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In Oklahoma, a place
of learning created
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with a disturbing objective.
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They wanted
to change the children,
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to take them from their culture
and their language.
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A small Greek island
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caught in a chilling web
of controversy.
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Suddenly, this facility was
on the front pages of newspapers
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all across Europe, and it was
an international scandal.
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And in Oregon,
a military facility linked
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to a mysterious
wartime mission.
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It was a 68-hour battle
against an imaginary enemy.
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Six miles from Oregon's
Pacific Coast
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is a staggering remnant
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built during a time
of national emergency.
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The first thing you see
and you can't miss it,
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is this vast structure.
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The thing that's just
mind blowing
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is just how big it is,
how tall it is.
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Makes you wonder, what could
you possibly store here
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that would demand
this much space?
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Then you see something
that gives you a clue.
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At the front is a large plane.
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So, was this
an aircraft hangar?
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Yet, the aircraft that reside
here today are not the ones
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it was built to protect.
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The structure itself is the key
to unlocking this mystery.
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On closer inspection,
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you can see
something remarkable.
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The whole thing
is built out of wood.
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They started construction
in the fall of 1942.
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And the reason that they used
wood versus steel
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is that all the metal was
being used for the war effort.
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The Japanese had already
launched an attack
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on America's mainland,
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and they could do it again.
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The airships that flew out
of this building were crucial
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in defending the country.
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One of these warships
of the sky became embroiled
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in one of the most bizarre
military incidents
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of the Second World War.
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Personnel from here were sent
to fight an unseen enemy,
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but of course, everything
is not as it would appear.
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Everyone knows about Japan's
devastating attack
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on Pearl Harbor.
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But not many people remember
that, just a week after,
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a number of Japanese submarines
made it all the way
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to the West Coast
of the United States.
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In June 1942, a long range
Japanese submarine successfully
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managed to shell
Fort Stevens, in Oregon.
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Japan also sank two ships.
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They fired on a couple
of locations in California.
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It pretty quickly became clear
that the U.S.
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didn't have sufficient
infrastructure
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to defend their coastline.
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Christian Gurling
is passionate
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about the history
of American aviation
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and is an expert
on this vast facility.
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So, a total of 17 of these
wooden hangars were built
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to act as a protective ring
around the United States.
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But they weren't going to rely
on conventional airplanes.
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They would turn to a very
different technology
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to safeguard American lives.
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They were a secret weapon.
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They were...
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airships.
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Airships were perfect.
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You could fly low enough
and slow enough to be able
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to spot an enemy submarine.
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But given their enormous size,
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you need somewhere equally big
to house them.
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This is Naval Air
Station Tillamook.
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Construction began on the first
of two hangars in October 1942.
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But building these behemoths
was no easy task.
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Supplies of steel and aluminum
were critically low
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because of the war effort.
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But there's one building
material that the northwest
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has in abundance,
and that was wood.
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The race was on to get
the hangars finished before
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Japan could once again threaten
America's national security.
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A bitter winter hampered
early efforts,
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and the hangar
that survives today
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took nine months to build.
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00:04:53,501 --> 00:04:55,267
The primary challenge
that they faced
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in building the hangar
was weather.
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00:04:57,534 --> 00:04:58,767
And, of course,
on the Oregon coast,
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it rains considerably.
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But when completed,
it was a record breaker.
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Hangar B at Tillamook
is the largest freestanding
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clear-span wooden structure
in the world.
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The hangar itself is
about 1,000 feet long,
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300 feet wide,
and 200 feet tall.
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They used in excess of 3 million
board feet of lumber,
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which is enough lumber to build
279 three-bedroom homes.
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The hangar's actually so long,
you could literally lay
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the Chrysler Building down
inside of the hangar.
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In February 1943,
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the first of eight airships
arrived after being constructed
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at Goodyear
manufacturing plants,
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00:05:38,834 --> 00:05:40,400
in Ohio and California.
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00:05:44,067 --> 00:05:47,467
On March 16th, the first
patrol mission was launched.
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Fortunately, the crew was
equipped with more
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than just binoculars.
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So the airships also use a very
primitive form of radar called
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a "magnetic anomaly detector,"
where they would look
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for magnetic anomalies
in the earth's surface
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to find these submarines.
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Anti-submarine warfare
is mostly hour after hour
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scanning the waters
and not seeing anything.
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It was the same story,
day after day of nothing.
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That would soon change.
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On May 19th, 1943,
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Tillamook's
communication building
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received an urgent dispatch.
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About 10 miles off the coast
of Cape Lookout in Oregon,
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00:06:32,934 --> 00:06:37,100
the USS PC-815,
an anti-submarine vessel,
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started picking up irregular
signals on its sonar device.
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The ship's commander quickly
ordered his crew to fire
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on what he believed
was a Japanese submarine.
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After six attempted attacks,
the USS PC-815
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00:06:54,434 --> 00:06:56,067
runs out of ammunition.
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They were potentially
a sitting duck.
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So the call went out to the two
airships that were then
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00:07:02,534 --> 00:07:05,567
operating out of the base,
K-33 and K-39,
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00:07:05,734 --> 00:07:08,868
to assist this Navy
surface vessel.
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00:07:09,033 --> 00:07:12,567
The blimps, in addition to
submarine detection equipment,
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00:07:12,734 --> 00:07:15,868
were also armed with depth
charges, and a machine gun.
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Their role was
to defend the U.S. ships
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and help scout the water
for any signs
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of enemy submarines.
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00:07:26,467 --> 00:07:29,367
Eventually, four other
surface ships were called in,
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to assist as well.
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Soon, the ship's crew
picks up another signal.
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Now they're convinced that
there's a second Japanese sub
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in the vicinity.
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By 4:46 P.M.,
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13 hours after
the pursuit began,
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the PC-815 was finally
restocked with depth charges
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by a supporting vessel.
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The ship's commander
desperately continued
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hunting down
the Japanese submarines,
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launching attack after attack.
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The fear now is that
it's staking out its target.
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The race was on,
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00:08:06,367 --> 00:08:08,901
and American lives
were at stake.
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2
On May 19th, 1943,
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00:08:16,834 --> 00:08:19,467
two airships from the Tillamook
Naval Air Station
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00:08:19,634 --> 00:08:22,400
were dispatched
to assist the PC-815
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in its pursuit
of two Japanese submarines.
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The fight continued on
through the night
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and into the next day.
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But the enemy is
nowhere to be seen.
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After 68 hours,
the commander of the ship
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was ordered to call off
the search.
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On return to base,
the commander of PC-815
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reported that he believed
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00:08:49,834 --> 00:08:52,567
he destroyed one or both
of the submarines,
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as neither launched
a counterattack.
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Yet, Navy officials immediately
commenced an investigation
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00:09:00,267 --> 00:09:03,100
to establish what took place.
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The commander had used
five ships, two blimps,
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deployed over
100 depth charges,
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and failed to supply
any of the evidence
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00:09:12,467 --> 00:09:14,300
required to confirm a kill.
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The final report contained
some astonishing findings.
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No subs were ever found.
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No wreckage was ever found.
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00:09:24,934 --> 00:09:27,901
The airmen on the blimps,
for example, didn't think
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there was any sign
of submarines in the area.
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But the commander of this
vessel was still convinced
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that he had destroyed
two enemy vessels.
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So who was
this mystery commander?
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His name was L. Ron Hubbard.
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After the war,
he would become
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a very successful
science fiction writer
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and then go on to found
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the Church of Scientology.
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Now, L. Ron Hubbard
was known to,
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let's say,
stretch the truth at times.
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Even in his After-Action Report,
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you can see that Hubbard
has a certain literary flair.
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But there was one piece
of evidence
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00:10:15,634 --> 00:10:17,467
from the Navy investigation
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00:10:17,634 --> 00:10:19,367
that no amount
of creative language
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could disguise.
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It turns out that the area
where Hubbard and his crew
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first picked up these strange
signals is well known
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for having natural
magnetic deposits.
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So it seems, Hubbard may well
have been fighting
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an imaginary enemy.
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00:10:39,801 --> 00:10:43,167
For the next two years,
airships from Tillamook
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00:10:43,334 --> 00:10:46,601
continued to patrol
the Oregon coast.
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Only one vessel under
the protection of an airship
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was ever sunk,
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an oil tanker
named the Persephone.
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That's a pretty impressive
service record.
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The war in the Pacific dragged
on until September 2nd, 1945.
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And at that point, of course,
the Tillamook base
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00:11:05,534 --> 00:11:07,000
was no longer needed.
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00:11:12,267 --> 00:11:15,767
In 1948,
Tillamook Naval Air Station
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00:11:15,934 --> 00:11:18,267
was decommissioned.
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00:11:18,434 --> 00:11:23,167
Today, hangar B is home
to the Tillamook Air Museum.
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00:11:23,334 --> 00:11:25,467
We call it
"history housing history."
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You have this amazing structure
from World War II,
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00:11:29,834 --> 00:11:31,267
an engineering marvel.
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00:11:31,434 --> 00:11:34,000
These hangars show
what we can accomplish
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00:11:34,167 --> 00:11:35,968
when we're under threat.
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00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:43,601
On the Greek island of Leros,
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stands a commanding structure
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00:11:46,267 --> 00:11:47,701
with a shameful secret.
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00:11:53,868 --> 00:11:57,901
Following along the coast,
we find this amazing,
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00:11:58,067 --> 00:12:00,400
vast, and powerful building.
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00:12:01,868 --> 00:12:05,601
It looks like security
was really tight here,
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00:12:05,767 --> 00:12:08,601
but who was being kept inside?
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00:12:08,767 --> 00:12:11,467
It looks as if people
were living here.
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00:12:11,634 --> 00:12:14,300
The question is, why?
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00:12:14,467 --> 00:12:16,767
Upstairs, there's a lot of beds.
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00:12:16,934 --> 00:12:18,667
There's colorful decorations
on the wall,
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00:12:18,834 --> 00:12:20,467
but also medical equipment.
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Could this have been a hospital?
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00:12:23,367 --> 00:12:25,367
This was once a showpiece,
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00:12:25,534 --> 00:12:27,167
designed to demonstrate
the might
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00:12:27,334 --> 00:12:29,100
of a conquering nation.
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00:12:29,267 --> 00:12:33,901
Its days as a glorious symbol
of power did not last long.
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00:12:34,067 --> 00:12:38,067
As time passed, it became
a den of depravity,
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00:12:38,234 --> 00:12:41,701
and the subject
of a controversial exposé.
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00:12:41,868 --> 00:12:45,667
It created an international
scandal that humiliated
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00:12:45,834 --> 00:12:47,701
the Greek government.
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00:12:47,868 --> 00:12:50,467
Because of this complex,
Leros became known
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00:12:50,634 --> 00:12:52,000
as the "Island of the Damned."
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00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,167
I first came in 1966.
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00:13:00,334 --> 00:13:01,901
It was October 5th.
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00:13:02,067 --> 00:13:04,167
It was so beautiful
that it left me
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00:13:04,334 --> 00:13:05,367
with the best impression.
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00:13:08,100 --> 00:13:12,200
Petros Akoglanis was 22 years
old when he started working
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00:13:12,367 --> 00:13:14,534
as a nurse in this building.
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00:13:16,968 --> 00:13:20,367
For me, this place is very
sacred because this is where
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00:13:20,534 --> 00:13:22,667
I lived my best years.
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00:13:22,834 --> 00:13:24,767
There are some
other feelings now.
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00:13:24,934 --> 00:13:26,467
I'm saddened by this space.
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00:13:29,868 --> 00:13:32,501
The story of this now
derelict shell
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00:13:32,667 --> 00:13:35,267
began long before
Petros arrived,
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00:13:35,434 --> 00:13:39,300
during an era
of European occupation.
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00:13:39,467 --> 00:13:42,367
Since 1923, this was
under the influence
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00:13:42,534 --> 00:13:45,400
of Mussolini's fascist Italy.
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00:13:45,567 --> 00:13:47,467
It was built
as accommodation for troops
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00:13:47,634 --> 00:13:50,200
using the nearby seaplane port.
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00:13:50,367 --> 00:13:54,868
Italy and then their Nazi
allies controlled the island
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00:13:55,033 --> 00:13:57,801
until the end
of the Second World War.
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00:13:57,968 --> 00:14:01,300
But eventually,
these structures and the island
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00:14:01,467 --> 00:14:03,667
were handed back
to a united Greece.
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00:14:05,901 --> 00:14:09,601
Life on Leros eventually
returned to normal.
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00:14:09,767 --> 00:14:14,801
But by the 1950s, a crisis was
brewing on mainland Greece.
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00:14:14,968 --> 00:14:19,000
This structure would be part
of the solution.
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00:14:19,167 --> 00:14:24,100
After the war, Greece was
in the midst of profound change.
255
00:14:24,267 --> 00:14:27,467
The population was
increasing and urbanizing.
256
00:14:27,634 --> 00:14:30,868
And all of this impacted
the way that people
257
00:14:31,033 --> 00:14:35,267
with mental illness and physical
disabilities were cared for.
258
00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,000
The hospitals in Athens
and in other major cities
259
00:14:39,167 --> 00:14:42,367
were filling up and
were reaching breaking point.
260
00:14:46,334 --> 00:14:49,300
They had to de-congest
the other mental hospitals
261
00:14:49,467 --> 00:14:51,767
because they were overcrowded.
262
00:14:51,934 --> 00:14:54,000
And they found a suitable place
263
00:14:54,167 --> 00:14:56,567
and brought them here.
264
00:15:02,167 --> 00:15:06,367
In 1958, this facility
admitted its first patients,
265
00:15:06,534 --> 00:15:08,267
more than 300.
266
00:15:10,267 --> 00:15:13,667
It was officially called
the "Colony for Psychopaths,"
267
00:15:13,834 --> 00:15:17,367
and later became known
as the "Leros Asylum".
268
00:15:19,334 --> 00:15:21,868
And it was very important
for the island.
269
00:15:22,033 --> 00:15:25,267
There were no other ways
of working in those years.
270
00:15:25,434 --> 00:15:28,300
From the first moment,
I loved this place.
271
00:15:28,467 --> 00:15:31,100
The patients, we would pick
them up from the boat,
272
00:15:31,267 --> 00:15:33,601
bring them here,
have their food ready.
273
00:15:34,801 --> 00:15:36,567
But within just a few years,
274
00:15:36,734 --> 00:15:40,367
there was around 2,500 patients
at this facility.
275
00:15:40,534 --> 00:15:43,400
It was designed
to care for about 600.
276
00:15:44,467 --> 00:15:47,868
Some of this meant
that there was poor sanitation.
277
00:15:48,033 --> 00:15:51,200
A few toilets,
hundreds would have to use.
278
00:15:51,367 --> 00:15:54,767
It was even said that there was
only one qualified psychiatrist
279
00:15:54,934 --> 00:15:57,567
for a thousand patients.
280
00:15:57,734 --> 00:16:00,100
Of course, there were problems.
281
00:16:00,267 --> 00:16:02,801
There were cases of patients
attacking staff,
282
00:16:02,968 --> 00:16:05,000
attacking their fellow patients.
283
00:16:05,167 --> 00:16:07,601
We, the staff,
dealt with these incidents
284
00:16:07,767 --> 00:16:10,767
as much as possible.
285
00:16:10,934 --> 00:16:15,767
The outside world had no idea
just how bad the situation
286
00:16:15,934 --> 00:16:18,567
inside the Leros Asylum
had become.
287
00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,467
In 1989, the devastating truth
of what was really going on
288
00:16:23,634 --> 00:16:25,567
in this facility was revealed.
289
00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:34,901
2
In the late 1950s,
a new psychiatric hospital
290
00:16:35,067 --> 00:16:38,267
opened on the Greek island
of Leros to help care
291
00:16:38,434 --> 00:16:40,300
for people with
mental health conditions.
292
00:16:41,868 --> 00:16:46,567
By 1989, it had become
so dangerously overcrowded,
293
00:16:46,734 --> 00:16:50,501
a team of journalists
exposed its appalling story.
294
00:16:51,701 --> 00:16:55,100
Reporters from the British
newspaper, The Observer,
295
00:16:55,267 --> 00:16:58,567
recorded the squalid
and terrible conditions
296
00:16:58,734 --> 00:17:01,667
that patients were suffering in.
297
00:17:01,834 --> 00:17:05,000
You had patients living naked
and even tied down
298
00:17:05,167 --> 00:17:06,968
to their beds,
bearing the marks
299
00:17:07,133 --> 00:17:10,000
of this really
inhumane treatment.
300
00:17:10,167 --> 00:17:12,667
The shocking photos
that accompanied the article
301
00:17:12,834 --> 00:17:16,601
revealed the brutal reality
of life within these walls.
302
00:17:18,267 --> 00:17:21,167
Look, we didn't react
negatively.
303
00:17:21,334 --> 00:17:23,968
We accepted the publication.
304
00:17:24,133 --> 00:17:26,000
Up to a certain point.
305
00:17:27,667 --> 00:17:29,400
When the story was published,
306
00:17:29,567 --> 00:17:32,467
they called this
"Europe's Guilty Secret,"
307
00:17:32,634 --> 00:17:36,267
and there was
condemnation all around,
308
00:17:36,434 --> 00:17:39,133
forcing the Greek
government to react.
309
00:17:41,567 --> 00:17:44,100
We did not rise up and say
that, because these things
310
00:17:44,267 --> 00:17:46,267
are happening,
it should be closed.
311
00:17:46,434 --> 00:17:47,801
We never accepted that.
312
00:17:49,901 --> 00:17:52,667
Slowly, things
started to improve,
313
00:17:52,834 --> 00:17:56,000
and a different climate
started to prevail.
314
00:17:56,167 --> 00:17:58,267
We tried to bring
better working conditions
315
00:17:58,434 --> 00:18:01,267
for the staff, but especially
for the patients.
316
00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:07,000
The reforms that were enacted
317
00:18:07,167 --> 00:18:10,267
went far beyond
the Leros Asylum.
318
00:18:10,434 --> 00:18:12,868
All over Greece,
mental health institutions
319
00:18:13,033 --> 00:18:15,000
were thrust into the spotlight
320
00:18:15,167 --> 00:18:17,868
and found wanting.
321
00:18:18,033 --> 00:18:21,267
Across the board,
wholesale changes were required
322
00:18:21,434 --> 00:18:23,968
to overhaul the broken system.
323
00:18:24,133 --> 00:18:28,000
Those improvements would
usher in the end of this site.
324
00:18:30,033 --> 00:18:32,367
The admissions of patients
began to decrease
325
00:18:32,534 --> 00:18:35,100
because the general hospitals
began to establish
326
00:18:35,267 --> 00:18:37,267
psychiatric hospitals.
327
00:18:37,434 --> 00:18:40,868
And in order for a patient to
get to a psychiatric facility,
328
00:18:41,033 --> 00:18:43,200
they had to first go through
the general hospital.
329
00:18:46,901 --> 00:18:49,000
As a result,
the number of patients
330
00:18:49,167 --> 00:18:52,000
being sent to Leros
rapidly declined.
331
00:18:52,167 --> 00:18:55,567
Over the following years,
patients were gradually moved
332
00:18:55,734 --> 00:19:00,200
into community care,
and the institution's buildings
333
00:19:00,367 --> 00:19:01,868
were eventually shut down.
334
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,067
By the late 1990s,
335
00:19:05,234 --> 00:19:08,100
the Leros Asylum
was completely abandoned,
336
00:19:08,267 --> 00:19:12,901
and this distressing period
consigned to the past.
337
00:19:13,067 --> 00:19:16,267
But it's far from the end
of its tragic story.
338
00:19:16,434 --> 00:19:20,567
In March 2011,
Syria erupted into civil war,
339
00:19:20,734 --> 00:19:23,200
following a wave
of pro-democracy protests
340
00:19:23,367 --> 00:19:26,167
that spread across North Africa
and the Middle East,
341
00:19:26,334 --> 00:19:28,400
known as the Arab Spring.
342
00:19:29,667 --> 00:19:33,801
The repercussions would be felt
on the small island of Leros.
343
00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:38,968
By 2015, more than a million
refugees had arrived
344
00:19:39,133 --> 00:19:40,367
on European shores.
345
00:19:41,801 --> 00:19:44,601
Human traffickers
would take these refugees,
346
00:19:44,767 --> 00:19:47,467
smuggle them
to islands near Leros,
347
00:19:47,634 --> 00:19:50,868
and leave them to be rescued
by the Greek Coast Guard.
348
00:19:51,033 --> 00:19:55,100
In March of 2016, the area
in front of the hospital
349
00:19:55,267 --> 00:19:58,667
was opened up as a camp
that was designated to be
350
00:19:58,834 --> 00:20:00,868
the initial meeting point
351
00:20:01,033 --> 00:20:04,167
of refugees
entering the European Union.
352
00:20:05,501 --> 00:20:07,501
According to some estimates,
353
00:20:07,667 --> 00:20:10,200
there were up to 1,500
people arriving
354
00:20:10,367 --> 00:20:11,667
on Leros every day.
355
00:20:13,167 --> 00:20:16,667
For the next five years,
the old Leros Asylum
356
00:20:16,834 --> 00:20:18,667
and the grounds
that surround it,
357
00:20:18,834 --> 00:20:20,501
served as a neglected home
358
00:20:20,667 --> 00:20:23,367
for desperate immigrants
seeking a better life.
359
00:20:25,367 --> 00:20:29,300
A more humanitarian answer
needed to be found.
360
00:20:29,467 --> 00:20:34,167
In 2021, the Greek government
created a new reception center
361
00:20:34,334 --> 00:20:37,667
on the island for these people,
and this camp in front
362
00:20:37,834 --> 00:20:39,868
of the hospital
was finally abandoned.
363
00:20:45,667 --> 00:20:49,167
Today, there are no plans
to restore or demolish
364
00:20:49,334 --> 00:20:51,100
the old asylum.
365
00:20:51,267 --> 00:20:52,968
But in the building's shadow,
366
00:20:53,133 --> 00:20:57,267
a growing tourism industry
now thrives.
367
00:20:57,434 --> 00:20:59,267
I am proud of my island.
368
00:20:59,434 --> 00:21:04,267
Leros is here, it's beautiful,
and everyone should visit.
369
00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:14,067
In southwest Oklahoma,
are the remains of a complex
370
00:21:14,234 --> 00:21:17,701
built during an era
of disturbing change.
371
00:21:22,868 --> 00:21:26,167
The buildings are all
solid and functional.
372
00:21:26,334 --> 00:21:27,968
They're constructed
with the same type of bricks,
373
00:21:28,133 --> 00:21:30,767
and flat roofs,
and minimal decoration.
374
00:21:30,934 --> 00:21:33,467
When you enter the site,
it's clear that the buildings
375
00:21:33,634 --> 00:21:35,567
are all in really bad disrepair,
376
00:21:35,734 --> 00:21:37,968
and inside are identical rooms.
377
00:21:38,133 --> 00:21:41,267
It looks like a dormitory,
but who's staying here?
378
00:21:42,567 --> 00:21:45,267
Discarded toys
and small chairs,
379
00:21:45,434 --> 00:21:48,767
suggest this was a space
used by children.
380
00:21:49,868 --> 00:21:51,701
Over the years,
hundreds of students
381
00:21:51,868 --> 00:21:53,667
would walk through these doors.
382
00:21:53,834 --> 00:21:55,400
For the most part,
they came here forcibly
383
00:21:55,567 --> 00:21:57,501
and against their will.
384
00:21:57,667 --> 00:21:59,000
This site wasn't a one-off.
385
00:21:59,167 --> 00:22:03,167
It was part of a much larger
program across the nation.
386
00:22:03,334 --> 00:22:08,868
This is the start of a dark
chapter of American history.
387
00:22:09,033 --> 00:22:11,000
What happened inside these
walls would shape the lives
388
00:22:11,167 --> 00:22:13,868
of children across Oklahoma
for generations.
389
00:22:14,968 --> 00:22:17,267
The kids came from many
different tribes.
390
00:22:17,434 --> 00:22:19,868
They all spoke
in different languages,
391
00:22:20,033 --> 00:22:23,467
and they would get
punished physically.
392
00:22:23,634 --> 00:22:25,567
I'm sure that it was
a scary place.
393
00:22:30,267 --> 00:22:33,467
2
In Lawton, Oklahoma,
is the ruin of a building
394
00:22:33,634 --> 00:22:36,901
with a troubling legacy
that still runs deep.
395
00:22:37,067 --> 00:22:40,167
So this place
is very significant
396
00:22:40,334 --> 00:22:42,667
to the Native American
community.
397
00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:45,767
Don't think
there's very many people
398
00:22:45,934 --> 00:22:47,667
that don't have a connection.
399
00:22:48,701 --> 00:22:49,934
It's incredible.
400
00:22:51,100 --> 00:22:54,801
Yolonda Ramos works closely
with the Kiowa, Comanche,
401
00:22:54,968 --> 00:22:57,968
and Apache nations
to maintain this site
402
00:22:58,133 --> 00:23:01,667
and to document
its unsettling past.
403
00:23:01,834 --> 00:23:03,901
There were many students
who came when they were
404
00:23:04,067 --> 00:23:05,801
about six years old.
405
00:23:05,968 --> 00:23:08,067
And, in the early days,
406
00:23:08,234 --> 00:23:11,167
there were a lot of bad stories.
407
00:23:11,334 --> 00:23:14,167
and, in the later years,
there were better times.
408
00:23:15,767 --> 00:23:17,100
The origins of this place
409
00:23:17,267 --> 00:23:19,000
are tied to a number
of government acts
410
00:23:19,167 --> 00:23:21,701
that tried to limit
Native Americans' rights.
411
00:23:22,767 --> 00:23:24,501
This included the notorious
412
00:23:24,667 --> 00:23:26,667
Indian Removal Act of 1830.
413
00:23:28,300 --> 00:23:31,501
Thousands are forced to give up
their land and relocate
414
00:23:31,667 --> 00:23:34,400
west of the Mississippi River.
415
00:23:34,567 --> 00:23:36,567
This created
a territorial divide
416
00:23:36,734 --> 00:23:39,367
between the United States
and Native Americans.
417
00:23:39,534 --> 00:23:43,400
A series of violent conflicts
between those two communities
418
00:23:43,567 --> 00:23:45,701
would result
in an extraordinary meeting.
419
00:23:47,868 --> 00:23:49,767
In 1867,
420
00:23:49,934 --> 00:23:53,067
the representatives of multiple
Native American nations
421
00:23:53,234 --> 00:23:57,267
met with representatives
of the U.S. Government.
422
00:23:57,434 --> 00:24:00,066
They came together
to negotiate what became known
423
00:24:00,067 --> 00:24:02,100
as the Medicine Lodge Treaty.
424
00:24:03,767 --> 00:24:06,767
From the very start,
the indigenous communities
425
00:24:06,934 --> 00:24:09,100
were at a disadvantage.
426
00:24:09,267 --> 00:24:12,701
The multiple languages spoken
by the Native American nations
427
00:24:12,868 --> 00:24:17,000
required numerous interpreters,
which created confusion
428
00:24:17,167 --> 00:24:19,601
and the opportunity
for exploitation.
429
00:24:20,767 --> 00:24:23,467
In addition, pressure was
applied to accept the terms
430
00:24:23,634 --> 00:24:25,367
of the deal by using the threat
431
00:24:25,534 --> 00:24:28,901
of military force
and starvation.
432
00:24:29,067 --> 00:24:31,467
In signing the treaty,
tribal leaders agreed
433
00:24:31,634 --> 00:24:34,667
to relinquish valuable lands
and important hunting grounds.
434
00:24:36,567 --> 00:24:40,067
Part of that agreement was
to educate the native children,
435
00:24:40,234 --> 00:24:43,167
hence the boarding schools
here being built.
436
00:24:44,501 --> 00:24:48,100
This one was called Fort Sill.
437
00:24:48,267 --> 00:24:51,367
It originally opened in 1871
438
00:24:51,534 --> 00:24:55,200
and moved to this site in 1892.
439
00:24:55,367 --> 00:24:58,567
Its distressing goal
would never be forgotten.
440
00:24:59,901 --> 00:25:03,000
One of the purposes of this
residential boarding school
441
00:25:03,167 --> 00:25:07,300
is to separate these children
from their families
442
00:25:07,467 --> 00:25:09,968
and communities, thus making
them vulnerable
443
00:25:10,133 --> 00:25:13,167
to indoctrination
with a new culture.
444
00:25:13,334 --> 00:25:17,300
These schools were built
to assimilate the children.
445
00:25:17,467 --> 00:25:22,501
I think their idea
of assimilation was to make
446
00:25:22,667 --> 00:25:26,801
the kids good little
Christian boys and girls,
447
00:25:26,968 --> 00:25:30,367
to assimilate them
to the white man's way
448
00:25:30,534 --> 00:25:35,467
and to pull them
from their old ways.
449
00:25:35,634 --> 00:25:39,567
The main focus of the studies
for the boys and girls was
450
00:25:39,734 --> 00:25:44,434
agriculture and home economics
and English, of course.
451
00:25:46,868 --> 00:25:49,868
The curriculum the school
enforced was influenced
452
00:25:50,033 --> 00:25:52,767
by Captain Richard Henry Pratt,
453
00:25:52,934 --> 00:25:56,767
a veteran military man
turned educator.
454
00:25:56,934 --> 00:25:59,067
In 1892,
at a national conference,
455
00:25:59,234 --> 00:26:01,501
Pratt makes his famous statement
that essentially says,
456
00:26:01,667 --> 00:26:04,801
"Kill the Indian in him
and save the man."
457
00:26:04,968 --> 00:26:08,200
This motto became the core
philosophy of over 500
458
00:26:08,367 --> 00:26:10,100
Indian boarding schools
across the country.
459
00:26:12,167 --> 00:26:14,567
The schools achieved
assimilation by operating
460
00:26:14,734 --> 00:26:16,567
with a strict
military-like regime.
461
00:26:17,801 --> 00:26:20,267
Culturally, we wear
our hair long.
462
00:26:20,434 --> 00:26:23,501
When the kids came here,
they cut the kids' hair
463
00:26:23,667 --> 00:26:26,467
completely off,
and then they ultimately
464
00:26:26,634 --> 00:26:31,067
moved on to making them dress
in military-style uniforms.
465
00:26:32,667 --> 00:26:34,467
Just like the military,
when children stepped
466
00:26:34,634 --> 00:26:36,968
out of line, they were given
harsh punishments.
467
00:26:38,667 --> 00:26:44,000
It was a part of them teaching
the kids discipline
468
00:26:44,167 --> 00:26:50,801
and another part of teaching
them to become more like them.
469
00:26:53,100 --> 00:26:56,701
At the Native American school
in nearby Anadarko,
470
00:26:56,868 --> 00:27:00,400
which operated on similar
principles as Fort Sill,
471
00:27:00,567 --> 00:27:03,467
a tragic story demonstrates
the climate of fear
472
00:27:03,634 --> 00:27:05,801
the children lived under.
473
00:27:05,968 --> 00:27:08,367
After a young boy
was severely whipped,
474
00:27:08,534 --> 00:27:11,100
he and two friends
attempted to run away.
475
00:27:12,467 --> 00:27:14,000
They were later
found frozen to death
476
00:27:14,167 --> 00:27:16,267
outside the school grounds.
477
00:27:16,434 --> 00:27:18,400
They were just too terrified
to come back.
478
00:27:19,601 --> 00:27:22,000
There are a lot
of negative stories.
479
00:27:22,167 --> 00:27:23,868
There is so much history here.
480
00:27:25,467 --> 00:27:27,100
I gotta take a second, sorry.
481
00:27:30,334 --> 00:27:31,801
It makes me a little emotional.
482
00:27:33,868 --> 00:27:37,767
Essentially, it's ethnocide,
and this practice of attempting
483
00:27:37,934 --> 00:27:39,701
to strip away people's culture
484
00:27:39,868 --> 00:27:42,734
continues well
into the 20th century.
485
00:27:45,167 --> 00:27:49,267
It wasn't until the Great
Depression struck in 1929
486
00:27:49,434 --> 00:27:51,501
that indigenous
communities' rights
487
00:27:51,667 --> 00:27:53,667
slowly started to progress.
488
00:27:55,100 --> 00:27:57,367
Native American families
are hit really hard
489
00:27:57,534 --> 00:27:59,567
because of lack
of financial opportunities,
490
00:27:59,734 --> 00:28:03,701
structural racism,
and generations of land loss.
491
00:28:03,868 --> 00:28:06,901
In 1934,
Franklin Roosevelt introduced
492
00:28:07,067 --> 00:28:09,467
the Indian Reorganization Act.
493
00:28:09,634 --> 00:28:13,501
The law ushered in long overdue
and often gradual improvements.
494
00:28:14,601 --> 00:28:17,467
And this would become
a catalyst for change
495
00:28:17,634 --> 00:28:18,701
at the school.
496
00:28:22,767 --> 00:28:24,701
2
In the 1930s,
the harsh conditions
497
00:28:24,868 --> 00:28:28,701
at the Fort Sill Indian School
slowly began to improve
498
00:28:28,868 --> 00:28:32,901
after the introduction of
the Indian Reorganization Act.
499
00:28:33,067 --> 00:28:35,200
This new law protected
and restored land
500
00:28:35,367 --> 00:28:39,100
to indigenous Americans
and encouraged self-government.
501
00:28:39,267 --> 00:28:42,000
It also supported
the preservation and revival
502
00:28:42,167 --> 00:28:44,267
of Native American
practices and traditions.
503
00:28:46,601 --> 00:28:48,100
They started to...
504
00:28:49,167 --> 00:28:52,367
work on building new buildings
for the campus.
505
00:28:52,534 --> 00:28:55,367
In 1936, the gymnasium.
506
00:28:55,534 --> 00:28:59,000
And in 1939,
they built the school building.
507
00:28:59,167 --> 00:29:03,267
So, Fort Sill Indian School
ultimately became
508
00:29:03,434 --> 00:29:06,267
somewhat of a lifeline
for the Native families.
509
00:29:08,300 --> 00:29:11,300
I am half Comanche.
510
00:29:11,467 --> 00:29:14,567
A lot of people thought
we were here for punishment,
511
00:29:14,734 --> 00:29:16,033
but it wasn't.
512
00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:20,067
I stayed here because my mother,
she couldn't take care of me.
513
00:29:20,234 --> 00:29:24,501
Jimmy Ray Caddo enrolled
at Fort Sill in 1938
514
00:29:24,667 --> 00:29:26,367
when he was six years old.
515
00:29:28,501 --> 00:29:30,767
At first, I was scared.
516
00:29:30,934 --> 00:29:33,000
I stand over there
in the corner of that building
517
00:29:33,167 --> 00:29:34,968
over there looking
down that road
518
00:29:35,133 --> 00:29:37,601
every Saturday or Sunday,
looking for my mother.
519
00:29:38,667 --> 00:29:41,100
I stayed here until I was
21 years old,
520
00:29:41,267 --> 00:29:44,100
and I never went home.
521
00:29:44,267 --> 00:29:46,767
The ethos of strict discipline
still existed,
522
00:29:46,934 --> 00:29:50,067
but the policy of forced
assimilation had ended.
523
00:29:51,501 --> 00:29:54,467
The education Jimmy received
was now more focused
524
00:29:54,634 --> 00:29:57,000
on just teaching
vocational skills.
525
00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:04,000
The goal of this school
was to teach you to be farmers.
526
00:30:04,167 --> 00:30:09,100
We had about 35 cows
we had to milk in the morning.
527
00:30:10,501 --> 00:30:13,701
School here,
it taught me a lot.
528
00:30:13,868 --> 00:30:17,200
You know, I joined the Navy,
from here.
529
00:30:17,367 --> 00:30:20,167
I stayed until I was
a chief petty officer.
530
00:30:20,334 --> 00:30:22,467
I learned from here
531
00:30:22,634 --> 00:30:25,767
how to get along
with other people.
532
00:30:25,934 --> 00:30:28,367
That's why,
when I joined the Navy,
533
00:30:29,667 --> 00:30:31,400
it was right down my alley.
534
00:30:32,467 --> 00:30:34,000
So I did very good.
535
00:30:34,167 --> 00:30:35,300
I've seen the world.
536
00:30:37,267 --> 00:30:41,200
In the years after Jimmy
graduated in 1953,
537
00:30:41,367 --> 00:30:44,367
Fort Sills started to offer
a more well-rounded
538
00:30:44,534 --> 00:30:46,167
education to its students.
539
00:30:47,367 --> 00:30:50,501
The quality of education
did get better as time went on
540
00:30:50,667 --> 00:30:54,501
because they started to expand
into more subjects.
541
00:30:54,667 --> 00:30:58,601
One student that I talked to
said that she actually loved it
542
00:30:58,767 --> 00:31:01,467
because she was able to be
around other students
543
00:31:01,634 --> 00:31:02,901
that looked like her.
544
00:31:03,067 --> 00:31:05,000
They were all
Native American students
545
00:31:05,167 --> 00:31:09,167
and they all had
a very strong sense of culture.
546
00:31:14,801 --> 00:31:16,767
Fort Sill continued to function
547
00:31:16,934 --> 00:31:19,367
through the 1960s and '70s,
548
00:31:19,534 --> 00:31:22,200
but its end was drawing near.
549
00:31:23,367 --> 00:31:27,400
In 1980, the Bureau of Indian
Affairs closed the school
550
00:31:27,567 --> 00:31:30,567
due to a lack of federal funds
to keep it going.
551
00:31:31,567 --> 00:31:34,367
Most of the kids at that point
had been integrated
552
00:31:34,534 --> 00:31:37,801
into the public schools,
and so they didn't feel like
553
00:31:37,968 --> 00:31:41,501
there was a need to provide
further funding to the school.
554
00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:51,267
To date, 526 Native American
boarding schools
555
00:31:51,434 --> 00:31:53,601
have been identified
in the United States.
556
00:31:54,767 --> 00:31:58,467
Their impact should always
be remembered.
557
00:31:58,634 --> 00:32:03,267
Research is ongoing to uncover
the long legacy of trauma
558
00:32:03,434 --> 00:32:04,901
for those who were
confined there.
559
00:32:07,167 --> 00:32:09,200
There are plans to build
a new school on the site,
560
00:32:09,367 --> 00:32:12,467
which will be used by indigenous
and Native American children.
561
00:32:14,567 --> 00:32:16,767
It is going to be
a huge project.
562
00:32:16,934 --> 00:32:19,267
I absolutely do
feel a responsibility.
563
00:32:19,434 --> 00:32:25,000
I feel like that I have to do
my part in protecting our land
564
00:32:25,167 --> 00:32:27,567
and protecting our culture
565
00:32:27,734 --> 00:32:31,267
and in ensuring
that the language continues on.
566
00:32:31,434 --> 00:32:33,100
And that's very
important to me.
567
00:32:38,767 --> 00:32:42,501
In Scotland, on the outskirts
of the capital, Edinburgh,
568
00:32:42,667 --> 00:32:44,467
is a clandestine site built
569
00:32:44,634 --> 00:32:47,467
at a time
of widespread paranoia.
570
00:32:52,667 --> 00:32:55,968
Following a rough dirt track,
you come to a clearing
571
00:32:56,133 --> 00:32:57,868
with small brick buildings.
572
00:32:58,033 --> 00:33:00,067
It doesn't look
like much, frankly.
573
00:33:01,868 --> 00:33:04,868
A fence still runs around
the outside of the property.
574
00:33:05,033 --> 00:33:07,167
Whatever it is,
it's still an air of secrecy
575
00:33:07,334 --> 00:33:09,501
that surrounds it.
576
00:33:09,667 --> 00:33:12,667
As you get closer
to the unremarkable structure,
577
00:33:12,834 --> 00:33:17,200
it's impossible to ignore
the solid steel doors.
578
00:33:17,367 --> 00:33:22,000
Their presence suggests this is
a place with something to hide.
579
00:33:23,267 --> 00:33:25,167
What were they guarding?
580
00:33:25,334 --> 00:33:28,367
The answer lies deep within.
581
00:33:28,534 --> 00:33:31,300
The first thing you see is
a long sliding tunnel
582
00:33:31,467 --> 00:33:32,868
leading underground.
583
00:33:33,801 --> 00:33:36,501
At a time of war, this was
a subterranean headquarters,
584
00:33:36,667 --> 00:33:38,367
key to Britain's survival.
585
00:33:39,767 --> 00:33:41,901
Few people knew about it,
and even fewer
586
00:33:42,067 --> 00:33:43,667
ever saw behind its walls.
587
00:33:44,667 --> 00:33:46,667
This was part
of a much larger network
588
00:33:46,834 --> 00:33:48,868
that protected
the whole country.
589
00:33:49,968 --> 00:33:53,701
Rumor was that the queen
herself would be hurried here
590
00:33:53,868 --> 00:33:55,601
if there was
a doomsday scenario.
591
00:34:00,067 --> 00:34:05,567
I was conscripted into the RAF
in September 1954,
592
00:34:05,734 --> 00:34:08,000
and after basic training,
593
00:34:08,167 --> 00:34:11,501
we were brought here
and introduced to the place,
594
00:34:11,667 --> 00:34:14,100
and was very
impressive, actually.
595
00:34:14,267 --> 00:34:19,000
A super state-of-the-art
building in those days.
596
00:34:19,167 --> 00:34:22,167
Alan Treloar was 18 years old
when he was called up
597
00:34:22,334 --> 00:34:23,968
for national service.
598
00:34:24,133 --> 00:34:28,400
For 18 months, he was posted
at this top secret facility,
599
00:34:28,567 --> 00:34:31,367
which was built in 1953.
600
00:34:31,534 --> 00:34:34,567
You weren't allowed,
really, to tell anybody anything
601
00:34:34,734 --> 00:34:36,267
of what you were doing.
602
00:34:36,434 --> 00:34:40,167
When I went home on leave
or for a weekend,
603
00:34:40,334 --> 00:34:43,667
parents wanted to know what I
was doing, and I told them
604
00:34:43,834 --> 00:34:48,367
the bare minimum of what I knew
I was allowed to do.
605
00:34:48,534 --> 00:34:50,167
There was a very good reason
606
00:34:50,334 --> 00:34:52,067
the military personnel
based here
607
00:34:52,234 --> 00:34:55,400
were forbidden from revealing
their activities.
608
00:34:55,567 --> 00:34:58,167
Their mission was to safeguard
the United Kingdom
609
00:34:58,334 --> 00:35:00,667
from total annihilation.
610
00:35:00,834 --> 00:35:03,901
In the early years of the
Cold War, the main threat was
611
00:35:04,067 --> 00:35:07,868
long-range Soviet bombers
carrying deadly nuclear weapons.
612
00:35:09,667 --> 00:35:12,267
To counter this danger,
Britain's Air Ministry
613
00:35:12,434 --> 00:35:16,968
developed a new radar network,
code named ROTOR.
614
00:35:17,133 --> 00:35:19,000
If an attack
from the Soviet Union
615
00:35:19,167 --> 00:35:20,801
were to come
over the North Sea,
616
00:35:20,968 --> 00:35:25,267
Scottish radar would be
the first to detect it.
617
00:35:25,434 --> 00:35:29,100
The Royal Air Force needed
somewhere secure to coordinate
618
00:35:29,267 --> 00:35:31,467
the ROTOR radar network
in Scotland,
619
00:35:31,634 --> 00:35:34,200
where no one would ever see it.
620
00:35:35,467 --> 00:35:38,567
What they built was
a subterranean fortress,
621
00:35:38,734 --> 00:35:41,100
three stories deep,
the complex covered
622
00:35:41,267 --> 00:35:44,100
an area of over
37,000 square feet.
623
00:35:45,801 --> 00:35:50,667
It was called Air Defence
Notification Centre ,
624
00:35:50,834 --> 00:35:54,901
and formed part of
the United Kingdom's
first line of defense
625
00:35:55,067 --> 00:35:58,100
if World War III ever erupted.
626
00:35:58,267 --> 00:36:00,667
It was the largest nuclear
bunker in Scotland,
627
00:36:00,834 --> 00:36:03,868
but barely anyone knew
it existed.
628
00:36:04,033 --> 00:36:08,467
In time, that would change
with dramatic effect.
629
00:36:08,634 --> 00:36:11,667
Exposed by a civilian
espionage group,
630
00:36:11,834 --> 00:36:15,601
it became a target
for protests and sabotage.
631
00:36:18,067 --> 00:36:22,000
2
In Scotland are the remains
of a subterranean bunker
632
00:36:22,167 --> 00:36:26,100
built in complete secrecy
during the Cold War.
633
00:36:26,267 --> 00:36:29,667
Its mission was to help keep
the United Kingdom safe
634
00:36:29,834 --> 00:36:32,367
against the threat
of communism.
635
00:36:32,534 --> 00:36:35,567
It was a maze
of corridors and rooms
636
00:36:35,734 --> 00:36:38,567
around a huge central atrium
637
00:36:38,734 --> 00:36:42,667
where a map plotting
table allowed RAF officers
638
00:36:42,834 --> 00:36:47,000
to compile a full picture of any
potential incoming attack
639
00:36:47,167 --> 00:36:48,501
from Soviet bombers.
640
00:36:49,801 --> 00:36:53,901
Most days, day-to-day work
641
00:36:54,067 --> 00:36:58,367
was reporting flights
which were planned
642
00:36:58,534 --> 00:37:01,667
by RAF Bomber Command.
643
00:37:01,834 --> 00:37:05,300
And it was up to us
to plot them and identify them
644
00:37:05,467 --> 00:37:08,667
using radar and
the other means that we had.
645
00:37:10,167 --> 00:37:13,100
On numerous occasions,
the Soviets tested
646
00:37:13,267 --> 00:37:16,000
the UK's new defense system.
647
00:37:16,167 --> 00:37:18,868
And, of course,
sometimes they were
648
00:37:19,033 --> 00:37:22,267
Russian airplanes
which shouldn't be there,
649
00:37:22,434 --> 00:37:26,200
and we were able
to scramble aircraft,
650
00:37:26,367 --> 00:37:27,767
and to go and intercept them
651
00:37:27,934 --> 00:37:30,501
and accompany them out,
out of the area.
652
00:37:30,667 --> 00:37:32,367
But in 1958,
653
00:37:32,534 --> 00:37:36,868
just three years after this
facility became operational,
654
00:37:37,033 --> 00:37:38,901
it was already obsolete.
655
00:37:40,801 --> 00:37:44,267
Missiles could be fired
from thousands of miles away.
656
00:37:44,434 --> 00:37:46,567
The weaponry was now
more advanced
657
00:37:46,734 --> 00:37:48,634
than Britain's radar network.
658
00:37:51,067 --> 00:37:54,801
That didn't mean the bunker's
use to the country was over.
659
00:37:56,467 --> 00:37:58,167
Although the bunker
no longer functioned
660
00:37:58,334 --> 00:38:00,367
in its operational
defense capacity,
661
00:38:00,534 --> 00:38:02,367
the engineering behind it
662
00:38:02,534 --> 00:38:05,367
was still immensely valuable.
663
00:38:05,534 --> 00:38:08,467
The British government
believed that the bunker
would have been
664
00:38:08,634 --> 00:38:11,601
able to withstand
a three megaton bomb
665
00:38:11,767 --> 00:38:14,367
dropped in the city center
of Edinburgh.
666
00:38:16,767 --> 00:38:18,968
So the bunker's designation
was switched
667
00:38:19,133 --> 00:38:21,400
from defense to survival.
668
00:38:22,801 --> 00:38:25,701
It was known as
a Regional Seat of Government,
669
00:38:25,868 --> 00:38:28,467
or "RSG" for short.
670
00:38:29,467 --> 00:38:30,801
Dr. Sean Kinnear
671
00:38:30,968 --> 00:38:35,901
is a historian and expert
on Scotland's Cold War history.
672
00:38:36,067 --> 00:38:38,601
Here at Barnton, there would be
about 400 people
673
00:38:38,767 --> 00:38:42,267
specifically chosen,
so after a nuclear attack,
674
00:38:42,434 --> 00:38:44,400
they would be
the central nucleus
675
00:38:44,567 --> 00:38:46,501
to try and restore some form
676
00:38:46,667 --> 00:38:49,601
of government and society
in the aftermath.
677
00:38:51,100 --> 00:38:53,667
And, although
it's never been confirmed,
678
00:38:53,834 --> 00:38:55,267
it has been suggested
679
00:38:55,434 --> 00:38:58,300
that this would be the place
of refuge for the queen
680
00:38:58,467 --> 00:39:00,067
if there was a nuclear strike
681
00:39:00,234 --> 00:39:01,767
while she was in Scotland.
682
00:39:02,868 --> 00:39:05,267
Yet, as the government
made preparations
683
00:39:05,434 --> 00:39:07,868
to survive a doomsday attack,
684
00:39:08,033 --> 00:39:09,701
some members of the public
685
00:39:09,868 --> 00:39:11,567
became increasingly worried
686
00:39:11,734 --> 00:39:15,000
about the spiraling
nuclear arms race.
687
00:39:15,167 --> 00:39:16,767
While many
protested peacefully,
688
00:39:16,934 --> 00:39:20,100
others resorted
to more militant methods.
689
00:39:21,968 --> 00:39:25,400
The location and function
of the bunker remained a secret
690
00:39:25,567 --> 00:39:27,367
until 1963,
691
00:39:27,534 --> 00:39:30,767
when an anti-nuclear group
called the "Spies for Peace"
692
00:39:30,934 --> 00:39:33,100
managed to break
into another government bunker
693
00:39:33,267 --> 00:39:34,667
in the south of England.
694
00:39:36,167 --> 00:39:38,868
There they found a load
of classified documents.
695
00:39:39,033 --> 00:39:40,567
These outlined the locations
696
00:39:40,734 --> 00:39:42,767
of other RSGs
around the country.
697
00:39:42,934 --> 00:39:45,767
And these directed them
to a previously undiscovered
698
00:39:45,934 --> 00:39:48,167
base right outside of Edinburgh.
699
00:39:50,267 --> 00:39:53,300
They wanted to expose
this network of bunkers
700
00:39:53,467 --> 00:39:56,667
that they were saying was
for the privileged few,
701
00:39:56,834 --> 00:40:00,467
and the rest of the population
were just gonna have to take
702
00:40:00,634 --> 00:40:03,267
what was coming,
in terms of a nuclear attack.
703
00:40:03,434 --> 00:40:06,367
So, when they exposed sites
like this, it was to say,
704
00:40:06,534 --> 00:40:07,767
"We have found your network.
705
00:40:07,934 --> 00:40:09,667
It's not as robust
as you thought,
706
00:40:09,834 --> 00:40:11,567
and now everyone knows
about it."
707
00:40:11,734 --> 00:40:13,467
The government was terrified.
708
00:40:15,400 --> 00:40:17,567
Barton bunker became
the target for regular
709
00:40:17,734 --> 00:40:20,767
anti-nuclear demonstrations
for the next decade.
710
00:40:20,934 --> 00:40:22,767
They demanded the site
to be shut down.
711
00:40:24,367 --> 00:40:27,901
But as the looming threat
of the Cold War faded,
712
00:40:28,067 --> 00:40:30,300
the protests began to ease.
713
00:40:31,868 --> 00:40:36,367
In 1983, the bunker
was officially closed.
714
00:40:37,767 --> 00:40:40,567
So, at that point,
the site became an attraction
715
00:40:40,734 --> 00:40:44,801
for local vandals,
who would break in and slowly,
716
00:40:44,968 --> 00:40:47,100
bit by bit,
tear the place apart.
717
00:40:48,367 --> 00:40:51,868
Arsonists eventually found
their way into the property.
718
00:40:52,033 --> 00:40:54,067
All the equipment
and furnishings
719
00:40:54,234 --> 00:40:57,167
that hadn't already been
stripped out were destroyed,
720
00:40:57,334 --> 00:40:59,801
and the bunker was left
a blackened shell.
721
00:41:03,767 --> 00:41:07,567
In 1996, the derelict site
was purchased
722
00:41:07,734 --> 00:41:09,267
by private owners.
723
00:41:09,434 --> 00:41:11,000
They are now in the process
724
00:41:11,167 --> 00:41:13,100
of restoring
the Cold War relic.
725
00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:17,200
The intention is
to bring it back to resemble
726
00:41:17,367 --> 00:41:19,100
what the structure
would have looked like
727
00:41:19,267 --> 00:41:21,767
whilst it was in operation
during the 1950s
728
00:41:21,934 --> 00:41:24,868
and give back to the community,
allow them in
729
00:41:25,033 --> 00:41:26,968
to see what they weren't
allowed to see
730
00:41:27,133 --> 00:41:28,567
for so many years.