Photo: Herman Hartley 1958?

NIKE ATTENDS A PARTY

Red Canyon mascot Nike knew no boundaries, as seen here inside the mess hall at a party. He was loved by the troops and caused a ruckus at every function he attended.

An article by Frank Craw in the November 1972 ARADCOM ARGUS said this about Nike:

"There are many tales of the antics of one of Red Canyon’s most famous "residents" - "a sex-mad, alcoholic jackass" which some people referred to as a mule. The jackass, named "Nike," was the Red Canyon mascot. According to men at McGregor Range, "Most stories about this unholy beast are too ribald for a family publication."

"He liked the more expensive brands of beer, was always first in the chow line, and would eat anything. He had an uncanny ability to discern when VIPs were present, at which times he would disappear down range to avoid being saddled with his red blanket, which he detested."

"He was ill-tempered, an obnoxious drunk and particularly irritable when suffering from a hangover - a daily occurrence." Others, now stationed at Hq. ARADCOM, recall that "Nike" would wait outside the snack bar or PX for his share of a missileman’s beer. If the missileman refused to share his drink with "Nike", the animal bit him and chased him all the way to the barracks. They also recalled that one time "Nike," inside one of the barracks, couldn’t get into one of the rooms to get his favorite drink and kicked down one of the partitions."