AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE FORMER MOON TOWNSHIP NIKE LAUNCH SITE. THE MISSILES WERE REMOVED IN 1974. | IMAGE COURTESY OF EARL EDWARDS

Once a barren field storing radar-controlled missiles, the old Nike Hercules Missile Site in Moon Township is now overgrown with trees and wildflowers, preserved by the Hollow Oak Land Trust.

Fifty years post-Cold War, the Hollow Oak Land Trust invites the community to explore the site’s legacy with a guided tour that dives into its rich history and tactical role in the U.S.-Soviet conflict. George Millerschoen, a veteran Nike missile crewman, leads participants through the remnants of the launch area, helping them understand how the facility once looked and operated.

The Cold War — a time of geopolitical tension primarily between the U.S. and former Soviet Union — lasted from the end of World War II to the early 1990s.

“It’s part of history that’s already forgotten, because all these sites are overgrown across the country,” Millerschoen says. “Some of them have been excavated while some of them are still there.”

Primarily located in metropolitan and highly industrial areas, the Cold War-era missile sites aimed to protect against Soviet nuclear threats and intercept potential attacks from enemy aircrafts. Armed with nuclear warheads, the powerful missiles stood as a last line of defense.

“These missiles were designed for a massive attack on the United States,” Millerschoen says. “They were designed to shoot down medium- to high-altitude formation Soviet bombers coming over the polar ice cap, down through Canada into the United States.”

THIS IS NOT FROM THE MOON NIKE SITE, BUT THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A NIKE FAMILY RAISED FOR LAUNCH. | PHOTO COURTESY OF EARL EDWARDS

Pittsburgh served as a strategic location for the missile site, both for its steel production and its proximity to Washington, D.C. Today, many of the sites have been abandoned or repurposed – including one command center in Collier, which is transforming into Grist House Craft Brewery’s latest taproom.

As a crewman at a Nike missile site in the Washington County borough of Finleyville, Millerschoen was responsible for maintaining and preparing the missiles for launch in case of a serious attack during the war. At the time, he was sworn to secrecy and could not disclose the operations at the military zone. While the history of these locations is shared today, the community was largely unaware of the missile sites while they were active.

He remembers an instance when his site was put on high-alert status, responding to a threat of attack during the Yom Kippur War, which lasted 19 days in October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria. Inside the gates, the crew prepped for a potential launch. Meanwhile, just across the street, Millerschoen recalls seeing a group of children playing outside, completely unaware of the serious operations unfolding yards away.

Millerschoen emphasizes the importance of understanding Cold War history and the role that the missile sites played during the conflict. The facilities reflect a period of political tensions, advancing nuclear technology and demonstrating U.S. military power.

AT ONE TIME THERE WERE 12 NIKE SITES AROUND PITTSBURGH, SHOWN BY THE PAIRS OF BLUE DOTS. IN EACH PAIR, ONE WAS THE LAUNCH SITE AND ONE THE CONTROL SITE. FOR MOON, PI-71-L WAS THE LAUNCH SITE AND PI-71-C, ACROSS MONTOUR RUN, CONTROLLED THE MISSILE LAUNCH. | MAP COURTESY EARL EDWARDS

“It was a tit-for-tat thing constantly for 25 to 30 years between Russia and the United States,” Millerschoen says. “And so if you put missiles there, we put missiles here. It’s just that back and forth and that’s what the Cold War was.”

At the Moon site, all the missiles were removed in 1974, he says. The sites remained under government control while they removed any remaining equipment. The sites were then turned over to the local community in the late 1970s.

What’s underground are the empty missile magazines — large concrete rooms large enough to house eight, 41-foot-long Nike Hercules missiles. These rooms were filled with dirt to prevent people from going down inside. There are usually three magazines per launch site.

The next guided tour of Moon’s Nike Hercules Missile Site will be held on Sept. 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The tours are recommended for ages 16 and up, and they are free for Hollow Oak members and $10 for nonmembers.