Thanks for sharing. I remember visiting a Nike site when I was in the Boy Scouts.

Living in the area I have done done some research on the Nike sites.

The patch on the class A is the Army Air Command (ARADCOM) patch the other is the Anti Aircraft Missile Command Unit Patch. Guessing he was originally in the 45th AAA Brigade and later the 5th Regional Army Antiaircraft Command (ARADCOM) after they took over control of the 45th.

5th Region - Fort Sheridan, Illinois. Project Nike Integrated Fire Control Site C-80 of the 45th Antiaircraft Brigade opened at Arlington Field in 1955. The brigade was active in the region, later becoming 45th Artillery Brigade (Air Defense), for many years. The 45th Artillery Brigade controlled the Chicago-Gary Defense Area (10 missile batteries and their Integrated Fire Control sites) from the Arlington Heights Army Air Defense Site. The 5th Region moved to Maxwell AFB, AL, early 1966. 5th Battalion, 562nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment maintained the Barksdale Defense Area until 1966.

HISTORY OF THE 45TH ARTILLERY BRIGADE (AIR DEFENSE), Arlington Heights, Illinois

Source: The Arlington Heights Historical Society`s Clipping Files
At the onset of World War II new developments in the technique and art of warfare created the need for antiaircraft units. The effectiveness of the airplane as a weapon had increased to such an extent that a tremendous expansion of antiaircraft artillery was necessary. On 26 April 1942, this unit was created as an element of the Army of the United States and designated as the 45th Coast Artillery Brigade (Antiaircraft). It was formally activated on 1 June 1942, at Camp Stewart, Georgia.

It trained and participated in the usual exercises and maneuvers until it was sent to the Italian Theater of Operations. While in Italy it was redesignated the 45th AAA Brigade, and earned three campaign streamers for its colors - Rome-Arno; Naples-Foggia and the Northern Appennies Campaigns. All air opposition in the area being neutralized, the unit was inactivated 13 February 1945 and its personnel distributed among the many infantry divisions in the Italian Theater of Operations.

From February 1945 until May 1952, the designation "Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 45th AAA Brigade" was only a line in a troop designation report on file in Washington, D.C. By 1952, events and the world situation had reached a point where the air defense of vital continental cities became necessary and once again many AAA units were needed quickly.

On May 14, 1952, the Brigade Headquarters was reconstituted, transferred from the Army of the United States to the Regular Army, and assigned to the Chicago-Gary Defense Area. The unit was reactivated in the Museum of Science and Industry at Chicago, Illinois, on 28 July 1952. To provide better control, the 45th AAA Brigade moved from Chicago to Fort Sheridan in November, 1953, and part of the Brigade - the 22nd AAA Group at Fort Sheridan -moved into the old Brigade area in Chicago.

As the AAA command continued to enlarge and convert to newer weapons, additional reorganization was necessary. On July 1, 1954, the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 5th Regional Army Antiaircraft Command (ARADCOM), assumed all duties of the 45th AAA Brigade, which took over command of the Chicago-Gary Defense complex. This action formally took place on 20 October 1955 when the 45th AAA Brigade was relieved from assignments to the Army Air Defense Command (ARADCOM) and reassigned to 5th Region ARADCOM. Shortly thereafter on 15 July 1956, the Brigade moved back to its former location in the Museum of Science and Industry of Chicago and the unit of the Brigade then in the Museum was moved to a South Chicago location.

A permanent home was selected and built to accommodate the unit and operational equipment at Arlington Heights, Illinois. On 19 August l957, the unit made a permanent change of station movement and was in full operation at this new site.

During World War II, the site at Arlington Heights was used as a training base for Naval aviators, and was later leased as a private airport and trailer camp. The Army took over the location in 1955, and it became operational as a NIKE-AJAX guided missile site in June 1955.

The 45th Artillery Brigade (Air Defense) was responsible for the Air Defense of the Chicago-Milwaukee area. Its principal weapon is the NIKE-Hercules guided missile.

The 45th Artillery Brigade (Air Defense) was composed of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 45th Artillery Brigade (Air Defense), located at Arlington Heights, Illinois, presently commanded by Colonel Truman F. Cook; the 1st Missile Battalion, 60th Artillery, Gary, Indiana, with four NIKE-Hercules fire units, commanded by Lt. Colonel Oliver D. Street III; and the 3rd Missile Battalion, 59th Artillery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with three NIKE-Hercules fire units, commanded by Lt. Colonel Frederick K. Alderson. The 3rd of the 59th is the most recent addition to the 45th Brigade and with its annexation on 1 August 1964 the name was changed from Chicago-Gary Defense to Chicago-Milwaukee Defense. The 6th Missile Battalion, 3rd Artillery, was phased out and its two firing batteries taken over by 3/59 and 1/60.

In addition to the two Active Army Battalions, the 45th Artillery Brigade had operational control of the 1st Missile Battalion, 202nd Artillery, Illinois ARNG, with four NIKE-Hercu1es units. In December of 1959, the Illinois National Guard assumed control over four AJAX sites fomer1y part of the 22nd Artillery Group. The sites were located at Worth, Illinois; Wolf Lake, Illinois (dual site); and Naperville, Illinois. This was the beginning of the program to place all AJAX sites under the control of the National Guard and leave the Regular Army entirely with Hercules batteries. The next National Guard changeover occurred in the later part of 1960 when four batteries in the 16th Group were turned over to the National Guard. This resulted in the phase-out of the 1st Battalion, 517th Artillery, which had become the 1st Battalion, 202nd Artillery (NG). The National Guard acquired two NIKE-Hercu1es sites at Homewood and Addison in August of 1963. They most recently incorporated Northfie1d and Lemont into their system, the changeover being made in April 1964.

The 45th Brigade also assumed operational control over one unit of the Wisconsin National Guard; a NIKE-Hercules site located in Waukesha and manned by personnel of the 2nd Missile Battalion, 126th Artillery, on 1 August 1964. Nike sites in the Chicago-Milwaukee area extend as far north as Brown Deer, Wisconsin, to the west as far as Addison, Illinois, south to Munster, Indiana, and to the east as far as Porter, Indiana.

The first operational NIKE-Ajax guided missile site was opened in August 1954, at Libertyvi11e, Illinois. The NIKE-Hercu1es was deployed in the defense on 29 August 1958, beginning with Battery A, 485th Missile Battalion, located at Montrose Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, which is now Battery C, 3rd Missile Battalion, 59th Artillery. At present there are twelve NIKE-Hercules fire units under the tactical control of the 45th Artillery Brigade. The 45th Artillery Brigade Army Air Defense Command (AADCP) is equipped with Missile Master, an electronic system used specifically for controlling and coordinating the use of Nike Air Defense Missile Batteries.

Missile Master replaced the old (AADCP) and Tipsy Radar Sites, which began to deactivate during the summer of 1960. Construction of the Missile Master was begun at Site C-80 in Arlington Heights during the latter part of 1959, but it was not until the Fall of 1960 that it became fully operational. The official dedication ceremonies took place on October 28, 1960.

Hope this helps

Thank you my friend and brother SSG Michael Noll for posting the background on your father-in-law Bob [and the photos] who has a has a valve blockage and is awaiting a four wire pacemaker switch. I expect this is may be the tricuspid valve or pulmonary valve [not the mitral valve]
LORD, I lift Bob, his wife, family and the medical team evaluating and treating him. to YOU. YOU designed our body including cardiovascular and nervous systems to remap to work around blockages [given enough time after a cardiovascular incident]. Enable Bob to communicate with his wife and family and strengthen his and their souls to endure the near-term future events. If it is within YOUR will that Bob survive for much longer, that YOU heal his heart function sufficiently for the pacemaker switch to be installed successfully.
By the power and authority of the Name above all names, Jesus the Christ.

In 1981, I visited a friend and classmate who was stationed near Athens, Greece at a Nike Hercules site. That friend died this past January 11, 2022.