S2. E.14 The White Point Cold War Bunkers

Transcript

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 Welcome to the Harbor Area Podcast, where we tell stories of the people, places, and hidden history of the Los Angeles Harbor region.

I’m your host, Joel Torrez.

And I’m Ash Morgan. I’m a local here in San Pedro. I’ve been here about five years, and I’ve really fallen in love with the town. I now serve on the Neighborhood Council, so if you’re listening and you live in Central San Pedro, there are lots of opportunities to get involved and volunteer—especially with all the exciting developments happening here.

That’s kind of my story. I’m also a stand-up comedian locally, and I’m starting a production company called Mental Stand-Up. We plan to launch our first large production by the end of this year.

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 Now, you gave me—oh, that was a private event, the one you gave me a ticket for, right?

Oh yes. Actually, yeah—let’s build that secrecy. We have an underground, invite-only event that we do once a month. The only way to get in is by invitation from someone who has already attended.

Oh wow, so you have a lot of power.

After you go, you actually get the ability to invite someone else—because it’s that hush-hush.

Heck yeah. So if you want to get invited, now you’ve got to message me on Instagram: Harbor Area Podcast. That’s it—Harbor Area Podcast.

Honestly, you should just drop your Cash App and have people bribe you.

No, I’m just kidding.

So, Morgan—sorry, I had another guest named Morgan. We did an episode on the Wilmington Oil Field—that was the last episode we put together. So shout out to Tara and Morgan for the awesome work you did. Those episodes came out great. Go listen if you haven’t.

Thank you so much for being my co-host today.

Ash is an avid listener of the Harbor Area Podcast. They reached out to me on Instagram and said, “I’d like to host an episode with you.” And I said, “Sure.” Because these stories are about our community—we should be telling them. They mean something special to us, and I want to hear them from you firsthand.

I’m really excited about it. It’s nice not to do a podcast by yourself—it’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and have a more interactive conversation. So thank you for volunteering to be here today.

Thank you for accepting me and getting me involved. I really appreciate you.

So, I’m Ash Morgan, and today’s episode is about something you’ve probably seen—but maybe never really noticed.

If you’ve ever been to the White Point Nature Preserve, you’ve seen them.

Yeah—those concrete structures. Those broken walls. Kind of eerie, but also beautiful.

They look like ruins from another time.

Yeah, they are. But what most people don’t realize is that these structures were once part of a military system designed to protect Los Angeles during the Cold War.

At one point, this quiet coastal hillside was connected to a national defense network—and it was built for the possibility of nuclear war.

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 Today, we’re telling the story of the White Point Cold War bunkers, hidden in plain sight right here in San Pedro.

Let’s start with the place itself.

White Point sits along the edge of the Pacific Ocean, just below Paseo Del Mar Avenue. It’s peaceful—there are ocean views, native plants, and walking trails. You’ll see families out there, people walking their dogs. It feels like one of those calm places in the Harbor Area.

You mentioned they might be restricting e-bikes soon, right?

Correct. Yes. So, a fun fact from the Neighborhood Council—this is something currently being discussed. E-bikes on the trail can create a dangerous environment for pedestrians.

That makes sense. Good job by the Neighborhood Council.

So yeah, that’s one of the new developments happening there.

If you go down to this calm place by the harbor, you’ll see it—a concrete wall, a structure half-buried into the hillside. And you think, “What is that?” Because it doesn’t look like part of a park.

It looks like something left behind.

That’s because it is.

To understand these bunkers, we have to zoom out.

San Pedro—and especially the Port of Los Angeles—has always been strategically important. We’re talking about one of the busiest ports in the country. Even in the early 1900s, this area was critical for shipping, oil transport, and military logistics.

So if you’re thinking about national defense, this becomes a target.

Exactly.

During World War I and World War II, the U.S. military built coastal defenses all along this area—gun emplacements, observation points, and early warning systems. The idea of protecting this coastline goes way back.

But everything changes after World War II.

After World War II, the world enters a new kind of conflict—not direct war, but tension.

The Cold War.

The United States and the Soviet Union are locked in a standoff, and one of the biggest fears is air attacks—bombers carrying nuclear weapons.

So now the question becomes: how do you protect major cities like Los Angeles?

That’s where systems like the Nike Missile Defense Network come in.

Across the country—including Southern California—the U.S. built a series of sites designed to detect incoming aircraft, track them, and, if necessary, intercept them.

These weren’t random locations—they were carefully placed to protect major population centers.

Southern California had multiple sites—some in the hills, some along the coast. White Point was part of this broader defense landscape.

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 What we’re looking at today—those ruins—were once part of an active military system tied to that network.

So let’s talk about the structures themselves.

What exactly were those bunkers?

They weren’t just random buildings. They were reinforced concrete structures designed to house equipment, support operations, and withstand potential attacks.

So they were built to last.

Exactly—that’s why they’re still standing today.

Some of these spaces may have been used for communications, observation, and coordination with nearby defense sites. And all of this would have been happening quietly—most civilians probably had no idea what was going on behind the scenes.

But by the late 1960s and into the 1970s, things started to change.

Technology evolved. We had satellites and more advanced systems, and the way the U.S. approached defense shifted.

Many of these coastal and missile defense sites were decommissioned.

Meaning abandoned.

Exactly.

White Point was left behind. The military left, and nature began reclaiming the land.

And honestly, that’s beautiful.

Fast forward to today, and White Point is now a beautiful nature preserve. It’s one of those landmarks that, if you don’t know what you’re looking at, you might miss its deeper meaning.

These restored habitats and walking trails are now community spaces—places for us to enjoy.

And what makes it so powerful is the contrast—the juxtaposition of the horrors of war with the healing presence of nature.

Absolutely.

You’re walking through something peaceful, but you’re surrounded by the remains of a time when the world felt deeply uncertain.

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 And honestly, it also makes me think—history can repeat itself. The tension feels like it’s coming back in different ways.

What will the next version of White Point look like?

Now we’re talking about digital warfare and cyber warfare—so what’s the modern version of a bunker?

A digital bunker?

I don’t know—but it’s an interesting thought.

And I agree with you.

Standing at White Point, looking at those Cold War bunkers, you realize this wasn’t just infrastructure—it was fear built into concrete.

These structures were designed during a time when people genuinely believed a nuclear attack could happen at any moment.

Radar systems. Coastal artillery. Early warning networks.

This was the cutting edge of war technology at the time.

But what’s striking is how much has changed—and how much hasn’t.

Today, war doesn’t look like bunkers on a bluff. It’s drones, cyber warfare, and long-range missiles—technology that’s faster, more precise, and often more distant from the human reality on the ground.

But the outcome is the same.

Families are disrupted. Communities are destroyed. Lives are lost.

I want to be clear—I don’t support war. I don’t glorify any of this.

My heart goes out to every person who has had to fight, every civilian caught in the middle, and every family that has had to carry that loss.

When you look at places like this, it shouldn’t just be about history.

It should be a reminder of what we need to avoid repeating.

Because behind every piece of military technology is a human cost.

So the White Point bunkers remind us that history isn’t always in museums.

Sometimes it’s right in front of us—hidden in plain sight.

So next time you’re at the White Point Nature Preserve, take a closer look.

Because those concrete ruins aren’t just debris—they’re part of a story about fear, defense, and the Harbor Area’s place in global history.

And now you know what you’re looking at.

This is Joel Torrez—

And this is Ash Morgan—

And this is the Harbor Area Podcast.

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📚 Works Cited (Suggested for Podcast Show Notes)

•  National Park Service. Nike Missile Defense System. U.S. Department of the Interior. 
•  California State Parks. White Point Nature Preserve History. 
•  U.S. Army Air Defense Command. Nike Missile Program Overview (1950s–1970s). 
•  Los Angeles Harbor Department. Port of Los Angeles Historical Overview. 
•  Cold War Museum. Air Defense and the Nike Missile System. 
•  U.S. Department of Defense Archives. Cold War Coastal Defense Installations in California.