Near Hathaway in Rosebud County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

The Miles City Air Force Station

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 13, 2020

1. The Miles City Air Force Station Marker

Inscription. In the years following the Korean War, tensions heightened between the United States and Soviet Union. To prevent a surprise communist attack, the U.S. Air Force established a network of radar stations to protect American air space. Using the most sophisticated radar technology available, dedicated airmen manned the stations in some to the most isolated places in the country.

The Miles City Air Force Station was one of eight radar stations in Montana. Established in 1954, it was the home of the 902nd AC&W (Aircraft Control and Warning) Squadron. Located in the badlands near Miles City, the station played an important role during the Cold War. The complex's three radar domes tracked both friendly and enemy aircraft with the military's most modern equipment. The station was a self-contained community with administrative and support facilities as well as communications, recreational, supply buildings, and quarters for single and married airmen. Nature constantly intruded on the station with hot summers, brutally cold winters, rattlesnakes, and an abundance of Black Widow spiders. Despite that, the 902nd efficiently carried

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out its mission until the Air Force changed its priorities and closed the station in 1968.

Erected by Montana Department of Transportation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, Cold. A significant historical year for this entry is 1954.

Location. 46° 15.672′ N, 106° 16.752′ W. Marker is near Hathaway, Montana, in Rosebud County. It can be reached from Interstate 94 at milepost 117 near Graveyard Creek Road, on the right when traveling east. The marker is located at the Hathaway Rest Area Eastbound. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hathaway MT 59333, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Montana, in Custer Country and in the Powder River Basin.

It is also in the American Mountain West,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

on the Great Plains,

and specifically on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 13, 2020

2. The Miles City Air Force Station Marker

markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Cattle Brands (approx. 1.4 miles away); Rosebud (approx. 1.4 miles away); Join the Voyage of Discovery (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Hell Creek Formation (approx. 1.4 miles away); Scouting South of the Yellowstone (approx. 7.1 miles away); St. Philip's Episcopal Church (approx. 7.8 miles away); The Seventh Passes in Review (approx. 7.9 miles away); Rosebud Creek (approx. 9½ miles away).

Credits. This page was last revised on May 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 12, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,588 times since then and 187 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 12, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.