4th Missile Battalion, 6th Artillery, early 1960s
(Source:
Original photo courtesy of 32nd ADA Bde via CPT William D Vergot)
Spring 1960 Hugh Murphy, from Georgia, is holding an M1 rifle. In the background is Bravo Section with seven boosters and no missiles. The missiles had been deactivated and temporarily stored while a company of Combat Engineers built earthen berms to the front, rear, and sides of the section. The berms were to minimize the blast effects in case of an accidental missile explosion. Historical note: A couple of years earlier, several Nike-Ajax missiles had exploded at a site in Lumberton, NJ.