THE FIRST GUARDS AT THE ATOMIC BIRDCAGE

The First Battalion 188th Airborne Infantry Regiment were the guards of the Birdcage in the early 1950s. The Kentucky - Tennessee State Line runs through Fort Campbell separating the base into two parts. The 188th AIR was actually in the Tennessee section on the south side and was the Regiment nearest the Atomic Birdcage. Even though the 188th was in Tennessee, our mailing address was located in Kentucky. The Post Office was near the 11th Airborne Division Headquarters on the north side. During the time we had duty guarding the facility there was much talk and speculation as to what we were guarding. Some of the soldiers thought that perhaps it was atomic bombs, some thought it was some nuclear material from Oak Ridge Tennessee and others thought it was only an ammunition storage facility. We had no idea that it contained such a large stockpile of atomic bombs. If an accidental detonation of a bomb had occurred, it would have destroyed a large portion of Fort Campbell and much of Clarksville Tennessee.

The First Battalion guarded the Birdcage and this was probably the reason it was chosen to be sent to the Nevada Test Site in the fall of 1951. This atomic series of tests of 1951 took place on a dry lake bed known as Yucca Flat. There were a total of 7 atomic bombs detonated, some larger than the one dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945.

For many years, we were the guardians of one of Fort Campbell's biggest secrets.

We didn't know the secret, only that it had to be protected at all costs.

The "secret" was the storage of atomic weapons and components at Clarksville Base — nicknamed the "Birdcage" because of the wires and fences that surrounded it — it was the duty of the first Battalion 188th Airborne Infantry to be tasked with guarding it.

The Birdcage covers 3.2 square miles of Fort Campbell and was for the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project. Opened in 1948, it was one of 13 nuclear weapons stockpile sites, and the biggest of the 13.

The Clarksville Base was shut down in 1965, and the land was given to the Army as "surplus" property in 1969. Today, Clarksville Base is a National Register-eligible historic district because of its role during the early years of the Cold War.

The Birdcage, located off South End Road on Fort Campbell, is a series of underground bunkers with thick iron doors built into the hillside. The old facility is approximately one half mile north of Destiny Park and the Eagles Rest RV Park on the Fort Campbell Base.

The guards on duty were not allowed to have entertainment of any kind, including a newspaper, book or even a radio. I am the Editor of this web site and I am one of the Birdcage guards of long ago in the early 1950s. I remember our experience guarding this facility vividly. At the time we guarded it the facility was surrounded with at least four tall chain fences topped with razor wire. I remember at night the whole area was as bright as day, illuminated by many flood lights that encircled the Birdcage. When we had our time off to rest from guarding, it was like sleeping with bright lights shining in our face. During the heyday of the Birdcage, the bunkers may have been filled with atomic warheads or components to make atomic weapons. All of us suspected that we were guarding atomic bombs. However, we never knew for certain because we were never allowed to go inside the bunkers.

Stockpiling of the atomic bomb began slowly, with only 13 in the entire arsenal in 1947. The first four sites were of the main stockpile type, and were built before 1950. Site B was at Clarksville Base, adjacent to Campbell Air Force Base and Fort Campbell. Campbell AFB at Ft. Campbell, KY was transferred to the Army in 1959.

Clarksville Base is a 5,000-acre compound at Fort Campbell, the second of thirteen nuclear weapons storage sites established during the Cold War. The Clarksville Modification Center was called "The Birdcage" by the locals. The facility opened adjacent to the Army base in 1948 as one of 13 nuclear weapons storage sites in the country. This compound northwest of Clarksville housed part of the U.S. nuclear arsenal during the early years of the Cold War in an intricate, well-sealed bunker system. The nuclear operation shut down in 1965, and the facility was annexed in 1969 by Fort Campbell. It is used today as a munitions and equipment storage area for the fort. Many of the buildings and underground tunnels remain intact. Clarksville Base Historic District, a National Register eligible historic district, has been identified as a historic district and is significant due to its role during the early years of the Cold War.

If you were a member of the Armed Forces who participated in the guarding of the Atomic Birdcage at Fort Campbell in the 1950s and 1960s, we would like to hear from you. You can email us at: Editor: John DeBusk yucca51@yahoo.com

This is a link that you can click on to read more about the Clarksville Base (Birdcage) located on the Fort Campbell Military post. This PDF document has a lot of information about storage and refurbishing of atomic weapons at the facility. Click Here to view the document.

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margin-top: 50px; HOME PAGE ADDITIONAL CLAIM FILING INFO MY STORY AT THE NEVADA TEST SITE IN 1951 ROSTER OF MEN IN HQ COMPANY 188TH A.I.R. ROSTER OF MEN IN COMPANY A 188TH A.I.R. ROSTER OF MEN IN COMPANY B 188TH A.I. R. ROSTER OF MEN IN COMPANY C 188TH A.I.R. ROSTER OF MEN IN COMPANY D 188TH A.I.R. THE ATOMIC FACILITY GUARDS AT FT CAMPBELL, KY TOM ROTH'S STORY AT THE NEVADA TEST SITE PUBLICATIONS OF BOOKS ABOUT ATOMIC TESTING DEFENSE NUCLEAR THREAT AGENCY 2005 UPDATE THE ABLE BOMB TEST THAT WAS A DUD VARIOUS ATOMIC BOMB PHOTOS RECA UPDATE FOR ATOMIC VETERANS ATOMIC VETERAN BLOG CLICK ARROW TO SELECT MORE PAGES

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