Nike Missile St. Louis Defense Area
Three sites guarded St. Louis on the east side of the Mississippi River. The designations
and locations of these sites were:
SL-10 at Marine SL-10 IFC - SL-10 Launch Area
SL-40 at Hecker SL-40 IFC - SL-40 Launch Area
SL-90 at Alton/Pere Marquette. SL-90 IFC - SL-90 Launch Area
Along with a Missouri site, these Nike Hercules installations, active from 1960 until 1968, were manned by Regular Army units. The Chicago District of the Corps of Engineers oversaw design and construction of these sites. Command and control was handled from a "Birdie" facility located in Belleville. Headquarters facilities were located at Scott AFB.
Site SL-60, located 5 miles south of Pacific, was the lone Nike Hercules battery defending St. Louis on the Missouri side of the Mississippi. The Chicago District of the Corps of Engineers oversaw the design and construction. The battery was active from May 1960 until December 1968.