Even the Logo was Phony: Big Sur Naval Base Cold War Secrets Revealed
“We had heroes in the Cold War” — Carol O’Neil, State Park Volunteer Historian
Story and photographs by David A. Laws
John le Carré dismissed Cold War spy heroes as “ A squalid procession of vain fools” in his 1963 espionage novel The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Volunteer historian Carol O’Neil at the former U.S. Naval Facility on Point Sur State Historic Park in Big Sur, California, 25-miles south of Monterey, would beg to differ. “We had heroes in the Cold War,” O’Neil insisted in an interview on KAZU, public radio for the Monterey Bay area. “It’s important for the cold warriors to know that they are valued, and their stories are out there.”
Eager to hear their stories, I joined a line of vehicles awaiting access to this former top-secret naval operation. Jim, a state park volunteer in a bright yellow safety vest bearing a U.S Naval Facility Point Sur logo patch embroidered with a sea horse, unlocked the security gate. An intimidating “U.S. Property No Trespassing“ sign discourages other visitors. After warnings of the dangers of ticks, rattlesnakes, and crumbling asbestos-laden structures, he directed us to the administration center. Here we joined a dozen or so other visitors curious to learn…
