Summary

The article unveils the Cold War secrets of the former U.S. Naval Facility on Point Sur in Big Sur, California, revealing its role in submarine detection and the lives of those who served there.

Abstract

The Naval Facility at Point Sur, once a top-secret submarine detection station during the Cold War, is now a part of California's historic places. The base, disguised as an oceanographic research station, played a crucial role in national defense by monitoring undersea sounds for enemy submarines. Despite its closure, the site retains an air of mystery, with many of its activities still classified. The facility's history is brought to life through tours that highlight the heroism of its personnel, the technology used, and the daily life on the base. The article, enriched with photographs and personal accounts, emphasizes the importance of preserving the stories of the "cold warriors" who contributed to the nation's security.

Opinions

Carol O’Neil, a State Park Volunteer Historian, believes that the Cold War had its heroes and that the stories of those who served at the Naval Facility are valuable and should be recognized.
The author, David A. Laws, suggests that the base's personnel were dedicated to their mission, overcoming the challenges of life on an isolated coastal base, and maintained a strong sense of community.
The article implies that the true purpose of the facility was well-concealed, as exemplified by the encounter with Jacques Cousteau, who was unaware of the top-secret nature of the operation.
There is an underlying sentiment that the contributions of the Naval Facility and its personnel have not been fully acknowledged by the public or even within the military community, as many details remain secret.
The author expresses admiration for the resilience and camaraderie of the base's residents, who dealt with less-than-ideal living conditions and a problematic infrastructure.
There is a sense of nostalgia and respect for the former military personnel who, despite their vow of secrecy, have shared their experiences with the docents and visitors, contributing to the preservation of the site's history.
The author indicates a desire for further revelations about the facility, particularly regarding the legend of a secret submarine base hidden in man-made caverns under Point Sur.

Even the Logo was Phony: Big Sur Naval Base Cold War Secrets Revealed

**Abandoned Cold War Naval Facility (NAVFAC) building with view of Point Sur**

“We had heroes in the Cold War” — Carol O’Neil, State Park Volunteer Historian

Story and photographs by David A. Laws

John le Carré dismissed Cold War spy heroes as “ A squalid procession of vain fools” in his 1963 espionage novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Volunteer historian Carol O’Neil at the former U.S. Naval Facility on Point Sur State Historic Park in Big Sur, California, 25-miles south of Monterey, would beg to differ. “We had heroes in the Cold War,” O’Neil insisted in an interview on KAZU, public radio for the Monterey Bay area. “It’s important for the cold warriors to know that they are valued, and their stories are out there.”

Eager to hear their stories, I joined a line of vehicles awaiting access to this former top-secret naval operation. Jim, a state park volunteer in a bright yellow safety vest bearing a U.S Naval Facility Point Sur logo patch embroidered with a sea horse, unlocked the security gate. An intimidating “U.S. Property No Trespassing“ sign discourages other visitors. After warnings of the dangers of ticks, rattlesnakes, and crumbling asbestos-laden structures, he directed us to the administration center. Here we joined a dozen or so other visitors curious to learn the secrets hidden in this former submarine detection station known as the Point Sur Naval Facility.

Point Sur SHP is better known for its haunted light station atop the eponymous rock monolith. The Central Coast Light Keepers, a non-profit organization that led restoration of the lighthouse and trains docents for tours, also manages public access to this sprawling campus of decaying mid-20th century buildings. So began our Point Sur Naval Facility tour.

Our tour guide, Todd, set the scene. He described the Cold War era MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) stand-off between the Soviet Union and the West. Under the guise of an oceanographic research station, the navy commissioned a SOSUS (SOund SUrveillance System) listening post on this site in 1958. Seeing the sign with the friendly-looking sea horse insignia, French marine explorer Jacques Cousteau stopped to inquire about the nature of the research. He was surprised to learn that the installation was top-secret and did not admit visitors.

Cables with multiple hydrophones attached stretched for miles across the ocean floor. Technicians monitored undersea sounds for specific patterns indicating the presence of missile-carrying enemy submarines. To maintain the top-secret capabilities of this technology, even inside the base, access to the cable-terminal equipment, called the T-building, was severely restricted behind its own secure fence and armed guard post. Monitoring of sonar signals continued until the mid-1980s when retired Navy officer John Walker was arrested for spilling the beans to the Soviets.

Even today, little is known publicly about the facility's activities other than its role in locating Soviet submarine K-129 that sank near Hawaii in 1968. An official Navy report deemed the project successful as determined by “how much was accomplished in a remarkably short time. Certainly, a major factor was a serendipitous confluence of events — the discovery that low-frequency sounds could travel great distances in the ocean, [and] the realization that submarines radiate identifiable low-frequency energy. “

We followed a cracked, weed-lined asphalt road towards the ocean. Todd explained the role of a series of gutted concrete block buildings. Peeling paint, smashed windows, and dangling hinges remain as skeletons of this once bustling community. Cafeteria crockery clatter, music from the theater, the crack of bowling balls in the alley, rowdy laughter from the officer’s mess, and urgent chatter in the communications center are long gone, replaced by the mournful whistle of wind through broken windows and debris-strewn hallways. Although the federal government donated most of the campus to California State Parks in 2000, it retained ownership of the cable terminal site.

**The Cable Terminal T-Building is still owned by the U.S. government. Image: Courtesy KAZU**

Peering through the perimeter wire at the top-secret, windowless T-Building, we learned that scientists at the Naval Post Graduate School have confirmed that some of the hydrophones are still working. No longer analyzed to yield the presence of whales, freighters, or enemy submarines, their sonar signals go unheard. A proposal in 2007 to reactivate the facility to train future Navy commanders in making decisions about combat situations with sonar technology went unheeded.

Like the loyal servants of Britain’s WW II Bletchley Park decoding center, former military personnel keep their vow of secrecy and will not reveal details of their service at the Point Sur Naval Facility. However, several of them have visited the site since tours began and were happy to talk to the docents about the joys and tribulations of daily life on the base.

A strong sense of community and belief in the mission overcame the irregular steam-heating system and other discomforts of life in the cool, damp coastal climate. Facility managers recall a problematic wastewater treatment plant and other issues in meeting the daily needs of more than 100 residents on an isolated coastal base that kept them busy day and night.

**Dormitory-style bachelor quarters at Point Sur Naval Facility**

Living, dining, and off-duty facilities reflected a resident’s rank. The only sizeable two-story structure on campus, a long dormitory with little privacy, housed bachelor enlisted personnel. Married families and officers enjoyed a dozen or so detached cottages hidden from the road by a dense grove of Cypress trees.

**Tour group pauses outside a munition storage “igloo”**

Park docents look forward to when some of the homes can be restored and open to public view with furnishings based on each of the decades the base was open. Our tour concluded in the Administration building, the only restored interior on the base with white-painted concrete block walls decorated with documents and photos from Cold War days. A small gift shop sells books and the original fake Oceanographic Research Station logo patches worn by our guides. An embroidered sea horse image on an ocean blue background and “Strength in Unity” slogan reveals nothing about the true nature of the operation.

“It’s clear that not all secrets have been revealed”

But even after my extensive tour of Point Sur Naval Facility, this unique addition to California’s inventory of historic places, it’s clear that not all secrets have been revealed. I’d certainly like to know more about the origins of the legend of a Navy submarine base hidden in giant man-made caverns under Point Sur.

**Poster from 2019. Check website for current prices and times.**

IF YOU GO: Plan for cool ocean winds year-round. Wear layered clothing. Point Sur State Historic Park is located at 44350 Cabrillo Highway (California Highway One), 25 miles south of Monterey. The entrance is immediately south of the gate to the light station. Guided walking tours are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays. Visit pointsur.org for current information.

See “Point Sur Lightstation: A Haunted Ghost Town on Ocean-View Big Sur Real Estate” for information on tours of the lighthouse.

Updated version of a story originally published on the Travel Examiner website at https://travelexaminer.net