Grand Forks SAGE Direction Center DC-11

 (1957-1963) - A Cold War SAGE System Direction Center first established in 1957 on Grand Forks Air Force Base near the City of Grand Forks, Grand Forks County, North Dakota. Named Grand Forks SAGE Direction Center after the location. Assigned a SAGE ID of DC-11. Deactivated as a SAGE Direction Center in 1963. Destroyed in 2003.

History of Grand Forks SAGE Direction Center
Established in February 1957 and became operational in April 1959 as Grand Forks SAGE Direction Center DC-11.

Closure
The Grand Forks SAGE Direction Center was among the first six SAGE direction centers selected to closed 1963. This first consolidation of direction centers came as technology improvements allowed for each direction center to handle a wider geographic area. The Malmstrom SAGE Direction Center DC-20 and the Duluth SAGE Direction Center DC-10 absorbed the territory covered by both the Grand Forks SAGE Direction Center DC-11 and the adjacent Minot SAGE Direction Center DC-19. In July 1963, Air Defense Command (ADC) turned Grand Forks AFB over to the Strategic Air Command (SAC). The Grand Forks SAGE Direction Center was shut down at 9 am, 4 Sep 1963. SAC converted the SAGE building to house the 321st Strategic Missile Wing which would control a wing of Minuteman II missiles that became operational in December 1966.

Current Status
The Sage Direction Center blockhouse was destroyed circa 2003 and the site was overbuilt with other base facilities. A memorial cold war plaza was built adjacent to the commissary building "...as accepted mitigation for the demolition of the historic SAGE building." The plaza includes twenty story board interpretive panels that outline the history of Grand Forks AFB, included are two panels that are devoted to the SAGE blockhouse, one with the mission and history and another that deals with the closure. At the center of the plaza is a nordic statue titled "The warrior of the North" that symbolizes the Scandinavian heritage of the area and the thousands of airmen that served on the base.

See Also:
 * Malmstrom SAGE Direction Center DC-20
 * Minot SAGE Direction Center DC-19
 * Duluth SAGE Direction Center DC-10
 * Permanent System Radar Sites
 * SAGE System

Sources:

Links:
 * Radomes - Grand Forks SAGE Direction Center
 * Wikipedia - Grand Forks SAGE Direction Center