Hello, When we were cruising around as teens, we always had cause to go by the Long Beach Airport and the next door neighbor, Douglas Aircraft manufacturing plant. There next to the airport and Veteran’s Stadium, was Lakewood Blvd. Douglas Aircraft buildings on Lakewood Blvd. with civil defense buildings lining the long wall. Now, in looking far and near, it is difficult to get a true photo of those concrete bunkers that used to line the front of the buildings along Lakewood Blvd. as we drove by, someone would always make a remark about the usefulness of such buildings. But, it was the height of world wide relations with other countries, including the famous “Cuban Missile Crisis.” So, we all thought those concrete bunkers lining the street were going to be useful. We still could not see how, but they were there. These days, no photos are around to show the tense situation that was in the air… pun intended. Jnaki “Because of its sensitive location and its crucial role in achieving air superiority for the U.S., the functional design of the Long Beach plant incorporated a number of defenses against the possibility of air raids. Jointly designed by the Los Angeles based architectural firm of Taylor and Taylor and the Department of the Army engineers, and reportedly modeled on its counterparts in England, it was built as the nation's first sealed, windowless "blackout" facility.” “Advance press touted it as "invisible." All buildings featured entryways and receiving bays that were only accessible through double, light-concealing "trap" doors (light-proof doors), in anticipation of 24-hour operations. It was also the nation's first fully air-conditioned factory, the "artificial weather" necessary to compensate for the lack of ventilation. 16 Then-new mercury and fluorescent lights were installed throughout.” “Duplicate utilities were installed to insure against potential power loss. The entire facility was publicized as bombproof and featured underground bomb shelters to accommodate 18,000 workers. Additional underground storage for parts and completed airplanes was built. A Douglas official was quoted during its planning: "It is like a world of the future and our ideas, which will evince themselves once this dark city rises, will put H.G. Wells' science to shame."17 Notwithstanding secrecy surrounding the plant's design and precautions taken regarding its exterior visibility, the fact of the plant's construction, and its intended purpose, were "no closely guarded secret," according to a speech given during dedication ceremonies by a senior military official” Note: There was one advantage to this long stretch of roadway with concrete bunkers lining, almost the whole long straightaway. It was a half mile straight road, leading to a fairly empty curving portion near the airport runways and finally, a mile later, a stop light. A nice place for a midnight run in open spaces. One advantage was that at night, no one was around well past the airport. The whole area surrounding the Douglas Aircraft Buildings was usually dark and quiet late at night. The side of the property along Carson Street was the surplus yard. One side was the long supply yard and construction buildings. The other was a golf course with tall trees to absorb or block out the sound of high performance motors winding out to peak rpms. A good place late at night. Today, the corner of the same property is a high functioning shopping center and food court. The traffic is heavy at most times during the day and late into the evening, as more folks discover the popular corner now called LBX (Long Beach Exchange) Retail Center. YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
