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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:

OLD - NEW

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

Loran Station Estaca de Vares

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

Loran Station Estaca de Vares circa 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.