How did Raco, Kincheloe and a radar station in Michigan’s upper peninsula work to protect the Soo Locks and our nation? We were intrigued by these sites. We had heard about them from Chuck’s father, Nile Hayden, so Da Viking and I visited these areas in the U.P. to learn more.

753rd Radar Base

Our first stop was the radar base where Nile and his crew monitored the sky for enemy aircraft during the early 1970’s. The present state of the buildings was shocking.

Nile had come to this position with a lot of expertise. He had monitored the skies in both Alaska and Greenland. So the upper peninsula’s environment was less harsh.

Kincheloe Air Force Base

Nile and his family lived on Kincheloe Air Force Base located about 25 miles from the radar station and 20 miles east of Raco Airfield.

Raco Field

Raco had been a sawmill settlement along the railroad in 1887. It’s name came from the owners Richardson and Avery Company. Raco Army Airfield was established in the 1930’s to protect the Soo Locks. Under President Roosevelt’s New Deal 200 young men from Detroit were housed at the camp. They built roads and the buildings as well as planted trees.

The three runways allow an aircraft to land more easily in relation to the wind direction.

In 1942 Raco was used to refuel aircraft on their way to Alaska. By 1945 the base had been developed into an anti-aircraft artillery site as a defense against Soviet Union bombers which would fly south from Canada.

During this era Raco served as one of the 32 Michigan P.O.W. camps. (Prisoner of War) Two hundred sixty-seven German Nazis were housed at “Camp Raco.” Having most of the young United States citizens stationed far from home in Europe fighting, left many agricultural and forestry jobs that needed to be completed here in the states. These German prisoners accomplished the work and were paid $0.80 a day. When the war ended, prisoners were reluctant to return to their own country.

Raco air field was twenty miles to the southwest of the radar station. Nile’s job would be to call Raco air field to engage a Soviet bomber with anti-aircraft guns and BOMARC missiles. Nile was the man behind the missiles.

In 1960 BOMARC missiles were installed at Raco. By 1972 intercontinental missiles had been developed making the BOMARC weapons obsolete, so Raco was closed.

There had been some frightening times in these desolate wooded areas of Michigan’s upper peninsula during the cold war. Nile shared three different specific stories when our nation was poised and prepared for war. “But you can’t write about that.” He stated after each adventure. I can share that the B-52 bombers were always in position at the end of the runway and could be airborne in just minutes. One night Nile had received a phone call at his home on the Kincheloe Airforce Base and arrived at the radar station in 15 minutes (a twenty five mile drive). “People don’t need to know about these times. That was our job.” Nile nodded.

As technology changed in the early 1970’s the radar station was abandoned. Later it was sold for a dollar to a man who currently rents the tower height to cellular and internet businesses. Kincheloe was closed and turned into a prison and international airport. Raco Airforce base is now owned by Smithers who executes winter road tests for vehicles and tires.

Loyal men, like Nile, worked to keep our country safe so Americans could raise their families without worry. I commend their tenacity and honor. Even today, Nile continues to make a positive impact in his community by running for Village President of Sand Lake. He handed out mini bars of soap, “Nile Hayden for Village President Running a Clean Campaign.”