VIDEO: Demolition of America’s largest LORAN tower

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Posted by: Christopher Lagan

Until 1:30p.m. yesterday, the tower at Coast Guard LORAN Station Port Clarence was the largest structure in the state of Alaska and the largest LORAN tower in the United States. That was until the Coast Guard’s Civil Engineering Unit from Juneau and Controlled Demolition, Inc. conducted a demolition of the 1,350-foot Long Range Aids to Navigation tower. The tower stopped transmitting its signal on February 8, 2010 when LORAN-C was taken offline and was deteriorating to the point of posing a risk of an uncontrolled collapse.

Click the image below for video of the demolition.

The 1,350-foot Long Range Aids to Navigation tower in Port Clarence became the tallest structure in the U.S. was demolished Wednesday, April 28, 2010. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Walter Shinn.)

The 1,350-foot Long Range Aids to Navigation tower in Port Clarence became the tallest structure in the U.S. was demolished Wednesday, April 28, 2010. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Walter Shinn.)

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  • RMC William Lynch, USCG (Ret.)

    Was stationed here 66-67(Mar)as RM-I-C as RM2. Under command of Lt R.E. Shrum, CWO-2(RELE) Joe Lodge as XO. Then Ltjg Tom Nunes as C.O. Some names I recall were ETC Brown, ET1 Zpevak (Speedy), ET2 Bilger, MM2 Marv Speakman, TT3 Vern Mills (now deceased). Memory fails me as to the remainder of crew names, but we had a great crew and made the best of the lonely, isolated 1 year duty, often seeing negative 40deg and much blowing snow……cold & lonely! The “sea stories” that we all could tell about those days!!

  • John Weeks

    I worked as a civilian in N6 at CINCUSNAVEUR London, UK, 1980-85. My steaming shipmates though were Coast Guard types stationed at the U.S. Embassy across the street. They were there to maintain the LORAN stations in Europe. Great bunch of guys and their families. Our October Fest visit was indeed epic.