LORAN STATION ESTACA DE VARES
43 47 05.28 N 07 40 35.82 W (1960 Mercury Datum)
Fact Sheet
| Site Survey: | 1955 |
| Construction Date | |
| Constructed by: | |
| Established: | 1960 |
| Disestablished: | JAN 1978 |
| Operated by: | USCG |
| Chain: | NATO “C" |
| Station Letter designation: | 1H5, “S” |
| Station code name: | RITE 3 |
| Station Unit Number: Radio Call Sign: |
AOB-50 |
| Station nickname: | |
| On-air testing date: | 1S4, 1960 |
| Operational date: | 1961 |
| Operations Ceased: | 312400Z DEC 1977 |
| Station Operation: | Single MASTER |
| Station pair: | 1S4, PORSPODOR 1H5, EAST BLOCKHOUSE |
| Loran Rate: | 1S4, 1H5 |
| On-Air: | 1S4, 1961 1H5, 1976 |
| Off-Air | 1S4, 1976 1H5, 312400Z DEC 1977 |
| Monitor Rate: | |
| Equipment: | |
| Antenna: | 120ft Tower |
| Personnel Allowance: | 1967 - LTjg, ET1, 2 ET2, ET3, RM2, 2 RM3, CS2, EN1, EN3, 2 SN, FN |
| Station Mascot: | 1964 - Pedro 1967 – Snoopy was a pup during this period and loved by all. He was injured by our truck and had his left rear leg in a cast for awhile. He then had a disease and it was decided to put him to sleep. A very sad evening when a few of the crew took him outside behind the station, shot him and buried him. I have several photo's of Snoopy during that period. A great dog! Roland Perreault 1975 - Narc |
| Miscellaneous: | 1961 - On-Air date delayed due to Spanish fishing fleet using nearby radio frequencies. 1967 – 1968 12 hrs of operation 2000 to 0800 – French station 12 hour day operation 1977 - Last two and half months station manned by USAF and USCG |
| Commanding Officers / Officers in Charge |
1st CO: LT Robert S. Palmer 1960 - 1961 2nd CO: LT Robert Reynard 1961 – 1962 CO: LTJG Leon Z Katchaian 1964 - 1965 CO: LTJG Lambertson 1965 - OCT 1965 CO: LTJG Raymond D Bland OCT 1965 – OCT 1966 CO: LTJG O'Niell OCT 1966 - 1967 CO: LTJG A. D. Picone 1967 – 1968 CO: LTJG David Light 1968 - 1969 CO: LTJG Fishburn 1969 - 1970 CO: LTJG Jon Neff 1970 - 1971 CO: LTJG Lake 1971 - 1972 CO: LTJG Tom Pearson 1972 - 1973 CO: LTJG Mark Beasley 1973 - 1974 CO: LTJG Christopher Waring 1974 - 1975 CO: LTJG David Crawford 1975 - 1976 Last CO: LTJG John A. Wcislo 1976 - FEB 1978 |
Fred's Place Reunion Hall:
DOCUMENTARY:
SPANISH TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY - CG LORAN STATION ESTACA DE VARES
John A. Wcislo, CO 1976-1977, was recently interviewed by Television de Galicia, a regional station in Northwest Spain, about my time as commanding officer of the subject LORAN station. It is mostly in Castilian Spanish and Galician.
Documents:
01 JUL 1967 - General Information Book - pdf
261103Z NOV 76 - State Department Loran A Station Estaca de Vares,
Spain - pdf
Pictures
Photo from Google Earth
The photo below was contributed by Robert Reynard (CO 1961-62)
Back Row L to R: EN3 Richard Rog, RM2 Jim Philips, SN Mike Fewell, EN1 Don Allen, ET1 Bill Weisenborn
Front Row L to R: ET2 BuD Everritt; LTJG Robert Reynard (CO); CS2 Frank Giangrosso, DC3 Richard Russo
Thanks Bob!
The photos below were contributed by Ray Bland c./1965
c./Dec 1965
Richard L Yeates, ET1 - LTJG Raymond D Bland - Gordon D Campbell, EN1
Robert Wilson, CS1 - Felix Grande y Barge - Antonio Lopez y Lopez - Wayne Smith, RM3
James T Marshall, ET2 - Mam (Felix's mother-in-law) Victoriano Paz y Lopez - Kurt Zajac, FA
Lawrence Gaines, EN3 - Pedro - Douglas L LaCroix, SN
Thanks Ray!
Photo provided by Carl Burkhart c./1973
Thanks Carl!
Be sure and visit Dennis McCord'sEstaca de Vares website.