Officials gathered Thursday to launch a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Vandenberg Air Force Base and its history-making role as the West Coast space and missile launch site.

“This is a really big deal for us...” said Col. Steve Tanous, 30th Space Wing commander. “There's a lot of history on this base.”

Once an Army installation used for training in World War II and the Korean War, the base re-opened as an Air Force base in 1957. The former Cooke AFB was renamed on Oct. 4, 1958, after Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, second chief of staff for the Air Force.

“We are the heart of space operations, and we are advancing space power every day here at Vandenberg,” Tanous said.

About 300 people, including airmen, contractors, civilians and former workers, attended the barbecue at a historic Thor facility - Space Launch Complex-10 - home to the Vandenberg Heritage Center, which displays equipment and artifacts from the base's early days.

Retired Master Sgt. David Young of Lancaster worked on the Thor program at Vandenberg from 1961 to 1969.

“We were very busy ... It was a job we had to do and it was a challenging job,” Young said of working on the early Thor program. He also worked on the Thor test stand at Edwards AFB.

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Several activities in the coming months will lead up of to the 50th celebration's culmination - an anniversary ball on Oct. 4.

Proceeds from Thursday's barbecue by the Non-commissioned Officers Association will be used to help junior airmen attend the ball, according to the kickoff event's organizer, Lt. Kelsey Hayward.

Among future anniversary events are panel discussions about the early reconnaissance program Corona, presentations by space pioneers and the burying of a time capsule.

The military values its history as a critical tool for navigating the future.

“If you don't know where you came from, you really don't know where you're going,” said Capt. A.J. Ashby, project officer for the 50th anniversary celebration and the Delta 4 flight commander. “Like Col. Tanous said, ‘today we stand on the shoulders of giants.' Space wasn't popular back then. Now we see what space brings to the fight - from the Cold War to strategic nuclear deterrence to the continuing war on terror. If it weren't for those guys (pioneers), we wouldn't be able to do what we do.”

Janene Scully can be reached at 739-2214 or janscully@santa

mariatimes.com.

May 16, 2008