Inside Manzano: The life of A Nuclear Special Weapons Storage Site

In 1946 the U.S. DoD built a nuclear special weapons storage site in the Manzano Mountains of Albuquerque, N.M. For more than 20 years, the site named Manzano served as a maintenance and storage site for some of the most destructive weapons ever created. Operated by the U.S. Air Force, the site was small and obscure, with highly restricted access. Its covert mission fostered a sense of mystery, leaving the public to speculate on "what really went on behind those security fences." This book tells part of the story of Manzano and shares experiences and anecdotes of 15 officers and enlisted personnel who were stationed there. Their firsthand accounts include nuclear weapons accidents, aircraft crashes, UFO/UAP sightings, almost shooting down a U.S. helicopter to protect a nuclear weapon, and a radiation demonstration called “tickling the tiger’s tail.” Manzano fulfilled its mission from 1950 until 1971 when it was merged into Kirtland AFB, and in 1992 it was decommissioned and rendered “abandoned in place.” The book closes with a chapter about “what’s going on behind those security fences today.” The book is available through Amazon Books, Barnes & Noble, BAM and Google Play.