The Cloud Hoax Story An Investigative Analysis of Pastor Reckarts Critique

By Bernard Cox

Nothing can be more dangerous to ones relationship with God than to declare that the work of God is not of God. To say that is tantamount to saying, The vindicated signs and wonders of God are of the devil. That is blasphemy. So, may God have mercy on me as I enter into this investigation! Below, you will find a document entitled, The Cloud Hoax Story by a pastor Reckart; (whom I do not know anything of) which I found open to the public on the internet. The contents thereof are most disturbing to say the least. The statements made therein are critical towards the irrefutably vindicated prophet of God to this the seventh church age; the age of Laodicea... William Marrion Branham. The points of criticism therein warrant an investigation for reasons which will become apparent as we go along. Let me first and foremost state categorically that the prophet never ever believed that the prophets of God are infallible. He did say the God is sovereign unto Him self and can do what He desires; when He desires though he believed that God would never work against His own Word. Br. Branham also declared that God only reveals to His prophets the things He desires to reveal and nothing more. That is why Br. Branham made it clear that when God speaks; it comes as, THUS SAITH THE LORD. Other than that, it is His prophet speaking from his own revelation, (all revelation comes by the Holy Ghost) and sometimes from his finite understanding; which is subject to correction by the Holy Ghost in due season and sometimes God leaves it uncorrected... He is infinite and sovereign and does not reveal all His secrets and plans to His prophet or to His children. Having said that, I ask you to venture further and to read the following published document.

The Cloud Hoax Story

By Pastor Reckart William Branham lied.. William Branham claims that on 2/28/1963 he was up in Sabino Canyon 40 miles northeast of Tucson, when he was visited by seven angels who descended to him in the form of an inverted pyramid "V". When they departed he claimed a circular cloud appeared over him and it gradually rose higher and higher going up to the level of 140,000 feet. He made reference to this mystery cloud in a sermon "Rising of the Sun" preached in Jeffersonville on 4/18/1965. This is over two years from the time the mystery cloud appeared.

Here are some facts: Branham claimed these seven angles instructed him to go back to Jeffersonville, it was time to reveal the seven seals. The visit by the angels was also the cause of an alleged blast so loud and strong that hugh bolders rolled down mountain sides where Branham was at. According to Fred Sothman, a Canadian who moved to Tucson in 1962 to be near Branham, he, Branham and Gene Norman were up in the mountains hunting Javelina when these angels supposedly came to Branham. Here is Branham's quote: "Brother Branham said: Science took the picture all the way from Mexico as it moved from northern Arizona, where the Holy Spirit said I would be standing (forty miles northeast of Tucson). And it went into the air, and "Life" magazine packed the pictures: a mystic something way in the spheres there there can be no moisture, where there can be no evaporations of anything, thirty miles high and twenty-seven miles across and coming right up from where those Angels were. RISING.OF.THE.SUN_ JEFF.IN V-3 N-12 SUNDAY_ 65-0418M". Branham lied! The cloud as he said went right up from where those angels were and he alleged it was the same cloud that appeared the same evening at sundown overhead in Flagstaff, 190 miles to the North. It is very clear that the mystery cloud that "did" appear over Flagstaff on the evening of 2/28/1963 continued moving in a west to east direction at the 140,000 ft elevation. It appeared such even 28 minutes after sundown. Its shape over this half an hour time changed drastically until it looked like a hangman's noose. Since the mystery cloud was moving in the normal direction of the high winds at that height, and since Branham claimed the cloud went up in the air, we can assume the cloud acted like all other normal vapor or smoke clouds in association to wind direction and speed. There were no winds of any speed on 2/28/1963 that was blowing vapor or smoke clouds from Tucson toward Flagstaff on this date. Branham did not claim the angels went up to 140,000 feet and left a circle cloud. He did not say he saw the angels fly to the north toward Flagstaff and somewhere in that direction released or caused this circle cloud. He said the cloud went right up from where those angels were that visited him. This means the circle cloud had to rise up over Sabino Canyon, continue on rising higher and higher until it was at the 140,000 elevation. And then, in order for it to be overhead in Flagstaff at 1840 MST, it had to travel 190 miles in a short time. Branham lied, Sothman lied, and Gene Norman lied.

Here is a man who claimed such a dynamic visitation with blast and a miracle circle cloud and yet his conduct soon afterward was not at all the least affected. The stories do not match. Sothman said they were up there hunting javelina. Branham claimed different. He claimed in his message at Jeffersonville on 3/17/1963 the following: "One early morning." "I got up into Sabino Canyon." "I want to be honest." "I'm more inclined to believe that it was a vision." "I had my hands out saying,: Lord, what does this blast mean, and what does these seven angels in a constellation of, of the pyramid, picking me up from off the ground and turning me eastward: what does it mean?" If he saw a vision how is there then a natural cloud of some sort that pops outside the vision and becomes real and floats to Flagstaff 190 miles away in less then an hour? In his message, Branham then goes into a strange account of holding a King's sword. He makes no mention of Sothman or Norman being with him on this trip. He makes no mention of hunting javelina. He makes no mention of THE CLOUD! The story Sothman concocted years later is a lie. He claims the Cloud and angels visited Branham when they were on a hunting trip together and Branham claimed he was alone when the blast and angels appeared. Branham mentioned NO CLOUD! Who is lying here? Here are some more facts. Branham claimed he went up to the mountain early in the morning. He claims the cloud appeared early that same morning. Yet according to

recorded facts about the mystery cloud, it was being blown by 130mph winds at the 140,000 foot height going from due West to due East, AND IT WAS 6:40pm in the evening right at sundown when it was passing over Flagstaff 190 miles north of Tucson. No winds were blowing from Sabino Canyon toward Flagstaff, South to North, at any height that day. Branham made a big deal of this mystery cloud when he discovered it via newspapers and magazines. He used this cloud and his claim it was caused by seven angles who visited him, to make him look more the prophet Elijah. He placed a lot of emphasis on this mystery cloud until he boasted of it a whole year before he was killed on Christmass eve by a drunk driver in Texas. He came out with this claim the cloud was made by the angels in his message dated 4/18/65. He was to live just over eight months after this message! Here are some more things to think about: If anyone else had such an encounter with seven angels and a blast so violent it shook rocks off mountains, it would be something you soon told. The next time you were before a congregation you would mention it. Especially if the angels picked you up by the hair of your head and turned you eastward. The first message Branham preached after the mystery cloud appeared on 2/28/63, was in Houston, Texas on 3/04/1963. You can read the transcript of this message over and over and not find any mention of the CLOUD or ANGELS or BLAST that shook rocks down mountain sides. Now 2/28/1963 was on a Thrusday. He went back home that day and told no one. Get that, he told no one about what he supposedly had experienced, not even his wife! He did not call anyone and tell them, not a single member of the 600 size congregation there. He went to bed that night and got up Friday (April 1) and departed for Houston, Texas. He arrived in Houston on Sunday April 3rd. On Monday, April 4th he preached his sermon "A Absolute" http://nathan.co.za/message.asp? sermonum=918. Get that, four days after this explosive encounter and the cloud, he is preaching in Houston and NEVER MENTIONS THESE THINGS! He departed from Houston and NEVER TOLD A SOUL! Branham then goes to Jeffersonville where he preached on 3/17/63 "God Hiding." He again MENTIONS NOTHING OF THE CLOUD! He preached on 3/17; 3/18; 3/19; 3/20; 3/21; 3/22; 3/23; and 3/24 in Jeffersonville revealing the seven seals. In his message entitled The Breach Between The Seven Church Ages And The Seven Seals (63-0317E) he mentions the seven angels and the pyramid shape of their descent. He NEVER MENTIONS THE CLOUD. All he mentions is the V shape of the angels as he says they appeared to him.

The facts are clear. Branham did not make use of the mystery cloud until after he learned of it when it was published in Science Magazine on April 19, 1963. Branham did not discover this magazine until many months after it came out. It was the article in Life Magazine on May 17, 1963 that the cloud first caught his attention and he made use of it. All the pictures of the mystery cloud used by Branhamites come from the stories in these magazines. Branham outright lied when he said this cloud is the same one he claims the seven angels made when they came and departed from him. The fact is, this cloud is not a vapor cloud at all. It is a cloud of smoke and the remains of rocket fuel from a Thor rocket that had been launched the afternood of 2/28/1963 at 1:52PST at Vandenburg, California. The rocket was blown up at 147,000 feet because of a malfunction. At this height there was a west to east wind blowing around 130mph. The smoke from the explosion formed the circle shaped cloud. The jet stream winds carried the cloud due east from Vandenburg toward Flagstaff, Arizona. Because of some lower clouds this one was not observed in Arizona until around sunset. The cloud remained sunlit for 28 minutes after official sundown in Flagstall. Giving account for the curvature of the earth and it being seen as far away as Elpasso, Texas it was estimated to be 140,000-147,000 feet high exactly on the same level as the smoke and vaporized rocket fuel of the destroyed Thor rocket. The issue is always made out that water vapor does not exist at this height because it is between -40 and -60 degrees. It is claimed that because it is not natural for such a cloud at this height except over the Arctic (nacreous clouds). Therefore it is a miracle cloud and angels visiting Branham created it. Reports from all the magazines and from James McDonald are used to prove the cloud is a miracle cloud and has no earthly explanation. From this a leap is made to say this verifies and validifies Branham's claim it was created when the angels visited him 40 miles north of Tucson. As stated already, there was no wind blowing from Tucson toward Flagstaff that day at any elevation. And do not tell me the angels carried the cloud 190 miles north and then released it to then be blown further East by the West jet stream. The cloud hoax is another of Branham's lies. It is another lie still used by Branhamites to make his false doctrines acceptable by means of these miracles. Branham lied. The mystery cloud came from the explosion of a rocket, not by seven angels. The fact that Branham did not mention this cloud BEFORE he learned of it from newspapers and magazines, is easily seen. If he had mentioned this cloud in his Houston trip we could come better believing him. He did not and to me this translates that he never saw this cloud and he never saw these alleged angels forming a cloud.

Pastor Reckart Branham's Son Speaks At Full Gospel Businessmen's Meeting Branham's Car Wreck and Tomb Back to Homepage

Im going to attempt to search for some clarification on this issue with the intention to establish the balance between actual events which took place from the time of the appearance of the cloud and the months and years that followed, and the accusations leveled against Gods anointed prophet based upon the evidence presented, and a thorough, unbiased investigation, (which is limited to my resources). I will first try to find all that I can regard the advent of the cloud based upon what was delivered to the church via the taped sermons. Then I will seek to verify the validity of the claims made by said pastor Reckart. We will seek to verify when the prophet first mentioned the cloud. We will then try to place into perspective the arrival time of the seven angels, the mysterious light which was seen by the school children in the foothills of the mountains, the elevating of the prophet into the midst of that light and how high he was elevated. We will also show that pastor Reckart has misinterpreted the fact that the Prophet had already shot his hog and had parted company with brother Fred Sothmann with a view to locate the javaina and try to herd them in the direction of brother Sothmann so that he could shoot his hog also. We will attempt to rightly depict the events of the day prior to the appearance of the cloud and the events of the day that it did appear and if possible, the aftermath. We will try to verify times of the events as best as we can. We will try to determine whether the blast caused the cloud whether the blast occurred before the angels arrived, or during the elevation of the prophet; or as they left him. We will try to verify whether the prophet was in fact confused about the notion of the event being a vision or a reality. We will try to establish the whereabouts of the other brethren at the time of the blast and at the time of the appearing of the cloud. We will also investigate the details of the blast that shook the mountain which sent rocks flying and cutting the tree-tops off which to my knowledge was on another occasion and not on the same day of the cloud. At the end of it, we have one element of this phenomenon which cannot be disputed and that there was the indisputable image of a face in the cloud, with a remarkable resemblance to the painting of the Lord; which Br. Branham confirmed, was the closest resemblance to the features of the Lord Jesus as he had seen Him in the many visions which he experienced. I refer to the painting of the Rich Young Ruler by Heinrich Hofmann from which, the popular Head of Christ or Christ at Thirty Three is taken.

THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 3-1 But now, one thing that I wish to say this morning that I probably won't--will not next Sunday, is concerning something that happened yesterday. I was a little reluctant on coming in this morning, because I really-kind of torn up, so that I--I don't feel much like it; but being that I'm here, well, I'll try the best that I can. THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 3-2 Night before last I had company, Brother and Sister Sothmann (as we know here, one of the trustees of the church and his wife) came up to visit wife and I. And we were speaking on the oncoming meetings in Phoenix, and around, if it'd be the will of the Lord. And we were up till about ten-thirty, I guess; and I went to bed somewhere around eleven. And sometime in the night, I dreamed a dream. And in this dream, I seen someone that was supposed to be my father: a great huge man. Just representing, figuratively speaking, my father. I seen a woman. Didn't look my mother; but yet, she was supposed to be my mother. And this man that was supposed to be like the father, the husband of this woman, was cruelly mistreating her. Insomuch that he had a great chunk of wood, and he'd hold her up like this and strike her with this chunk of wood, and she would fall out and go down. And then--and then after while she'd get back up again, and he'd walk around and take a notion to strike her again; he'd strike her again. And I was standing off at a distance watching it. THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 3-3 Finally, I just got fed up on it. And I was way smaller than this man, was supposed to be like my father. So I walked up to him, and put my finger in his face, and I said, "Don't strike her again." And when I did, something begin to happen. My arms begin to pulsate, and I got great big, brawny muscles. I never seen such muscles. And I--I just took the man by the collar and said, "Don't strike her again. And if you do, you'll have to deal with me if you strike her again." And the man got scared of me and left her alone. I woke up. Well, laying there just in a moment, of course the interpretation of that come. That was, of course, the woman, figuratively speaking is the church, which is kind of the mother. The father is the denomination over her, that dominates over the church like the husband over the wife. And it's these denominations striking that church and don't even let her get on her feet like that. Just every time she tries to get up, or do something, the--the people in there, the denomination strikes her down. And it just means to put some-some faith muscles out here to keep sticking my finger out there and say, "You're dealing with me." You see? 'Cause there's some people in there that belongs to God. And that was all right.

THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 4-1 About--we'd been up about two hours, or three, I guess; and my daughter (one of them) Rebekah, back there, she works at the Methodist Hospital in Louisville. It's oh, that amateur form of nurse training; it's "Candy Stripers" they call them, or something like that. And she was a--she... They called her to come over that morning, and that's what got me up. And it's early, and she with some other little school colleague here (they--they work there together) and was going to take them over to Louisville. They had to be there at ten o'clock. And the wife wondered why she couldn't get in the bedroom. I had it locked. THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 4-2 Now, I have had many things to happen in my life, but I never had anything like that. I went into a trance. I don't know the interpretation. I've never had anything like it in my life. But before me, it seemingly that I realized that it was a vision, and I was in the vision. But I was talking to my son, Joseph which he was not in the room at the time. But somehow, just as it struck me, I was talking to Joseph. And I--I looked up, and kind of in the shape of a pyramid, standing before me, was little small birds, something like a half-inch long. And they were up at the top on the limbs, they was a--may say three or four, and the next--next limb had maybe eight or ten, and down at the bottom had fifteen or twenty. They were little warriors, because their feathers was beaten; and looked like they were trying to talk to me, saying something. THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 4-4 And I was in the west, seemingly around Tucson, Arizona. And the birds were looking east, and I was listening close to--trying to say... Looked like they were trying to tell me something. And they had--little feathers was all been beat up and things. They were pretty well battle-scarred. Then all of a sudden, one bird begin to take the other one's place--jumping like that--and they, the little birds, swiftly left, flying eastward. And when they did, from that came a larger bird, more like doves, with the pointed wings; and--and--and they come in a swarm and swiftly--more swift than what the little birds was--flew eastward. THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 4-6 And I, still in my--the two consciouses together, I knowed I was standing here, and I knowed I was somewhere else. See? And I thought, "Now, this is vision, and I must learn what this means." And no more than the

second group of birds come by, I looked to the west; and it looked like in a form of a pyramid, like two on each side with one in the top, came five of the mightiest Angels I ever seen in my life. Such a terrific speed I never seen... Their heads back and their pointed wings just sailing quickly. And the power of Almighty God struck me in such a way till it lifted me plumb from the ground, all the way from the ground up. I could hear Joseph still speaking. And sound like the sound barrier breaking, that--that a great roar went off way in the distance to the south. And when I was lifted up, and there was such a terrific speed of the Angels. And I--I can just see them right now (See?), as--as they were coming in that shape like that, just sweeping right into me. Now, not dreaming now. No, I was right there wide awake as I am now. See? THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 5-3 But here they come. And they were so terrifically fast, till I thought when it lifted up... I heard that explosion like, or like a blast that went out, like a sound barrier; and when it did, I thought, "Well, this must mean that I'm fixing to be killed (See?) in a blast of some sort." And--and I--and while I thought on those things, I thought, "No, it wouldn't be that, because if it was a blast, it would've got Joseph too, because there he is still talking, thinking that I'm there. I can hear him. It wasn't that." This is all still in the vision. It wasn't... See, it's in the vision. And then all at once, as I realized that I had been... They were around me. I couldn't see them, but I'd been brought into this constellation of a pyramid of them, inside this constellation of--of Angels, of five. And I thought, "Now, a death angel would be one, five would be grace." I was thinking that; I thought, "Oh, it's the--it's coming with my message. That's my second climax. They're coming to bring me the message from the Lord." And I screamed out with all of my might, as loud as I could, "Oh Jesus, what would You have me do?" And when I did, it just--just went away from me. THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 5-5 I--I--I haven't felt just right since. See? I was... All day yesterday, I had to stay in the house, almost feeling beside myself, I can't make my mind get clear, and the glory and power of the Lord... I was numb all over when it left me. I was trying to rub my hands, and I thought, "I can't catch my breath." And I walked around and--through the floor, and back and forth. And I thought, "What does it mean, Lord? What does it mean?" And then I stopped and I said, "Lord God, Your servant is... I--I just cannot understand why. What was that? Make it known, Lord."

THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 6-1 Well, when the... I can't tell you about when I say, "Power of the Lord." There's no way to explain that. It isn't what you feel here in the blessings. That's the blessings of the Lord. This is a sacred... Oh, my. It's--it's beyond anything that a mortal could even imagine. See? And it--and it was bothering me real bad. It don't--it isn't a blessing; it's a bother; you're troubled. See? If it is... If you could only... If I could only get some way that I could tell the people what that was, or what--what the feeling of it was. It--it isn't just like setting here want to rejoice. It's--it's something that every nerve in you just... It's beyond scare; it's beyond frightened; it's a holy reverence of... How... There's no way to explain it. Even to my entire back, up and down my spine, through my fingers, up and down, on my feet and toes, my whole being was just numbed. See, just like you was--you'd--it way out of the world somewhere. And--and it was leaving me gradually. And I said to the--to the Lord, "Will You just let me know, O God." I guess the closest that ever come of being that strong again was when I was in Zurich, Switzerland, that time when He showed me that German Eagle watching that English horse rider come down through Africa. And He said, "All have sinned and come short of the glory." THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 6-4 And I was crying out to the Lord to help me. And I--I wanted Him to give me the interpretation, because I wondered if it meant--if it meant that I was going to go away--I was going to be killed. And if it was, I wasn't going to say anything to the family about it. If it's my time to go home, I'll just go home; that's all of it. But if--if that's what it meant, I didn't want to tell the family, didn't want them to know nothing about it; just let done, and that--that would be all of it. And I said, "Lord, help me. I don't want to tell the family if--if You're... If it's my call home, why, I--I'll be going," You see? I said--and I... You know... You say, "Why didn't you think about what you said in the vision, what the vision said?" But you can't think of things like that then. You... I can't anyhow. THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 6-6 And I thought... I was just troubled, upset. You don't know how to think; you can't think. And I said, "Heavenly Father, if that meant that--that an explosion was going to take me, why, let me know now, so I won't say anything about it. Let Your glory and power come upon me again, and lift me up again, or let Your glory come upon me, and then I'll--I'll know then that it meant--it meant that; and so I can keep it to myself." And nothing happened.

So then I said, "Then, Lord, if it meant that You're going to send Your messengers for my commission, then let Thy power come again." It like to took me out of the room. So I--I've come to myself with my Bible in my hand...?... (See?), and asking God to help me; and when I did, He--He showed me something in the Scripture, pertained right to it, right there. And I thought, "Could that actually be that... How'd I do that?" And oh, I--I can't explain these things, folks. It's beyond anything I know about. See? THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 7-2 My wife's a very odd woman, one of the best in the world. But a little while, I didn't say nothing about it; I went ahead. She knew there was something happened. So when I told her, she said, "You know, Bill, I see and hear you in many of those things." Said, "You know I believe you with all my heart." She said--she said, "But that really had something." It just seem to just shakes me, that blasting, and that swift coming of those Angels, like that, five of them together in a constellation of them, like--kind of like a... Like I had that pyramid drawn here. It looked to be... First it looked like, kind of a... In the distance it looked kind of like that color of doves. And they were in a--in a--coming from this way. And they were looked like one, two, three, four, and then one right at the top, making five. And they come with such a speed. There is nothing, no jets, no nothing else can compare with that. THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 7-4 And I can just see them with their heads kind of turned sideways and those wings tipped back, full armored, and here they come. Whew [Brother Branham makes a whistling sound for description--Ed.], like that. Just come right down and took me right into this pyramid of a constellation of them. I seen I was off--up off the ground. I thought maybe... I heard way in a distance that roar. "Whoom," like a plane when it crosses the sound barrier. You've heard it happen like that, just like a distant roar.

I thought, "This may mean now, when this vision leaves me that I'm going to be killed by an explosion or something." I thought, "Here I am; I'm lifted up. I'm... See, they're here somewhere. I'm--I'm in this--this pyramid of Angels here, but I--I don't know. Maybe the Lord is coming to take me home." Then I heard Joseph down there saying, "Daddy?" I thought, "No, if that's it, it would took him too."

Then something said, "You..." Remember, that I'm waiting, watching for a message that I've always looked forward to--something. THE.REPROACH.FOR.THE.CAUSE.OF.THE.WORD_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-16 SUNDAY_ 62-1223 7-7 In the vision the other day, you know as I had here not long ago telling me about what was going to happen, how I was preaching in--from the sun into this place, and--and then He said, "Now, remember, the second climax is yet to come." And I thought, "There'll be a message." You remember my message here? The opening of that capstone, where those seven voices and Seals was not even wrote in the Word of God. Remember? And It took me into that pyramid. And Junie Jackson (if you are here), that dream that you give me not long ago, I won't tell it this morning, you were so... God was so perfectly... Excuse me for not giving you the interpretation, 'cause I seen something moving. J. T., same thing. See? And I--I--I knew that. And Sister Collins, exactly the same. See? And six of those leading right straight to the same thing, and then the vision that I told you all years ago, it happened just the other day (See?), that would happen. And there it is laying right everything laying right out there. It's just something moving. I don't know what it is. God help me, is my prayer. Let us pray. Its interesting to note, that the prophet had been ministering the second pull of the three for some time already. The first was the discernment of ailments by holding the believers hand and the ailment would enter into him and the Angel of the Lord would reveal to him what the problem was. The second was the discerning of the secrets of the heart without contact with the believer. That pull was already in action at the time of this visitation. It was the third pull which was still outstanding. That was to be the revealing of the mysteries of the Bible which had been hidden from the denominational churches and from the wise and the prudent; and these mysteries were to be revealed to the Bride who at the time was still being called out from among them. Lets go forward in time just seven days and see what he said regarding this issue. IS.THIS.THE.SIGN.OF.THE.END.SIR_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-11 SUNDAY_ 62-1230E 47-4 Junie, I want to take your dream. Look, Junior, before the pyramid was ever preached, months before it, seen this dream. You say, "What about a dream." Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream that Daniel interpreted, told the beginning of the Gentile age, and when it would leave. And it's done just exactly that way. Not one bit has failed. You notice, the writing that the--was on the rocks; I was interpreting it for them. They were elated. That's the mystery of God that's been not understood

for years. Could that be that? And then notice. In some mysterious way, we picked up out of the air a sharp tool that opened up the top, and in there was white granite, but it wasn't interpreted. There was no letters. I didn't interpret that, Junior. I just looked at it, and said to the brethren, "Look on this," and that's fulfilled tonight. While they were studying that, I slipped towards the west. What for? Maybe to understand the interpretation of what's written in the top of this. Could it be? IS.THIS.THE.SIGN.OF.THE.END.SIR_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-11 SUNDAY_ 62-1230E 47-7 And those blasting the other morning that shook me plumb till I raised up in the air as high as this building, and that constellation of angels, seven angels, in the form of a pyramid... Is that them thunders that's coming forth? Could it be? This is all interpreted. According to his dream, it's all finished. According to God's Word the seventh messenger will finish--seventh message will be finished. And then the seven thunders, and he saw the capstone rolled over, which many people don't even know there is seven seals to be revealed. I've read many men's books on Revelations, never did hear it talked on. They skip that. But it's been told you that it's there. I don't know what it is. Could that be that? God, be merciful to us. If that is, we're in a serious hour. IS.THIS.THE.SIGN.OF.THE.END.SIR_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-11 SUNDAY_ 62-1230E 48-2 Now, just a minute. Look. If that be so, and the mystery's finished that was wrote in these rocks, I'm glad to be setting in a church with godly people, who God can give a dream to. I'm glad to introduce to these men and women that goes to Junior's church, and to this church, to Brother Neville's and them, that there's people setting in this congregation, and the Bible said, "They would dream dreams in the last days." And here it is, and look at it. It's comparing with the Word. Knowing nothing about it, a blast come forth and here come seven angels from eternity. I said, "Lord, what would You have me do?" It wasn't told. I may have to go first to find out. I don't know. Might not even be that; I don't know. I'm just saying, "What if it is?" If it's Scriptural, that sounds very close to it. Don't you think so? IS.THIS.THE.SIGN.OF.THE.END.SIR_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-11 SUNDAY_ 62-1230E 48-5 Look, then look, the Capstone was not interpreted. See? "Get west and come back." Or is it this? Is these seven angels in this constellation that came to me... When I meet you at the day of the resurrection, you'll see that I lie not: God my Judge.

Or is this that second climax that I talked about the other day. Is there something coming forth for the church? I don't know. I could stay on that a little bit, but I'll move on. Could it be that? The mighty thunder, or the seventh angel in the seven constellation, seventh period constellation, the pyramid made in a form, three on a side, and one on top, and they dropped from eternity. Could it be? Is this the mystery of the thunders that will bring back the Headstone? IS.THIS.THE.SIGN.OF.THE.END.SIR_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-11 SUNDAY_ 62-1230E 48-8 And you know, the pyramid never was capped. The Headstone's yet to come. It's been rejected. Could it be, brethren, sisters. Or is this that third pull that He told me three or four years ago. The first pull, you remember what happened? I tried to explain it. He said, "Don't do that." The second pull, He said, "Don't try..." And I pulled anyhow. You remember? All of you remember; it's on tape and everything. And then He said, "Now, there's a third pull coming, but don't try to explain it." You see how I approached this tonight? I don't know. But I feel duty bound to my church to say something. You draw your own conclusion. IS.THIS.THE.SIGN.OF.THE.END.SIR_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-11 SUNDAY_ 62-1230E 49-5 Now, will this be the mystery that would open up, that would bring Christ, bring a power to the church? See, we've already... We believe in repentance, being baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. We believe in receiving the Holy Ghost. We have signs, wonders, miracles, speaking in tongues, and the things that the early church had. And, frankly, there's been more done right here than is wrote in the Book of Acts, in this one little group of people, this little bitty ministry of ours here. What about the world over? See? More than is wrote in the Book of Acts... Same kind: the raising of the dead. Remember, there's only about three people raised from the dead by Jesus Christ, and we have on record, doctor's record, five. "Works that I do, more than this shall you do." IS.THIS.THE.SIGN.OF.THE.END.SIR_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-11 SUNDAY_ 62-1230E 49-6 I know that King James says "greater," but you couldn't do nothing greater, more of it. He was in one Person then; He's in the whole church now. See? "More than this shall you do, for I go unto My Father."

If this is the third pull, then there's a great ministry lying ahead. I don't know. I can't say. I--I don't know. Watch. Third pull. Let's stop on that a minute. In the vision the first flight was little messenger birds; that was when we first started. It growed from just taking the person by the hand. And you remember what He told me: "If you'll be sincere, it'll come to pass that you know the very secret of their hearts." How many remembers that announced from here and across the nations? And did it happen? Exactly. Then said, "Don't fear, I'll be with you." See? And it shall go on. IS.THIS.THE.SIGN.OF.THE.END.SIR_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-11 SUNDAY_ 62-1230E 49-9 Now, the first pull was little bitty birds, them flights. They went on to meet the time, meet the coming of the Lord, the first message. The second time, the secrets of the heart, from taking a person by the hand, and just standing there and saying what they had. The next time it revealed their sins and told them what to do and make... Is that right? Then that come to pass perfectly just as God said it, and you're witnesses and so is the world, so is the church. When I said, "I saw an angel, and it was a emerald fire burning," people laughed and said, "Billy, get next to yourself." The magic scientific eye of the camera took It. I wasn't lying. I was telling the truth. God vindicated it. I said, "Darkness overshadows; it's death, black; and this is white. One's life, and the other one's death." There it is on the picture back there. That the... As George J. Lacy said: "The mechanical eye of this camera won't take psychology." Are you following me? IS.THIS.THE.SIGN.OF.THE.END.SIR_ JEFF.IN V-2 N-11 SUNDAY_ 62-1230E 50-2 Notice, the first little flight: hand. The second was greater, whiter, doves: Holy Spirit revealing the secrets of the heart. And the third flight was angels, not birds, angels. And that's the end time. That's all of it. Will this be the time, brethren? Is this the time? I believe that it should be noted here that after Br. Branham preached JUST ONE MORE TIME LORD in Phoenix Arizona on in the evening of SUNDAY 63-0120, He never preached again until he preached THE BREACH BETWEEN THE SEVEN CHURCH AGES AND THE SEVEN SEALS in Jefferson Indiana on the evening of SUNDAY 63-0317. What took place between the 21st. of January 1963 and the 17th of March 1963 remains to be found out. What we do know is that he went hunting with friends in Sabino Canyon in Arizona. Looking at this next quote, it can be established that Br. Branham was about due to go overseas with Br. Arganbright to preach. It may also be noted that many of the sermons leading up to the sermon JUST ONE MORE TIME LORD in Phoenix Arizona on in the evening of SUNDAY 630120 presented the theme of hunting.

SPIRIT.OF.TRUTH_ PHOENIX.AZ FRIDAY_ 63-0118 106 "A nice grizzly-bear hunt," I said, "that sounds good. I don't go for that. But, while we're up there, and some of the guides wants to take me out, free, I'll be glad to go." So, he said, "Well, they, they'll do it. We got it fixed up." I said, "Well, now wait. Let me pray over it." 107 And I went up in the woods that day, and every time I prayed, farther away I got, all the time, completely away from it. I thought, "That's strange." And two days after that, I called Brother Arganbright. I said, "No." 108 He said, "Brother Branham, we just getting things arranged."

109 I said, "Don't do it. The Holy Spirit has condemned it." I told him the vision. I said, "I--I don't know, Brother Arganbright, but it's strange. But He won't let me go up there, and, yet, it sounds like that--that would be the place." And he said, "Well, now, we're all set to go." And I said... 110 Now, many of you will see Brother Arganbright. He's coming here now, to make ready with me, to go overseas after this meeting. And so you can ask him the story. So we said... I said, "No. I just can't do it. The Holy Spirit tells me not." Now, we must understand that Life Magazine printed the story of the cloud phenomenon on May 17 th. 1963 two month after the following quote was recorded. Again Br. Branham refers to the sermon "What Time Is It, Sirs?" wherein he mentioned the visitation of the seven angels and the blast which scared him. In the first paragraph, 68-1 {6} he refers to his vision of the sword being placed in his hand in Sabino Canyon a week or ten days prior to the following sermon making it 28th. February 1963. Then in paragraph, 68-4 {9}, he mentions the blast and the manifestation of the seven angels which swept him up off of the ground and into their midst. Then in paragraph 68-6 {11}, he continues to expound upon the vision of The Kings Sword. I would like now to quote Pastor Reckart and show how he has misread the events as documented by the recordings in the sermons from which he claims to have obtained his so-called evidence. This quote is taken from the internet article above... Here is a man who claimed such a dynamic visitation with blast and a miracle circle cloud and yet his conduct soon afterward was not at all the least affected. The stories do not match. Sothman said they were up there hunting javelina. Branham claimed different. He claimed in his message at Jeffersonville on 3/17/1963 the following:

"One early morning." "I got up into Sabino Canyon." "I want to be honest." "I'm more inclined to believe that it was a vision." Br. Branham was hunting with the brothers in question at the time of the blast on 28th. February 1963 and not having recovered from the experience, he not wanting to preach as a result thereof and until he had clarity of what had occurred on the 28th. February, he decided to again go up to the mountain and seek the face of the Lord in the hope of finding resolution to the event which had been foreshadowed in vision. Pastor Reckart is misplacing the timing. He is acquainting the day of the advent of the vision of the Kings Sword with the day of the advent of the blast and the cloud. THE.BREACH.BETWEEN.THE.SEVEN.CHURCH.AGES.AND.THE.SEV EN.SEALS_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317E 68-1 {6} So...?... we are... How many in here has read "What Time Is It, Sirs?" or has heard it, you know, "What Time Is It, Sirs?" That's bothered me quite a bit. If you haven't, I wish some way, if you could get a--to hear it or some way... Kind of bothered me, I just wanted to drop this before starting the service. About--about a week or ten days ago I was so disturbed, I just... I-I--I just didn't... I wouldn't take services or anything, because I--I didn't know. It--it seemed like it could be something that was bad, and I didn't know just what it was. So I... One early morning, I got up to go up into Sabino Canyon, which from the house is only about thirty minutes drive to the--or forty to the head of the Sabino Canyon; then there's a road that runs thirty miles up into the mountain: strange country up there. I can be here on the desert where it's eighty and ninety, right now, and in thirty minutes be in eight foot of snow (See?), on top of the mountain. THE.BREACH.BETWEEN.THE.SEVEN.CHURCH.AGES.AND.THE.SEV EN.SEALS_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317E 68-3 {8} We was at Phoenix just recently where it was twenty something, twenty-eight degrees (They had the swimming pool heated, people swimming.) and about forty minutes drive from there, it was forty below zero at Flagstaff. See? That's the difference from the up currents and the desert... And very healthy for asthmatics and so forth. But... THE.BREACH.BETWEEN.THE.SEVEN.CHURCH.AGES.AND.THE.SEV EN.SEALS_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317E 68-4 {9} Now, I went up in the canyon, and I climbed way as high as I could go, and I--I--I asked the Lord, while setting up in there, what all this meant and so forth. I was kinda bothered and didn't know just what to do.

And so, while I was praying, and strange thing happened. I--I--I want to be honest. Now, I could've fallen asleep. It could've been like a trance, or it could've been a--a vision. I'm more less inclined to believe that it was a vision that... I had my hands out saying, "Lord, what does this blast mean, and what does these seven Angels in a constellation of--of the pyramid, picking me up from off the ground and turning eastward: what does it mean?" THE.BREACH.BETWEEN.THE.SEVEN.CHURCH.AGES.AND.THE.SEV EN.SEALS_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317E 68-6 {11} I was standing there in prayer, and something happened. And now, something fell in my hand. Now, I know if you don't understand spiritual things, it may seem very strange. But something struck in my hand; and when I looked, it was a sword. And the handle was made of pearl, the prettiest pearl I ever seen. And the--the guard (you know, where I guess, it's to keep your hands from being lanced, you know, while you're--the--the people were dueling) was gold. And the saber's blade wasn't too long, but it was just razor sharp, and it was glistening silver. And it was the prettiest thing I ever seen. It just fit my hand exactly, and I was holding it. I said, "Isn't that pretty?" I looked at it, and I thought, "But you know, I always afraid of a sword." I was kind of glad that I lived out of the days that they used them, because I--I'm afraid of a knife. And so I--I thought, "What would I do with that?" And while holding it in my hand, a voice from somewhere said, "That is the King's sword." And then it left me. THE.BREACH.BETWEEN.THE.SEVEN.CHURCH.AGES.AND.THE.SEV EN.SEALS_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317E 69-1 {13} Well, I--I wondered what it meant, "That is the King's sword." And I thought, "If it would've said, 'A king's sword,' it might've been that I would've understood it, but it said, 'The King's sword.'" So I may not have this right, but I thought, "There's only one The King; that's God. And His Sword is this, sharper than a two-edged sword. See? And... "Ye abide in Me and My Words..." See? And a... I--I thought in dueling... You see, and as I under--I don't understand one word of it, but--or one principle of dueling, but the best of my understanding, the knife striking across, and then finally, the--the swords, if they lock--the enemy and you lock the swords like this, then it takes the strength of the man dueling, because (See?) his sword would be pointed to my heart and mine to his; but they're locked, as our knives striking each other, and then they strike, and then the swords come together. And the one that can shove the other one down, the sword's straight to the heart. So it takes, even though the Sword be the Word, it takes the hand of strong faith to hold It there to bring It to the heart of the enemy. THE.BREACH.BETWEEN.THE.SEVEN.CHURCH.AGES.AND.THE.SEV EN.SEALS_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317E

69-3 {15} Now, not knowing these things, but just all that I have received of Him that I can tell, I've told you. So that... You know, I believe it was-wasn't it our Lord said all that He'd received of the Father, that He had told and withheld nothing? And--and so we want to do those things just as they come. Now, if you'll be real wise and pray, I'm sure you'll understand something pretty soon--now, something that I hope is revealed. WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 122 Three years ago I heard a friend of mine, the city surveyor, lives down the lane from me, driving a stake down. I went out there and said, "What's the matter, Mud?" Mr. King's son, personal friend. Said, "Billy, they're going to widen this road." 123 You all remember. I said, "It may be the bridge." I told Brother Woods, I said, "Hold your property. Maybe that bridge is going to come through up here, something." The lane was tore up; bricks, rocks, throwed all over everything. So he said... I said, "Hold your property." Then when I... Mr. King told me that was going to happen. 124 I went in, said to my wife sitting there, "Honey, there is something written about that. It's THUS SAITH THE LORD, somewhere." WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 125 I went in and got my book, looked into it, and it said, "It shall come to pass..." Eight years later! 126 Then when I looked at it, I said, "It's time now, honey, we must turn west." 127 Two days after that, standing in the room about ten o'clock one morning, I went into the Spirit of God. I saw that little cluster of doves flying, looked at them little birds. You remember it. I seen seven Angels in the form of a pyramid, come rushing in to me. Said, "Turn westward, go to Tucson, be forty miles northeast. And you'll be picking a cocklebur," or a bullheader, they call it there, "off your clothes." WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 128 Brother Fred Sothmann, sitting there looking at me right now, was there that morning. I had forgot about it. 129 I said, "A blast went off like an earthquake, that shook pretty near everything there was in the country. I don't see how a man could survive it." I

was scared. I stood at Phoenix, you all listening in tonight bear me record. I preached on the sermon, Sirs, What Time Is It? "Where are we at?" I went West. Many of you here got that tape, many of you here heard it said, year or more before it happened. WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 130 I went West, wondering what was going to happen. One day I got a call from the Lord. I told my wife, I said, "Honey, I'm... probably my work is over." I didn't know. I said, "I... God, God is probably finished with me now and I'll be going Home. You go get with Billy, take the children. God will make a way for you, somehow. Go on and live true to God. See that the children get through school, raise them in the admonition of God." She said, "Bill, you don't--you don't know that's true." I said, "No. But a man couldn't survive that." 131 One morning the Lord woke me up, said, "Get up there in Sabino Canyon." I took a piece of paper and my Bible. The wife said, "Where you going?" I said, "I don't know. I'll tell you when I come back." WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 132 I went up in the canyon, climbed plumb up where the eagles was flying around. I was watching some deer standing there. I knelt down to pray, and raised up my hands, and a Sword struck my hand. I looked around. I thought, "What's that? I'm not beside myself. Here is that Sword in my hand; bright, shiny, glistening in the sun." I said, "Now, there's not people in miles of me, way up here in this canyon. Where could that come from?" I heard a Voice, said, "That's the King's Sword." I said, "A king knights a man with a sword." 133 He, the Voice, come back, said, "Not a king's sword, but, 'The King's Sword,' the Word of the Lord." Said, "Fear not. It's only the Third Pull. It's the vindication of your ministry." WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 134 I was going hunting with a friend, not knowing what was going to happen. And someone called me, the one that criticized me about that picture of the Angel of the Lord, the one that took it. I had to go to Houston about his son, for he was going in the death row and was going to be killed in a few days. And he met me in there and throwed his arms around me, said, "Think, the very man that I criticized comes to save my only son!" The humane society give me what they call an oscar, or whatever you want to call it, for saving a life.

WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 135 Then we went back, I went up in the mountain to hunt. There, Brother Fred and I, one morning when I walked out, and I--I had already got my javelina, and I looked and seen the place where they went. I said, "Brother Fred, go over on that mountain early in the morning now, about the break of day, and I'll get on the other one. I won't shoot at the hog, won't kill him. But if they start over this way, that herd, I'll shoot in front of them then run them back." WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 136 Brother Fred went out there and there was no hogs. He waved at me and I seen. I went down in a canyon, some big chasms, the sun was just coming up. I come around the other side of the hill, not thinking nothing about the prophecies. Set down, waiting, resting; I thought, "What happened to those hogs?" 137 I picked up my... Set down like Indians do, you know, cross-legged. I looked on my overall leg, and there was a bullheader. I picked it up. And I said, "That's strange! Here I am, about forty miles northeast of Tucson. There's my little boy Joseph sitting there waiting for me." And as I started to look, I seen a herd of hogs come out about a thousand yards from me, up on a mountain, I throwed the bullheader down. I said, "I'll get them. I'll go get Brother Fred, and I'll hang up a piece of paper to let know which way to go, on this ocotillo here, and we'll get Brother Fred." 138 And I started up the mountain, running as hard as I could on the other side. All of a sudden, I thought somebody shot me. I never heard such a blast; it shook the whole country. And, when it did, standing before me was seven Angels in a cluster. WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 139 I met Brother Fred and them, a little after. Said, "What was it?" I said, "That was it." "What are you going to do? 140 "Return home. For, THUS SAITH THE LORD, the seven mysteries that's been hid in the Bible all these years, these denominations and everything, God is going to open those seven mysteries to us in the Seven Seals." 141 There was that circle coming up from the earth, like a mist forming. When It did, It went plumb up into the mountain, begin to circle on westward, from the way It come. Science found It after a while, thirty miles high and twenty-five miles across, just exactly in the circle of the pyramid.

WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 142 And the other day, standing there, turned the picture to the right, and there is Jesus as He was in the Seven Church Ages, the white wig on, showing Supreme Deity. He's Alpha and Omega; He's the First and the Last; He is the Supreme Judge of all Eternity, standing there, confirm the Message of this hour. And there shall be Light about the evening time! What's it all about? What was it? WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 143 I went westward. Pastor Eckart has again managed to misconstrue what the prophet has stated in his sermons regarding the blast which shook Sunset mountain-side in Sabino Canyon taking the tree-tops off. This did not occur on the same day as the cloud as assumed by the pastor. This occurred in 1964. Just last March, 1964, that Good Friday earthquake of Alaska shook the whole world though it did not unbalance it. Br. Branham related the event in the same sermon as the one above and it continues from the same paragraph. See following... WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 143 I went westward. Upon that same mountain, passing up with Banks Woods there, said, "Throw up a rock. Say to Mr. Woods, 'THUS SAITH THE LORD, you'll see the Glory of God.'" 144 The very next day, standing there, a whirlwind came down and blasted the mountains out. Rocks cut the top of the trees off, about three or four feet above my head. Made three big blasts, and the brothers come running over. There was about fifteen man standing there, preachers and everything else. "What was it?" He said, "What was it?" I said, "Judgment is striking the West Coast." WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 145 About two days after that, the earthquake almost sunk Alaska. What is this Light up on Sunset Mountain in the Coronado Forest of Arizona? What is this strange thing that happened up there, that the people has been driving east from west, picking up the rocks that laid around there where It struck? And every one of them, every one rock, has three corners on it, that It tore off. (The three are One.) They're laying on desks, on paper weights, across the nation. What is this strange thing upon Sunset Mountain in the Coronado Forest?

WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 146 Junior Jackson listening in, you remember the dream he had that I interpreted, "going towards the setting of the sun"? And this happened on "Sunset" Mountain. It's the evening time, sunset time. The sunset Message through a setting of history, a setting of prophecy, rather, being fulfilled. And it shall be Light at the evening time, upon Sunset Mountain in the Coronado Forest, forty miles north of Tucson. Get on the map and see if Sunset Peak there. That's exactly where it happened. I never know it till the other day. WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 147 Everything that... That shall never die. It's constantly unrolling Itself. From the very thing happening, to the picture being Jesus standing looking at us; and now exactly on Sunset Mountain, and the sunset Light. The evening Light has come, God vindicating Himself. What is it? It is the facts that God and Christ are one. The "white," how many seen it, the white wig upon Him, as we talked in Revelation 1? See, the Supreme Deity, Supreme Authority; no other voice, no other god, no other nothing! "In Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily." The Angels Themselves was His wig. Amen. WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 148 What's happened upon Mount Sunset? God confirming His Word. That's what all this noise is about. Notice, it's God fulfilling His promised Word again, of Revelations 10:1 to 7, "And in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel's Message, the mystery of God should be finished." The hidden mystery of Revelations 10:1 to 7, the last Message to the last church age. Fulfills exactly, in this age, Saint Luke 17:30, "The day when the Son of man shall be revealed." 149 "And there shall rise false prophets and false Christs, show great signs and wonders, insomuch it'd deceive the Elected if possible." The people still in doubt. And, as usual, the church is just as puzzled. WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 150 And the science, all through Tucson yet, they're writing pieces and put in the paper. Way back over there on Mount Lemmon, them big cameras didn't see It rising up from where we was standing; drifting on towards the West, showing the time is over. It can't go but a little piece there; it's at the West Coast. Judgment struck just in the very way it went. Going right up over Phoenix and right on across, on to Prescott and across the mountains to the West Coast, right on up into... Where was they going? Right on up into Alaska, and she is thundering, heading right that way.

WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 151 And the observatories and all of them in Tucson are still asking, research of science trying to find out what it is. So high they can't be fog, mist, or nothing up there. "What did it? Where is it at?" They're just as puzzled of that supernatural Halo hanging yonder in the sky as they was when the Magis come in following a Star, saying, "Where is He that's born King of the Jews?" What was it? God fulfilling His Word, "And there shall rise a star out of Jacob." WHAT.IS.THE.ATTRACTION.ON.THE.MOUNTAIN_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-8 SUNDAY_ 65-0725E 152 And the God of Heaven promised the evening time would have evening Lights. Three years ago this mystery was a prophecy, "What time is it, Sir?" But now it's history. It's passed. The promise is fulfilled. What time is it, sir, and what's this attraction? God fulfilling His Word! He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. THE.CHOOSING.OF.A.BRIDE_ LA.CA V-2 N-28 THURSDAY_ 650429E 136 You get my tape on Marriage And Divorce. That, up on top the mountain at Tucson, here not long ago, I was up there praying about it. They dismissed the schools, to watch that Pillar of Fire circle the mountain and go in a funnel, back and forth, up and down. People around here knows it, there and saw It; Pastor Reckart has claimed that brother Branham only mentioned the cloud phenomenon after it was printed in Life Magazine. That is a lie. It would seem the accuser himself is a liar and story-teller. I refer toPastor Reckarts statement and I quote him... The facts are clear. Branham did not make use of the mystery cloud until after he learned of it when it was published in Science Magazine on April 19, 1963. Branham did not discover this magazine until many months after it came out. It was the article in Life Magazine on May 17, 1963 that the cloud first caught his attention and he made use of it. All the pictures of the mystery cloud used by Branhamites come from the stories in these magazines. Branham outright lied when he said this cloud is the same one he claims the seven angels made when they came and departed from him. Again I refer to this quote from the THE.BREACH.BETWEEN.THE.SEVEN.CHURCH.AGES.AND.THE.SE VEN.SEALS_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317E where he refers to the advent of the visitation of the angels on the 17th. March 1963. That and the fact that his childrens school abandoned class in order to watch the phenomenon offers much food for thought regarding this issue

68-4 {9} Now, I went up in the canyon, and I climbed way as high as I could go, and I--I--I asked the Lord, while setting up in there, what all this meant and so forth. I was kinda bothered and didn't know just what to do. And so, while I was praying, and strange thing happened. I--I--I want to be honest. Now, I could've fallen asleep. It could've been like a trance, or it could've been a--a vision. I'm more less inclined to believe that it was a vision that... I had my hands out saying, "Lord, what does this blast mean, and what does these seven Angels in a constellation of--of the pyramid, picking me up from off the ground and turning eastward: what does it mean?" STANDING.IN.THE.GAP_ JEFF.IN V-6 N-7 SUNDAY_ 63-0623M 82 And, now, I didn't know at the time, that they were taking pictures of that, scientists was, as the Angels lowered themselves from Heaven, to bring the Message. And you remember, I said the One on the right side of the constellation had, kind of, His chest back, and His wings. You remember me saying that, all of you? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] And how that I watched Him? He was very distinctive from the others. And I didn't know they were taking a picture of It, 'cause immediately I hurried East. But going back home to Tucson, there It was all through the papers that had been seen almost nation-wide, or plumb into Mexico, and all the Western States, and I think the Courier over here. It was on the Associated Press. How many saw, "A mysterious cloud in the sky"? You see the hands. And now the Life magazine picked it up. And I have the--the article here this morning, in the Life magazine, of to show. Now here It is, the same time I was there. See the pyramid of the Cloud? I was standing just below this. And there, see the distinctive Angel on the right-hand side? See the pointed wing of It? Just exactly what was said. And here it's in the view of Mexico and different places from where they took the picture. Now, this scientist here is trying to--to get all the information about the picture, that he can, about the people who has the picture. He is studying it.

STANDING.IN.THE.GAP_ JEFF.IN V-6 N-7 SUNDAY_ 63-0623M 83 Now, he says here that it would be impossible for it to be a cloud, because moisture doesn't go over about, I'd say, about six or eight miles high, something like that. When we go overseas we usually fly nineteen thousand feet, and we're above the storms then. But this cloud, according to this article here of this scientist, is twenty-six miles high. It would be miles and miles beyond moisture. And he said, checking the area, and now, you know I... How many remembers that I told you, "It sounded like the sound breaker on a plane"? Remember? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] But there was no plane in the district. The book says so here. They've checked it. There were no one, no planes up there. And, besides, it couldn't... That fog behind a plane is nothing but broken-up air, moisture, 'cause it sucks through this unit, as a jet. As it's pulling itself, it breaks the moisture in the air. It can

never get rid of it, as long as there's a jet, because it's got to... That's what it propels on, and it's the moisture scooting out from it. STANDING.IN.THE.GAP_ JEFF.IN V-6 N-7 SUNDAY_ 63-0623M 84 But here it is, miles above where there could be moisture, and no planes in the district. And It couldn't be moisture up there, and hung up there that day. It's thirty miles across it, twenty-six miles high. You see? Just as the same it was that picture there, when I told you, "The Angel of the Lord looked like a Pillar of Fire," years ago, before It was ever took; God makes science recognize that It's Truth. And here, of the prophecy that was given, God make science testify that It's the Truth. Now where do we stand? I want to keep this, for I--I may speak to a friend of mine, that's present this morning, to--to write those Seven Seals. He might want to use this for it. And so you have a copy of it, why, if you get one, hold it for reference. See? GOD.HIDING.HIMSELF.IN.SIMPLICITY.THEN.REVEALING.HIMSEL F.IN.THE.SAME_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317M 4-3 {24} Now, in this I... The reason I'm not announcing prayer meetings for the sick or so forth is because that I am--I'm staying with some friends, and I'm giving every minute of my time to study and prayer. And you know the vision that I had just before leaving and going out west--of those seven Angels come flying, so you'll understand a little later. Note that this was being preached just seventeen days after the angels had met the prophet in the canyon. This was the first of the series on the Revelation of the Seven Seals. Notice that he had immediately left Tuscon after the visitation which resulted in the cloud and headed to Jeffersonville Indiana. GOD.HIDING.HIMSELF.IN.SIMPLICITY.THEN.REVEALING.HIMSEL F.IN.THE.SAME_ JEFF.IN SUNDAY_ 63-0317M 18-6 {103} We're--we're in teaching, and you can realize what a great strain it is on me (See?), because if I teach anything wrong, I'm going to have to answer for it. See? And so I must not take what anyone says; I must--it must be inspired. And I believe that the Seven Angels who's holds these seven thunders will grant it. See? THE.FIRST.SEAL_ JEFF.IN MONDAY_ 63-0318 176-4 {405} I'm grateful to the Lord God for showing me these things. I know that it's the Truth. There it is, revealed right there. Here he rides right down through the age and comes right out here and displays himself right down here just as perfect as he can be. See? That's him. Now, we're not deceived on that. Now, you got your eyes opened. Stay away from that kind of stuff. Love the Lord with all your heart, and stay right with Him. Yes, sir. Come out of Babylon.

406 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] ` Three things: proved by the Word, shown by a picture, manifested by the works of the Spirit, vindicating that It is the Word. 407 Let the Word come upon these handkerchiefs, Lord. Heal the sick. Heal every sick person that's present, Lord, and those out there that writes in and calls in. 408 Father, at this hour, there's another healing that should be done right now, and we go on to healing service. But, Lord, it's that soul, we want that just in order, Lord. And these things must come. 409 We pray, God, that You'll take these words now that has been said, and make them real to the people. Let them see It, Lord. Being pinched for time, and, You know, Father, so I pray that enough has been said that the Holy Spirit will take It and reveal It into hearts. Those who are writing the Scriptures down, may they study Them. Those who are making tapes or--or-or hearing the tapes, may they study It; not put their own interpretation to It now, but just study the Word. Grant it, Father. In Jesus' Name, I commit it all to You, and for Your glory. Amen. 410 [A brother prophesies. Congregation rejoices--Ed.] Amen. Oh, thank You! [Congregation continues rejoicing.] Oh! 411 If there is somebody here that don't know Him, in pardon, do it now. Hear that straight, strong rebuke. If you ever expect to draw nigh, do it now, for days after this. 412 What if that was the breaking of that Seal? What if that was the Angel that sent forth there, that blasted (almost) me off of the ground, the other day, standing back there, when three witnesses are standing close. That I told you before I went, "There would be an explosion that would almost send me up." And I was caught up by seven Angels, and come eastward. The thing like to shook me from the ground. 413 Is that right, Brother Norman, Brother Fred Sothmann, who was standing with me when it happened, above Tucson? And the--the... Setting, picking the burrs off of my clothes, exactly what the vision said. And it was south of... towards Tucson. If that's right, raise up your hand, Brother Fred, Brother Norman. There they are. Stand up on your feet, so the people can see that you were there, a witness. I never heard anything like it, in my life. 414 And, immediately, they didn't hunt, the rest the day. I begged Fred, the next morning. He don't know this. I begged him to go out hunting, kept saying, "Do it. Do it." 415 But He said, He told me back there, "He won't do it. You're going East, right now."

416 And them seven Angels! The first blast, she opened. Yeah. What if it is? We're at the last hour. See? I love... Let's worship Him. There is something that Pastor Reckart aught to do and that is to listen to these sermons and find, as in the sermon above, the Lord God anoints and quickens His gifts unto prophecy vindicating His presence and guardianship of His Word as spoken through His prophet of this age. Surely God wouldnt vindicate His Word and prophet in the ways that He did and so consistently if he was a false prophet? The Lord will surely protect His Word. He has to since He promised that heaven and earth will pass away but His Word shall not pass away but will bring forth that which it was sent forth to bring forth. Now allow me to present to you the research which I have managed to secure from the internet regards the rocket in question. The following entries were found on the website... http://www.astronautix.com/index.html Notice that there was no FAILURE: Failure. notice attached to the entry on 28th. February 1963 - whereas there were such entries where applicable! 1963 February 28 - 09:02 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: 576. Launch Pad: 576A3. Launch Vehicle: Atlas D. LV Configuration: Atlas D 188D.

NTMP K-10 ABM Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SAC. Apogee: 1,800 km (1,100 mi). References: 917.

1963 March 10 - 02:42 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: 576. Launch Pad: 576B3. Launch Vehicle: Atlas D. LV Configuration: Atlas D 102D. FAILURE: Failure.

Operational missile test Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SAC. References: 917.

1963 March 15 - 11:38 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: 576. Launch Pad: 576B1. Launch Vehicle: Atlas D. LV Configuration: Atlas D 46D. FAILURE: Failure.

TALL TREE 1 operational test launch Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SAC. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). References: 917. Now, again I refer to the same websites

Chronology -

Quarter 1 1963 and find the following entries dated

for the 28th. February 1963. Keep in mind that the pastor referred to the spacecraft which was dispatched/launched from Vandenberg Airforce Base. In total, it appears that six launches were made on that day in the USA. Two of which were from Vandenberg Airforce Base. The first, it appears, was a successful mission, the time of launch was not listed; while the second was a failure and the time was listed at 21:48 GMT. This time does not coincide

with the children being let out of school to watch the phenomenon taking place in the mountains. It neither coincides with the photographs which were taken at sunset over Flagstaff, at 18h10 NE of Prescott, 18h15 North of Phoenix and 18h30 W N W of Winslow. In my humble opinion, the aftermath of the display and eventual departure of the seven angels during sunlight hours, which was seen by many as a display of lights soaring up and down from the surface of the earth into the sky, did manifest into the gigantic, smoke-like ring high in the heaven. The altitude and the trajectory of the setting suns rays would have illuminated the cloud for some extended time after sunset. Pastor Reckart states that the cloud was a result of the explosion of a Thor rocket which launched at 1:52PST. If that is the case, and it wasnt the one which was launched at 21:48 GMT then he is referring to the successful mission and not to the logged failed mission. There was however, another failed launch on that day from Wallops Island. The time of the launch was not listed and the manner of failure was not reported. See below. 1963 February 28 - Launch Site: Vandenberg.

First use of a Thrust-Augmented-Thor/Agena Nation: USA. First use of a Thrust-Augmented-Thor/Agena space booster at Vandenberg. References: 88.

1963 February 28 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Hopi Dart. LV Configuration: Hopi Dart F1. FAILURE: Failure.

Hopi Dart Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA MSFC. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). References: 755.

1963 February 28 - 09:02 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: 576. Launch Pad: 576A3. Launch Vehicle: Atlas D. LV Configuration: Atlas D 188D.

Atlas D NTMP K-10 ABM Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SAC. Apogee: 1,800 km (1,100 mi). References: 917.

1963 February 28 - 21:48 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Nike-Cajun. Model: Nike Cajun. LV Configuration: Nike Cajun NASA 10.59GA.

Nike-Cajun Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 113 km (70 mi). References: 1592.

1963 February 28 - 21:48 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: 75. Launch Pad: 75-3-5. Launch Vehicle: Thor Agena D. Model: Thor SLV-2A Agena D. LV Configuration: Thor SLV-2A Agena D 354 / Agena D 1159 (No solids). FAILURE: Failure.

KH-4 9052 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-4 s/n 9052. Mass: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-4. Agency: U.S. Air Force.

COSPAR: F630228A. Decay Date: 1963-02-28. KH-4. Mission failed. References: 5, 126.

SRV 610 Nation: USA. Spacecraft: KH-4. Agency: USAF. COSPAR: F630228B. References: 279.

1963 February 28 - 22:11 GMT - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Nike-Cajun. Model: Nike Cajun. LV Configuration: Nike Cajun NASA 10.53GA.

Nike-Cajun Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 103 km (64 mi). References: 1592. Again from the same website, we find, on their page, On this day 28th. February the references of the launches and again we find that the earlier of the two launches from Vanderberg Airforce Base was not listed as a failure; but the evening launch was. Note now a earlier launch time is noted at 09h02.

1963 - Launch Site: Vandenberg. First use of a Thrust-Augmented-Thor/Agena Nation: USA. First use of a Thrust-Augmented-Thor/Agena space booster at Vandenberg. 1963 - Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Hopi Dart. LV Configuration: Hopi Dart F1. FAILURE: Failure. Hopi Dart Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA MSFC. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi).

1963 - 09:02 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: 576. Launch Pad: 576A3. Launch Vehicle: Atlas D. LV Configuration: Atlas D 188D. Atlas D NTMP K-10 ABM Test mission Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SAC. Apogee: 1,800 km (1,100 mi).

1963 - 21:48 GMT - Launch Site: Fort Churchill. Launch Vehicle: Nike-Cajun. Model: Nike Cajun. LV Configuration: Nike Cajun NASA 10.59GA. Nike-Cajun Aeronomy mission Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 113 km (70 mi).

1963 - 21:48 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: 75. Launch Pad: 75-3-5. Launch Vehicle: Thor Agena D. Model: Thor SLV-2A Agena D. LV Configuration: Thor SLV-2A Agena D 354 / Agena D 1159 (No solids). FAILURE: Failure. KH-4 9052 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-4 s/n 9052. Mass: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-4. Agency: U.S. Air Force. COSPAR: F630228A. Decay Date: 1963-02-28. KH-4. Mission failed.

SRV 610 Nation: USA. Spacecraft: KH-4. Agency: USAF. COSPAR: F630228B.

- TAT, Thrust Augmented Thor, 3 solid strap on Boosters (Sargent rocket motors), Polar LEO 2200 lbs (1000kg). Also known as DSV2C. Stage 0, 3 Sergeant motors. Stage 1, MB-3 Block 3. Stage 2 First launch 1963/02/28.

Thor TAT/Agena - Thor Augmented Thrust / Agena 1963 Feb 28 - - 21:48 GMT. LV Configuration: Thor 2C s/n 354 / Agena D s/n 1159 (No solids). Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-5. FAILURE: Destroyed by range safety officer, 100

seconds after launch. One strap-on failed.

KH-4 9052 Spacecraft: KH-4. Payload: KH-4 s/n 9052. Mass: 1,500 kg. KH-4. Mission failed. SRV 610 Spacecraft: KH-4.

1963 February 28 - 21:48 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: 75. Launch Pad: 75-3-5. Launch Vehicle: Thor Agena D. Model: Thor SLV-2A Agena D. LV Configuration: Thor SLV-2A Agena D 354 / Agena D 1159 (No solids). FAILURE: Failure.

KH-4 9052 Nation: USA. Payload: KH-4 s/n 9052. Mass: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military. Spacecraft: KH-4. Agency: U.S. Air Force. COSPAR: F630228A. Decay Date: 1963-02-28. KH-4. Mission failed. References: 5, 126.

SRV 610 Nation: USA. Spacecraft: KH-4. Agency: USAF. COSPAR: F630228B. References: 279.

En

Vandenberg
Type: Orbital Launch Site. Operator: USA. Country: USA. Latitude: 3445' N. Longitude: 12037' W. Altitude: 112 m (367 ft). Minimum Inclination: 51.0 degrees. Maximum Inclination: 145.0 degrees. Vandenberg Air Force Base is located on the Central Coast of California about 240 km northwest of Los Angeles. It is used for launches of unmanned government and commercial satellites into polar orbit and intercontinental ballistic missile test launches toward the Kwajalein Atoll. Vandenberg began as the US Army's Camp Cooke before World War II. The Army purchased approximately 86,000 acres of land in March 1941. With its flat plateau, surrounding hills, numerous nearby canyons, and relative remoteness from populated areas, the Army was convinced that it had found an ideal location for armured division training. Five armoured divisons and numerous other units trained their during the second world war. The main camp was inactivated in June 1946, then reactivated in August 1950 for armored training during the Korean War. It was mothballed again in February 1953.

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Vandenberg Credit - Mark Wade

By 1955 the US Air Force identified an urgent need for a secure launch site for long-range ballistic missile tests to targets in the Pacific Ocean and space launches into polar orbit. Camp Cooke's remote location, with a southern-facing shore, offered a unique location for such activities. In November 1956 the Secretary of Defense transferred North Camp Cooke to the Air Force. Two months later the first Air Force unit, the 6591st Support Squadron, was established at Cooke. Ground breaking for the missile base came in May 1957. The United States Air Force responded to Russian Sputnik launch in October 1957 by accelerating the development of its missile program. It transferred management responsibilities for Cooke AFB from Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) on January 1, 1958. Site activation, and research and development testing of ballistic missiles remained with ARDC. Space launches were to be conducted jointly by both commands. Although the mission at Cooke was now divided between ARDC and SAC, the two commands cultivated a close relationship

that was to flourish for the next 35 years. On October 4, 1958, Cooke AFB was renamed Vandenberg AFB in honor of the late General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, the Air Force's second Chief of Staff. The first missile launch from Vandenberg AFB was a Thor IRBM on December 16, 1958. Two months later on February 28, 1959, the world's first polar orbiting satellite, Discoverer I, lifted into space from a Thor/Agena booster combination. The Atlas made its debut West Coast flight on September 9. The following month, equipped with a nuclear warhead, Vandenberg became the site of the first ICBM to be placed on alert in the United States. In 1961, the Titan I entered the inventory at Vandenberg AFB, but a more advanced version with storable propellants, all inertial guidance, and in-silo launch capability--the Titan II--was already in the process of development. More importantly, the solid-propellant, three-stage Minuteman ICBM was under development and began flight tests at Vandenberg in September 1962. In subsequent years, other launch vehicles followed including the Peacekeeper (MX) ICBM beginning in June 1983, the Titan IV space booster in March 1991, the air-launched Pegasus booster in April 1995, and most recently the Delta II commercial space booster in February 1996. By April 1996, 1,721 orbital and ballistic missiles had lifted off from Vandenberg AFB. By far, the most ambitious Air Force endeavours at Vandenberg were the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) and the Space Shuttle programs. Construction work for MOL began at Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC-6) in March 1966. The land for the new facility was obtained by an eminent domain purchase of the adjacent 15,000 acre Sudden Ranch at a cost of $9,842,700. Three years later, in June 1969, the project was canceled, the victim of cost overruns, completion delays, and emerging new technologies. After nearly a decade of abandonment, SLC-6 was reactivated and underwent an estimated $4 billion modification program in preparation for the Space Shuttle, beginning in January 1979. Persistent site technical problems, however, and a joint decision by the Air Force and NASA to consolidate Shuttle operations at Cape Canaveral in Florida, following the Challenger tragedy in 1986, resulted in the official termination of the Shuttle program at Vandenberg on December 26, 1989. Today, SLC-6 is used by commercial space launch firms and for launches of the new Delta IV EELV booster. On February 1, 1965, Vandenberg's AFWTR was given full responsibility for ICBM and space support functions, previously assigned to the Navy's Pacific Missile Range. The transfer involved taking over fixed and mobile range sites at Point Arguello, California; Pillar Point (San Mateo County), California; Kokee Park (Kauai County), Hawaii; South Point (Hawaii County), Hawaii; Canton, Midway, and Wake Islands in the mid-Pacific; Eniwetok and Bikini Atolls in the Marshall Islands; and six range instrumented ships (Huntsville, Longview, Range Tracker, Richfield, Sunnyvale, and Watertown). By 1968, the AFWTR fleet had increased to eleven ships and was also supporting NASA's manned space program at Cape Canaveral, Florida. As land-based tracking and monitoring systems became increasingly more accurate and reliable, AFWTR retired from service its range ships the last one, USNS Sunnyvale, in January 1975. Likewise, most of the fixed

instrumentation sites were transferred to other agencies. Although geographically the range extends westward to the middle of the Indian Ocean, the only instrumentation sites presently comprising the downrange portion of the Western Range are at the Hawaiian Islands (augmented with instrumentation sites from other organizations), and the Army's missile range at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The uprange or California sites are located at Vandenberg AFB, Santa Ynez Peak (Santa Barbara County), Anderson Peak (Monterey County), and Pillar Point Air Force Station (San Mateo County). Additional support is garnered from the naval facilities at Point Mugu and Laguna Peak (Ventura County), as well as from San Nicholas Island off the coast from Point Mugu. The 30th Space Wing's Western Range instrumentation sites are operated and maintained by ITT/Federal Services Corporation. In 1995 the California Spaceport, operated by Spaceport Systems International was created at Vandenberg. The U.S. Air Force awarded a 25 year lease which included a payload processing facility and more than 100 acres of land for commercial launch facility construction. The FAA-certified California Spaceport took advantage of Vandenberg's existing launch pads, runways, payload processing facilities, telemetry and tracking equipment. Work was completed in 2004 to build a rolling access gantry to support Minuteman and future Peacekeeper space booster derivatives. A new SLC-8 gantry was installed in 2005. The Spaceport Systems International Commercial Launch Facility (CLF) Site was located just south of SLC-6 next to the evaporation ponds. The concern's Integrated Processing Facility (IPF) was originally built for the Space Shuttle Program at a cost in excess of $300 million. The building was designed to process three shuttle-class payloads simultaneously. The vertical sliding doors were modified to allow the transfer of encapsulated payloads from the IPF in support of EELV and other launch programs. Launch Pads

Name: Silo field 394. Vandenberg 394. Latitude: 34.8590 N. Longitude: 120.5955 W. Launch Pads: 7. Minuteman 1, Minuteman 2. Single launch complex consisting of 7 launch pads. Name: Silo field 395. Vandenberg 395. Latitude: 34.7693 N. Longitude: 120.5637 W. Launch Pads: 6. Titan 1, Titan 2. Single launch complex consisting of 6 launch pads. Name: Complex 4300. Vandenberg 4300. Latitude: 34.7640 N. Longitude: 120.6129 W. Launch Pads: 2. Blue Scout Junior, Thor Burner, Thor DM-18. Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads. Name: Complex 576. Vandenberg 576. Latitude: 34.7876 N. Longitude: 120.5813 W. Launch Pads: 11. Atlas D, Atlas E, Atlas F, Taurus. Single launch complex consisting of 11 launch pads. Name: Complex 75. Vandenberg 75. Latitude: 34.7557 N. Longitude: 120.6163 W. Launch Pads: 7. Thor Able-Star, Thor Agena A, Thor Agena B, Thor Agena B SLV-2, Thor Agena B SLV-2A (B), Thor Agena D, Thor Agena D SLV-2A, Thor DM-18.

Single launch complex consisting of 7 launch pads.

Name: Complex ABRES. Vandenberg ABRES. Latitude: 34.7820 N. Longitude: 120.5883 W. Launch Pads: 6. Atlas D, Atlas E, Atlas F. Single launch complex consisting of 6 launch pads. Name: Complex BMRS. Vandenberg BMRS. Latitude: 34.7755 N. Longitude: 120.5912 W. Launch Pads: 3. AMROC IRR, Atlas F. Single launch complex consisting of 3 launch pads. Name: BOMARC launchers. Vandenberg Bomarc. Launch Pads: 2. Bomarc. Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads. Name: Commercial Launch Facility. Vandenberg CLF. Latitude: 34.5764 N. Longitude: 120.6324 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minotaur. Name: HP-06 GLCM launcher. Vandenberg HP-06. Latitude: 34.8000 N. Longitude: 120.6000 W. Launch Pads: 1. Tomahawk. Name: Launch Emplacement 6. Vandenberg LE-6. Latitude: 34.7612 N. Longitude: 120.6172 W. Launch Pads: 1. Thor Burner. Name: Launch Emplacement 7. Vandenberg LE-7. Latitude: 34.7592 N. Longitude: 120.6139 W. Launch Pads: 1. Thor DM-18. Name: Launch Emplacement 8. Vandenberg LE-8. Latitude: 34.7633 N. Longitude: 120.6147 W. Launch Pads: 1. Thor DM-18. Name: Launch Facility 02. Vandenberg LF02. Latitude: 34.8420 N. Longitude: 120.5740 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 1, Minuteman 2, Minuteman 3, Peacekeeper. Name: Launch Facility 03. Vandenberg LF03. Latitude: 34.8427 N. Longitude: 120.5699 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 1, Minuteman 2. Name: Launch Facility 04. Vandenberg LF04. Latitude: 34.8567 N. Longitude: 120.5968 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 1, Minuteman 2, Minuteman 3. Name: Launch Facility 05. Vandenberg LF05. Latitude: 34.8592 N. Longitude: 120.5984 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 1, Minuteman 2, Minuteman 3, Peacekeeper. Name: Launch Facility 06. Vandenberg LF06. Latitude: 34.8811 N. Longitude: 120.6220 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 1, Minuteman 2, Minuteman 3. Name: Launch Facility 07. Vandenberg LF07. Latitude: 34.8847 N. Longitude: 120.6212 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 1, Minuteman 2. Name: Launch Facility 08. Vandenberg LF08. Latitude: 34.8469 N. Longitude: 120.5861 W. Launch Pads: 2. Astrid, Minuteman 1, Minuteman 2, Minuteman 3, Peacekeeper.

Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads.

Name: Launch Facility 09. Vandenberg LF09. Latitude: 34.8777 N. Longitude: 120.6220 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 1, Minuteman 2, Minuteman 3. Name: Launch Facility 10. Vandenberg LF10. Latitude: 34.8715 N. Longitude: 120.6057 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 3. Name: Launch Facility 21. Vandenberg LF21. Latitude: 34.8578 N. Longitude: 120.5821 W. Launch Pads: 1. GBI, Minuteman 2, Minuteman 3. Name: Launch Facility 22. Vandenberg LF22. Latitude: 34.8468 N. Longitude: 120.5829 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 2, Minuteman 3. Name: Launch Facility 23. Vandenberg LF23. Latitude: 34.8523 N. Longitude: 120.5862 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 2. Name: Launch Facility 24. Vandenberg LF24. Latitude: 34.8537 N. Longitude: 120.5903 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 2. Name: Launch Facility 25. Vandenberg LF25. Latitude: 34.8811 N. Longitude: 120.6172 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 2, Minuteman 3. Name: Launch Facility 26. Vandenberg LF26. Latitude: 34.8879 N. Longitude: 120.6237 W. Launch Pads: 1. Minuteman 2, Minuteman 3. Name: Operational Silo Test Facility. Vandenberg OSTF. Latitude: 34.8010 N. Longitude: 120.5703 W. Launch Pads: 3. Atlas E, Atlas F, Titan 1. Single launch complex consisting of 3 launch pads. Name: Point Arguello Launch Complex C. Vandenberg PALC. Latitude: 34.6238 N. Longitude: 120.6087 W. Launch Pads: 6. Aerobee 170, Atlas LV-3A / Agena D, Scout A, Scout B, Scout X-4, SLV-3 Atlas / Agena D, Thor Agena D SLV-2A. Single launch complex consisting of 6 launch pads. Name: Probe Launch Complex C. Vandenberg PLC-C. Latitude: 34.6057 N. Longitude: 120.6269 W. Launch Pads: 1. Paiute Tomahawk, Ute Tomahawk. Name: Pacific Missile Range. Vandenberg PMR. Latitude: 36.0000 N. Longitude: 123.0000 W. Launch Pads: 1. Polaris A2, Polaris A3. Name: Point Arguello Warning Area Drop Zone, Pacific Ocean. Vandenberg RW30. Latitude: 36.0000 N. Longitude: 123.0000 W. Launch Pads: 2. Pegasus, Pegasus XL. Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads. Name: Space Launch Complex 1. Vandenberg SLC1. Latitude: 34.7537 N. Longitude: 120.6213 W. Launch Pads: 2. Thorad Agena D SLV-2G, Thorad Agena D SLV-2H. Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads.

Name: Space Launch Complex 2. Vandenberg SLC2. Latitude: 34.7496 N. Longitude: 120.6131 W. Launch Pads: 2. Delta 0100, Delta 1000, Delta 2000, Delta 3000, Delta 5000, Delta 7000, Delta E, Delta J, Delta L, Delta N, Thor Agena D, Thor Agena D SLV-2A, Thorad Agena D SLV-2G, Thorad Agena D SLV-2H. Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads. Name: Space Launch Complex 3. Vandenberg SLC3. Latitude: 34.6380 N. Longitude: 120.5895 W. Launch Pads: 2. Atlas E, Atlas F, Atlas H, Atlas IIAS, SLV-3 Atlas, SLV3 Atlas / Agena D, Thor Agena D SLV-2A, Thorad Agena D SLV-2G, Thorad Agena D SLV-2H. Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads. Name: Space Launch Complex 4. Vandenberg SLC4. Latitude: 34.6283 N. Longitude: 120.6115 W. Launch Pads: 2. SLV-3 Atlas / Agena D, Titan 2, Titan 23B, Titan 24B, Titan 33B, Titan 34B, Titan 34D, Titan 3B, Titan 3D, Titan 4, Titan 4B. Single launch complex consisting of 2 launch pads. Name: Space Launch Complex 5. Vandenberg SLC5. Latitude: 34.6043 N. Longitude: 120.6234 W. Launch Pads: 1. Scout A, Scout B, Scout D, Scout F, Scout G. Name: Space Launch Complex 6. Vandenberg SLC6. Latitude: 34.5783 N. Longitude: 120.6253 W. Launch Pads: 1. Athena-1, Athena-2. Name: Space Launch Complex 10. Vandenberg SLC10. Latitude: 34.7612 N. Longitude: 120.6172 W. Launch Pads: 1. Thor Burner, Thor DSV-2U. Name: Silo Lift Test Facility. Vandenberg SLTF. Latitude: 34.8016 N. Longitude: 120.5405 W. Launch Pads: 1. Titan 1. Name: Silo TP-01. Vandenberg TP-01. Latitude: 34.8000 N. Longitude: 120.6000 W. Launch Pads: 1. Peacekeeper, SICBM. Name: Western Test Range, Pacific Ocean. Vandenberg WTR. Latitude: 34.0000 N. Longitude: 119.2000 W. Launch Pads: 1. M55E1, Polaris A2, Polaris A3, Poseidon, Trident C-4.

Vandenberg Credit - Mark Wade

Vandenberg Chronology

1950 August 7 - Camp Cooke reactivated Camp Cooke reactivated and used during the Korean War as an armored and infantry training site.

1953 February 1 - Camp Cooke again inactivated. (Future Vandenberg) 1956 November 16 - Vandenberg selected as first ICBM base. Launch Vehicle: Atlas D. Department of Defense transferred northern portion of Camp Cooke, Calif. (now Vandenberg AFB), to the Air Force to be used as first ICBM base. The Secretary of Defense directed the United States Army to transfer 64,000 acres of Camp Cooke's 86,000 acres to the Air Force. 1957 April 23 - Vandenberg AFB established by ARDC Vandenberg AFB established by Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) on the north 64,047 acres (approximately 100 square miles) of what was then Camp Cooke. 1957 May 9 - Start of new construction. Start of new construction and major rehabilitation at Camp Cooke. 1957 July 1 - First Atlas wing activated at Cooke AFB. Launch Vehicle: Atlas D. Air Research and Development Command activated the 704th Strategic Missile Wing (Atlas) at Cooke AFB. 1958 January 1 - Cooke AFB transferred to SAC Cooke AFB (with major operational and training units) transferred from Air Research and Development Command to Strategic Air Command. Launch facility construction as well as research and development activities at Cooke AFB were the responsibility of the A 1958 February 14 - 19,861 acres of Camp Cooke transferred to Navy 19,861 acres of South Camp Cooke transferred from the Army to the Navy on interim permit basis (actual transfer on 27 May). 1958 March 5 - Joint Navy-Air Force Agreement defines PMR The Joint Navy-Air Force (Burke-White) Agreement was completed. This agreement defined the areas of responsibility between the projected Pacific Missile Range and Cooke Air Force Base. 1958 April 4 - U.S. Naval Missile Facility at Point Arguello Establishment of the U.S. Naval Missile Facility at Point Arguello, the southern portion of former Camp Cooke (facility formally commissioned on 10 May). 1958 June 16 - Formal establishment of Pacific Missile Range Formal establishment of the Navy's Pacific Missile Range (with its headquarters at Point Mugu and its major launch head at Point Arguello). 1958 October 4 - Cooke AFB redesignated Vandenberg AFB Cooke AFB redesignated Vandenberg AFB, honoring the late General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, the Air Force's second Chief of Staff. Vandenberg AFB, first operational ICBM base in free world, was dedicated. 1958 December 16 - First missile launch from Vandenberg AFB First missile launch from Vandenberg AFB - a Thor intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM). The mission was a success.

1959 January 4 - Vandenberg AFB / PMR operaitonal. Vandenberg Air Force Base and the Pacific Missile Range declared officially operational for firings. 1959 September 1 - Atlas D ICBM operational. Launch Vehicle: Atlas D. USAF Atlas ICBM officially declared operational and taken over by the Strategic Air Command, at Vandenberg AFB. 1960 July 1 - Major expansion of Pacific Missile Range Major expansion of Pacific Missile Range with acquisition of Eniwetok and Kwajalein Atolls in the Marshall Islands by the United States Navy for instrumentation complexes (in support of Air Force launches from Vandenberg AFB). 1962 April 26 - First West Coast launch of a Scout space booster. 1962 June 8 - Last launch of a Thor IRBM from Vandenberg Launch Vehicle: Thor. Last launch of a Thor IRBM from Vandenberg. (First launch and first missile fired from Vandenberg AFB on 16 December 1958.) 1962 September 28 - First international satellite launch - Vandenberg 1963 February 28 - First use of a Thrust-Augmented-Thor/Agena First use of a ThrustAugmented-Thor/Agena space booster at Vandenberg. 1963 September 28 - Initial launch of Thor/Able-Star from Vandenberg 1963 November 4 - First launch in the ABRES program First launch in the Advanced Ballistic Reentry System (ABRES) program at Vandenberg AFB. Vehicle used for this mission was an Atlas D. 1964 July 1 - Point Arguello transferred to Air Force Point Arguello (nearly 20,000 acres) transferred from the Navy to the Air Force and annexed to Vandenberg AFB. 1965 January 18 - Initial West Coast launch of a Thor/Altair. 1965 February 1 - AFWTR replaces PMR. Five months ahead of the original schedule, Air Force Western Test Range (AFWTR) assumed responsibilities for intercontinental ballistic missile and space vehicle support functions from the Navy's Pacific Missile Range. 1965 August 13 - Last launch of Thor/Able-Star from Vandenberg AFB. Last launch of Thor/Able-Star from Vandenberg AFB. (first launch on 28 September 1963). 1965 August 25 - MOL to be launched from Canaveral and Vandenberg Launch Vehicle: Titan 3M. DoD revealed that newly-authorized Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program (announced by President Lyndon Johnson the same day) would be launched from both the Air Force Eastern and Western Test Ranges. 1965 November 28 - Last Thor/Agena launch from Vandenberg AFB Last Thor/Agena

launch from Vandenberg AFB (first mission on 28 February 1959).

1966 March 1 - Vandenberg, adds 14,890 acres Vandenberg, adding approximately 14,890 acres to the base and increasing its size to its present 98,400 acres. 1966 March 12 - Start of construction (site preparation) for SLC-6 Launch Vehicle: Titan 3C. Start of construction (site preparation) for Space Launch Complex 6 facilities at former Sudden Ranch property. 1966 March 30 - Final mission of the Thor/Altair from Vandenberg Launch Vehicle: Thor. Final mission of the Thor/Altair from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 18 January 1965). 1966 June 29 - Initial launch of a satellite by Titan IIIB/Agena Launch Vehicle: Titan 3B. Nation's initial launch of a satellite by a Titan IIIB/Agena space booster (first launch of a Titan III from Vandenberg AFB). 1966 August 9 - Initial launch of a Long Tank Thor/Agena D Initial launch of a Long Tank Thor/Agena D (Thorad/Agena D) space booster. 1966 September 15 - First launch of a Thor/Burner II from Vandenberg 1966 October 2 - First Thor/Delta launch at Vandenberg AFB. 1966 December 29 - 123 launches from Vandenberg in one year Liftoff of a ThrustAugmented-Thor/Agena D space booster combination marked the 123rd major launch operation from Vandenberg AFB since January. This annual launch record remains unbroken 30 years later. 1967 January 11 - First and only launch of a Castor/Scramjet First and only launch of a Castor/Scramjet from Vandenberg AFB. 1967 March 17 - AFWTR assumed operational control of Vanguard AFWTR assumed operational control of the range Instrumentation Ship, Vanguard 1967 April 19 - Last of three successful Atlas/Prime missions Last of three successful Atlas/Prime missions from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 21 December 1966). 1968 January 17 - Final launch of a Thrust-Augmented-Thor/Agena Launch Vehicle: Thor Agena D. Final launch of a Thrust-Augmented-Thor/Agena space booster from Vandenberg (first launch on 28 February 1963). 1969 June 10 - MOL Program cancelled Launch Vehicle: Titan 3C. Department of Defense announced cancellation of the planned Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program from Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg AFB. The cancellation was expected to save $ 1.5 billion of the projected total $ 3.0 billion program costs. The SLC6 launch facility at Vandenberg, 90% complete, would be finished and mothballed. MOL reconnaisance systems useful on unmanned satellites would be completed for a total cost of $ 225 million. Ten thousand aerospace workers were laid off as a result of the

cancellation.

1969 October 1 - Eniwetok Atoll placed on a caretaker status 1971 June 8 - Final launch of the Thor/Burner II Final launch of the Thor/Burner II from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 15 September 1966). 1971 June 15 - Initial launch of a Titan IIID space booster Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Initial launch of a Titan IIID space booster from Vandenberg AFB. 1971 October 14 - The first of eight Thor/Burner IIA launches The first of eight Thor/Burner IIA launches from Vandenberg AFB. 1972 May 25 - Last launch of a Thorad/Agena from Vandenberg AFB Last launch of a Thorad/Agena from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 9 August 1966). 1972 October 2 - Last of two Atlas/Burner II space launches Last of two Atlas/Burner II space launches from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 16 August 1968). 1974 October 12 - Final use of an Atlas booster in ABRES Final use of an Atlas booster in the Advanced Ballistic Reentry System (ABRES) program. 1975 January 1 - The USNS Sunnyvale decommissioned. The USNS Sunnyvale, the last Air Force Western Test Range instrumentation ship, transferred to the Maritime Administration. 1975 May 23 - First use of the Minuteman I booster for ABRES First use of the Minuteman I booster, replacing the Atlas, for the ABRES program. 1976 February 8 - Final launch of a Thor/Burner IIA from Vandenberg Final launch of a Thor/Burner IIA from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 14 October 1971). 1976 September 11 - Initial launch of a Thor/Block 5D-I Initial launch of a Thor/Block 5D-I from the West Coast. 1977 June 26 - Final launch of an Atlas/Agena booster/upper stage Final launch of an Atlas/Agena booster/upper stage combination from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 11 October 1 960). 1977 December 29 - Vandenberg AFB brush fire consumed 9,040 acres South Vandenberg AFB brush fire consumed 9,040 acres and claimed the lives of the base commander, both fire chiefs, and a civilian bulldozer operator. 1979 January 1 - Demolition and construction work began at SLC-6 Demolition and construction work began at Space Launch Complex 6 in preparation for the Space Shuttle program. 1979 August 15 - Ferry flight, Ogden to Vandenberg AFB Ferry flight, shuttle carrier

aircraft/Enterprise (OV-101), Ogden to Vandenberg AFB (2 hours, 20 minutes)

1980 July 14 - Fifth and final launch of a Thor/Block 5D-I Fifth and final launch of a Thor/Block 5D-I from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 11 September 1976). 1981 June 23 - Final launch of an Atlas F booster from Vandenberg Final launch of an Atlas F booster from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 1 August 1962). 1982 November 17 - Final launch of a Titan IIID Launch Vehicle: Titan 3D. Final launch of a Titan IIID from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 1 5 June 1971). 1983 February 9 - Initial launch of an Atlas H space booster. 1983 June 17 - First Peacekeeper missile launch. 1983 June 20 - First of seven Titan 34D launches Launch Vehicle: Titan 34D. First of seven Titan 34D launches from the West Coast. 1983 November 8 - Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery at Vandenberg AFB Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery at Vandenberg AFB for a series of fit checks at the orbiter lifting frame. 1984 November 16 - The Space Shuttle orbiter Enterprise arrives The Space Shuttle orbiter Enterprise arrived at Vandenberg AFB for a series of facility verification tests. 1985 February 6 - USAF Launch Vehicle: Atlas F. Atlas F 1985 August 23 - First Peacekeeper ICBM "cold launch" First Peacekeeper ICBM 'cold launch' from an underground silo (LF08). First eight launches conducted from an above ground launch stand at Test Pad 01. 1985 October 15 - SLC-6 declared operational for shuttle flights Space Launch Complex 6, site of future Space Shuttle operations, declared operational. However, much additional work and testing required. 1985 October 22 - First launch of Ground Launch Cruise Missile First launch of Ground Launch Cruise Missile from Vandenberg AFB. 1987 February 11 - Last launch of the Titan IIIB/Agena Launch Vehicle: Titan 3B. Last launch of the Titan IIIB/Agena (first launch on 29 July 1966). 1987 May 15 - Last Atlas H launch Last Atlas H launch (first launch on 9 February 1983). 1987 November 9 - Last launch of a Minuteman II Last launch of a Minuteman II (first launch from Vandenberg AFB on 18 August 1965). 1988 May 13 - SLC-6 ordered to be mothballed Air Force Secretary Edward C. Aldridge, Jr., directed the Air Force to begin mothballing the Space Shuttle program at

Vandenberg AFB.

1988 September 5 - First Titan 2 standard launch vehicle launch Launch Vehicle: Titan 2. First Titan II standard launch vehicle (SLV), a refurbished and modified Titan II ICBM, launched from Vandenberg AFB. 1988 November 6 - Final Titan 34D launch from Vandenberg AFB Launch Vehicle: Titan 34D. Final Titan 34D launch from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 20 June 1983). 1989 May 11 - Initial launch of the Small ICBM. 1989 September 20 - Space Launch Complex 6 placed on mothball status. 1989 October 1 - Inactivation of HQ SAMTO at Vandenberg AFB. Inactivation of HQ SAMTO at Vandenberg AFB. 1989 October 5 - First commercial launch attempt First attempt by a commercial firm, American Rocket Company (AMROC), to launch its SET-l/SMLV (Single Engine Test 1/Single Module Launch Vehicle) failed on the pad at Vandenberg AFB. 1990 June 6 - Completion of Peacekeeper Rail Garrison system Completion of Peacekeeper Rail Garrison system facilities at Vandenberg AFB. 1990 August 1 - Troops from the 30th Space Wing began deployed Troops from the 30th Space Wing began deployment to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield. 1990 August 5 - First flight of the air-launched Pegasus LV First flight of the airlaunched Pegasus space booster employing a B-52 carrier aircraft over the Western Range. 1991 January 15 - Space Command takes over Vandenberg AFB from SAC. Host base responsibilities for Vandenberg AFB transferred from Strategic Air Command to Air Force Space Command. 1991 April 18 - Second and final launch of the Small ICBM missile Second and final launch of the Small ICBM missile (first launch on 11 May 1989). 1991 November 19 - WSMC and ESMC redesignated 30th Space Wing WSMC and ESMC redesignated 30th Space Wing and 45th Space Wing, respectively. Simultaneously, the word 'Test' was removed from the geographic designation, 'Western Test Range.' 1994 February 4 - Initial demonstration flight of the Astrid Initial demonstration flight of the Astrid (Advanced Single Stage Rapid Insertion) interceptor vehicle. 1994 March 13 - First launch of the Taurus space booster.

1994 May 8 - Final launch of the Scout booster from Vandenberg Final launch of the Scout booster from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 26 April 1962). 1995 March 24 - Final launch of an Atlas E booster from Vandenberg Final launch of an Atlas E booster from Vandenberg AFB (first launch on 7 June 1961). 1995 August 15 - First launch from SLC-6 (Athena-1) First launch from Space Launch Complex 6 involved the Lockheed Launch Vehicle I (LLV-1), carrying the commercial satellite GEMSTAR. 2004 December 10 - GBI Deployment at Vandenberg Launch Vehicle: OBV. The first of two operational anti-ballistic missiles to be deployed during 2005 at Vandenberg AFB was lowered into its underground silo. This marked the first installation in the continental United States.

Bibliography and Further Reading

McDowell, Jonathan, Jonathan's Space Home Page, Harvard University, 1997-present. Jonathan McDowell's complete on-line listing of all objects orbited and over 20,000 rocket launches Accessed at: http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html. Official Site of the Topic, Information obtained from the manufacturer or operator's official web site.

Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments. Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site.. To contact astronauts or cosmonauts. Mark Wade, 1997 - 2007 except where otherwise noted.