusade to erect a monument honoring those veterans who served at the local missile base. He served as a launcher platoon sergeant at the former Rural Ridge missile site in Hamarville, Allegheny County.

At 10 a.m. Saturday, a Cold War monument will be dedicated during a modest ceremony at the entrance of Irwin Park alongside the tributes to veterans of other conflicts.

For Holecko, it's mission accomplished.

"It completes all the monuments that should be there. The monument says it honors those who served at the local site. It also has the insignia from the patch that we wore," he said.

Norwin Historical Society President Carl Huszar said the board decided to build a monument to honor those who served at the local site so today's youth and future generations can realize North Huntingdon was entrenched in the Cold War.

Oak Hollow Park and the Norwin Soccer Club occupy the former Nike missile property. The highway that runs along that former military site is called Nike Site Road, but Huszar theorizes many young people may not realize the history behind that name.

"The idea for the monument grew from a need to recognize the military bases in our area. We were worried about our future generations not knowing there were people that served during the Cold War right here," said Huszar, a retired Norwin history teacher. "We wanted to bring to light for the school kids that there was a threat to national security here and to focus on it."

A bill is before the Committee on Armed Services in the U.S. Senate and House to award military service medals to veterans of the Cold War.

The monument cost approximately $1,000 and was funded with donations from the Norwin Historical Society, the North Huntingdon Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 781 and Irwin Solicitor Alan Berk.

Huszar said the society eventually would like to erect a sign or marker at Oak Hollow Park commemorating the Nike missile site.

Patti Dobranski can be reached at pdobranski@tribweb.com or 724-836-6660.