SECURITY at MICHOUD

The 1960s were turbulent and uncertain times. The cold war was at its height. Our government was so paranoid that security at all the Apollo Sites was fierce. I had to be investigated before I was allowed to go to work. People were seeing communists underneath every bush. No private cameras were allowed-not even the astronauts could have their own cameras. Official cameras were doled out by NASA and only to certain chosen individuals. But I have video of camera crews on platforms filming static firings and flight tests. Our entire team- as all engineers- had to have a "Top Secret" Clearance. I proudly wore my clip-on badge with its red stripe as long as I worked for Boeing. That clearance made it easier for me to obtain later jobs with DOD contractors.
Yes, there were armed guards at every site. We had one inside that guarded locked file cabinets. More about that later.