WPLA.NET

Master Naval Jet Base NAS Cecil Field Jacksonville, Florida
Yellow Water Special ( Nuclear) Weapons Storage Facility Magazine once guarded by the United States Marine Corps.

Tour a Decommissioned Military Nuclear Weapons Storage Facility . Atomic, bombs were once stored here. I can neither confirm nor deny anything.

BRAC Closed this facility in 1999 handing it over to the city of Jacksonville.  The city has invested millions to raze old buildings and update the 1940 infrastructure to today's standards.

Other local Navy News: Mayport NS is being considered as a home port for a nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

Eight Marines standing proud at the 50th anniversary of the opening of Yellow Water.
click here for more pictures!

AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION, DECEMBER 2001:

Several years ago, approaching this innocuous entrance would get you immediately detained. They were very serious about security.

In order to get weapons from the magazines to awaiting aircraft, they were routinely trucked across State Road 228. Florida Highway Patrol Troopers stopped traffic a half mile in either direction and Military Police cleared the area.

I once had vehicle problems and stopped on the side of the road just prior to a weapons transfer. Being in the "hot zone", I was approached by MP's, ordered to leave my vehicle and ride with them to a secure location. I tried to explain I'd have the problem fixed momentarily, but soon decided not to argue with these heavily armed fellows who had a very serious demeanor.

I was taken to the Main Gate and put inside the reception area with several other civilians. We were locked in and guarded by an armed MP but curiously enough were allowed to look out the windows and watch what was going on.

Security vehicles buzzed back and forth for a few minutes and then it came. First was an Armored Personnel Carrier with a big gun on top. Then I could see a helicopter flying low and slow with the side door open and a guy pointing a big gun out of it. Next was a military tractor trailer towing what appeared to be a 45 foot flatbed with a tarp covering a long tubular object. Another APC followed. A few minutes after this parade, I was taken back to my vehicle and just dropped off. 

Flash forward to December 2001, a few years have passed since the decommissioning of the Navy Base. Curiosity, getting the best of me, I ventured beyond the innocuous entrance and well into the once Super high security area along with my camera. Enjoy the tour as I saw it.

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UPDATE: January 16, 2004, 
     I found all gates once again open and ventured back for another look. Nothing but dirt where the Administration  buildings and personnel quarters once stood. Two track hoe operators were hard at work dismantling the magazines. The east magazines are leveled and only two magazines remain in the North line. All buildings are gone from the main compound and all that remains is the water tower. It won't be long before all traces of the entire site will be totally erased from the area. Only these few  photographs and a couple of signs I rescued from the dump remain as a testament to the fact that this area ever existed. 
   Florida Community College ( FCCJ ) at Jacksonville plans to have a facility built on the Cecil Field Commerce Center site soon. 

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UPDATE: November 16, 2004, 
     A new roadway and entrance to Cecil Commerce Center is located a few hundred yards to the east of the original entrance. The old entrance is closed as well as the old 103rd Street / Normandy triangle. It won't be long before the whole original entrance area to Cecil Field / Yellow Water will be obliterated. Old-timers visiting the area will soon not recognize a thing.  That's progress.

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UPDATE: December 04, 2007
       A small weapons magazine line is being dismantled on the old Cecil Field side. Not part of the Yellow water project, but interesting none the less. No traces of this magazine exist on the location

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UPDATE: December 17, 2008
       The small weapons magazine above is gone. In November, I got a picture sent to me from very early in Yellow Water history (1965). This is the original unit mascot! Also got this picture of an APC.

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Keep in mind that the comments about the pictures  you see in this and the following pages are purely speculation on my part. If you find incorrect comments, please let me know and I'll be happy to correct them.

I would also like to add some of your old Cecil Field pictures to this website. Please feel free to contact me and we'll set aside and area for these photos.

visitors since 12/03/2001

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This page last updated: Saturday, August 02, 2014 04:56 PM