To live a more tranquil existence, John Sims relocated to Tucson, Arizona. It never occurred to him that it would turn out to be one of his most unforgettable experiences. The former owner of his new house informed him of a frightening rumor, which is when the problems started.
There was a rumor that something was hidden on the land. John dug in the backyard because he was unable to get the thought out of his head. What he learned chilled him to the bone. He was not at all prepared for this.
The home with the peculiar backyard
John Sims had no idea that a friend of his was in the process of selling a property in Tucson, Arizona. He couldn’t wait to seal the transaction. Since they were buddies, he felt he would be safe with the owner. Nevertheless, his acquaintance told him a tale about the house once the paperwork was finished.
The elders of the community believe that something unusual was buried inside. John might have found the solution, but his companion never did. As it happened, John would discover something that would cause people to discuss throughout the state of Arizona.
He did it because he became intrigued.
John kept thinking about his friend’s comment as he was packing his belongings for his new house. He was intrigued and wanted to know more. He soon became determined to learn the mysteries of his new house.
John stepped outdoors to survey the area and dug a pit. In the end, he dug four holes in the backyard, but John found nothing. Since he was unable to locate it beneath the grass, he must have discovered it beneath the bricks.
An X is used to denote it.
John discovered the year his house was constructed by searching through city records. Whitaker Pools, a firm, constructed an odd structure that was displayed in 1961. Now that he had evidence that something was buried on the land, John was even more motivated to find out what was happening.
He recruited personnel who had metal detectors to assist him locate the precise location. When the appropriate gang arrived, they searched John’s backyard. Not long later, the metal detectors began to sound. John marked the locations of the two metal detector trips with a large X in the dirt.
being struck by an object
John sent the consultants home, got enthusiastic, picked up a shovel, and began to dig. It didn’t take long for his shovel to strike a metal object. Finally, three feet below the surface, he discovered something. Now that he was making headway, John decided to pause and reflect.
However, what if this tank held sewage? What would happen, say, if he cracked or damaged a pipe? He needed to go slowly at work. It was some time before he realized that this was not what it appeared to be, but eventually he did. He was going to discover the truth in his yard.
Opening the hatch
Eventually, John discovered what appeared to be a hatch opening. He knelt down to remove the grime and pull up the metal cover. There was a fair likelihood that there were gas vapors from the mold, so John was careful not to breathe in too much.
For a day, John kept the lid open to let any air rising from below to escape and allow fresh air to enter the structure. In addition, he was aware that entering the cramped area required testing for mold in the air.
It was not secure.
Early in the morning, John peered into the hatch. He came to a spiral staircase that descended. Most people would be so ecstatic that they would immediately begin to collapse, but John was not that foolish.
He ought to have been more aware. As captain of the Rural/Metro Fire Department, he had to have someone close by in case the lid came off. Being alone at home made it impossible for him to remove the bottom lid on his own.
Forming a team
John understood all the hazards since he was trained and had a great deal of experience rescue individuals who were trapped in tight situations. It was evident to him that the steps were unstable, and venturing into the shaft by himself would be very risky.
John made the decision to form a group. He invited a few pals to come assist him. These individuals might assist him in his digging, and some could keep an eye on the shaft until it was safe to enter and explore.
Developing a strategy
When they all got together the next day, they sat down and came up with a strategy. They also discussed their next course of action. One of the first things they performed was reinforce and repair the concrete framework surrounding the steps.
They erected Sonotube cardboard around the entryway to ensure they didn’t break anything while they worked. John and his team worked to ensure the safety of the rebar inside the hatch by installing layers of concrete.
It required a lot of labor.
John needed to cover the hatch with a tarp in order to keep the crew and the hatch safe. The heat in Arizona was beginning to be a real pain. They wondered what may be down there while they took pauses to cool off.
To solve the puzzle, there was much work to be done. An electrical line had to be installed in order for them to utilize power tools and have adequate lighting within the shaft. In addition, a black pipe was installed to supply the shaft with new air.
Entering
They had completed their work around the structure at last. Still, the spiral staircase presented additional challenges. So rusted were the steps that it was unclear if they could support any weight. They had to locate a another entrance because they were unable to utilize the stairs.
John had to exercise caution when descending the ladder to prevent cuts from the rusty steps. John was ecstatic and overjoyed. The first person to understand what was happening was him. This was the moment he had been waiting for.
There remained to be done.
John was relieved that he had reached the bottom and they wouldn’t need to delve any further. There was still work to be done. The ceilings of the tunnels were covered in fiberglass, although it was gradually crumbling. Stated differently, the structure remained unsafe.
John took a close look around and was surprised to see that, despite being neglected for over fifty years, the structure remained mostly in decent condition. The building was initially unoccupied, but it soon became evident what it was: a nuclear bomb shelter in John’s yard!
Back during the Cold War
It all became obvious at once. During the Cold War, when there was a genuine threat of a full-scale nuclear conflict between the US and the USSR, the bunker was constructed. During that period, Whitaker Pools expanded its business by constructing bomb shelters.
Yes, there were bomb shelters in several homes in the Tucson region. Back then, ensuring the safety of their loved ones in the event of a nuclear war was the wisest course of action for a family man.
Tucson’s past
It turns out there’s a lengthy connection between explosives and Tucson. In Tucson, there once were eighteen ballistic missiles capable of destroying an area up to 900 square miles and traveling across continents. The name “rocket town” applied to the city.
Nearly majority of the missiles were deactivated when the Cold War ended, but the government chose to keep the missile silos a secret. The majority of nuclear bunkers were demolished or secured in the early 1980s.
Navigating
John immediately became well-known after posting about what he had discovered in his backyard on Reddit. The post received a lot of comments in a short period of time. Local TV programs and newspapers began contacting to discuss it.
Even international media, such as the Daily Mail, carried stories about it. Japan was also aware of John’s narrative. It was truly quite the discovery. People in Tucson started to question if their yard contained one as well.
What comes next?
John was able to connect with other locals who also had fallout shelters on their property as a result of all the attention. By telling him how they had cleaned it out, they were able to inspire him with ideas for what to do with it.
While most individuals transformed theirs into man caves or wine cellars, John wants to turn his into a Cold War museum. After learning a great deal about the Cold War, John started gathering artifacts from that era, including HAM radios, sanitation kits, barrels of water, and Geiger counters.
What he felt about the discovery
“I really thought it was going to be a little microcosm—a time capsule full of first aid kits, radiation detectors, cots, and other things like that,” John stated in an interview. The bomb bunker had no furnishings at all, which made it a rather depressing place.
John said that he has studied the Cold War extensively. He believes the major cause of Tucson residents’ 1960s backyard bomb bunker construction was the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Guidance for Tucson residents
John advises residents of Tucson to check City of Tucson or Pima County records to find out whether they have a bomb shelter in their backyard. The information is probably going to be in the building permits.
Additionally, John warns everyone not to enter a bomb shelter in the yard too hastily. John stated, “Jumping into holes in the ground is usually not a good idea,” noting that someone may quickly pass out from the toxic air in a tunnel or cave-in.
requiring cash to survive
John is adamant about repairing the bomb bunker. However, he didn’t have a lot of money. To raise funds for the renovation of his 1960s bomb bunker, he set up a GoFundMe website. In addition to doing inside repairs, he was planning to rebuild the front door.
Making the staircase safe for people to use was one of John’s primary objectives. John was able to accomplish it with the money he was able to obtain. He may now enter and exit securely, as can the workers doing the improvements.