Pictures of a Marine Corps Career
CWO2 John A. Luko
Between Wars, 1945-1952
Missile Research and Development
Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, Silver Spring, MD,
1947-1949
Naval Ordinance Test Station (NOTS), China Lake,CA, 1950-1952
Operation Bumblebee
Named after a bumblebee, which although aerodynamically unable to fly, does not know this and flies anyway. Research was done at the Applied Physics Lab, MD. and at Topsail Island, N.C.
During the war, the U.S. Navy took over the Topsail Island and began a joint venture with Johns Hopkins University
known as Operation Bumblebee. The waterway was dredged, roads were built, and fresh water was piped onto
the island. Operation Bumblebee was the beginning of the space program for the United States Government.
An arsenal center for the assembly and storage of rockets was built on the sound side of the island, and
launching pads were constructed on the oceanfront. Concrete observation towers were built throughout the
island to monitor the experimental launchings. Over 200 rocket launchings took place on the island between
1946 and 1948. When the testing program was dismantled, the government sold the island to the public.
Many of the original military structures are still standing today.
click on pictures to enlarge and for description
Copyright © Larry Luko, 2005